UPSC CPF ASSISTANT COMMANDANT EXAM SOLVED PAPER

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

Exam held in Oct 2009

1. Which one of the following statements about Nandan Nilekani is not correct?
(1) He is the co-founder of Infosys Technologies Limited
(2) He wrote a book, titled “Imagining India” in which he passionately called for governmental and cultural reforms
(3) He is Member of the Planning Commission of India
(4) He is given the rank of Cabinet Minister in July, 2009
Ans. (3)

2. Consider the following statements about former Australian cricketer Steve Waugh:
(a) He is the author of the book “True Colours: My life”
(b) He is deeply influenced by the deeds of Mother Teresa.
(c) He is working for the cause of the children afflicted by leprosy in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) b and c only
(2) a only
(3) a and c only
(4) a, b and c
Ans. (1)

3. Which one of the following is not a World Heritage Site?
(1) Kaziranga National Park
(2) Sundarbans National Park
(3) Kangchendzonga National Park
(4) Keoladeo National Park
Ans. (3)

4. Which one of the following types of forests covers the largest area in India?
(1) Tropical dry deciduous
(2) Tropical moist deciduous
(3) Tropical evergreen
(4) Himalayan moist temperate
Ans. (1)

5. In May 2008, the Supreme Court of India laid down six parameters to make the police effective, accountable and insulated from political interference and set up a monitoring committee to ensure that states implement police reforms. Which one of the following is not a directive of the apex court in this regard?
(1) Setting up of a state security commission in every state to ensure that the state government did not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the state police
(2) Selection of state’s director general of police would be from amongst the three senior most officers
(3) Fixing a minimum tenure of five years for police officers on operational posts unless they face disciplinary proceedings or were convicted in a criminal offence
(4) Setting up a separate investigation police force to ensure that criminal cases are prosecuted effectively
Ans. (3)

6. Contamination of mustard oil has led to several outbreaks of Epidemic Dropsy in India. Which one of the following contaminant is responsible for it?
(1) Automobile oil
(2) Linseed oil
(3) Argemone oil
(4) Rapeseed oil
Ans. (3)

7. A farmer sows beans in his fields after harvesting a crop of wheat. Which one of the following agricultural practice is he following?
(1) Multiple cropping
(2) Crop rotation
(3) Fallow field
(4) Mixed cropping
Ans. (2)

8. Aquatic animals breathe much faster than terrestrial animals because of:
(1) low amount of dissolved oxygen in water
(2) low amount of hemoglobin in their blood
(3) high metabolic rate of aquatic animals
(4) large amount of dissolved nitrogen in water
Ans. (3)

9. Which of the following is not true about Giant Panda?
(1) It is a logo of WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)
(2) Giant Pandas are naturally found in Tibet and Southwest China
(3) Giant Pandas are worst invasive species of the world
(4) Giant Pandas feed on Bamboos
Ans. (2)

10. Which one of the following statements is not correct about “Flavr Savr” tomatoes?
(1) It is genetically engineered
(2) Its ripening process is slow
(3) The fruit cannot be left on the plant for a long period
(4) They have increased yield and better flavour
Ans. (4)

11. Which one of the following statements is not correct about Biosphere Reserves?
(1) They are protected areas meant for conservation of Biodiversity
(2) Each Biosphere reserve has three zones
(3) There is a network of Biosphere, reserves world ever
(4) They were first started by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources)
Ans. (4)

12. Which of thee following chemicals is an artificial sweetener prescribed to diabetic persons?
(1) Aspartame
(2) Glucose
(3) Sucrose
(4) Maltose
Ans. (1)

13. Villagers in some parts of India use the water extract of the ash obtained by burning banana plant as a substitute of soda. Which one of the following is the major active component in the extract?
(1) Sodium Carbonate
(2) Potassium Carbonate
(3) Calcium Oxide
(4) Magnesium Oxide
Ans. (1)

14. Match List-I with. List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List-I List-II
(Process) (Contaminant)
A. Aeration followed by filtration 1. Removal of colour
B. Reverse Osmosis 2. Removal of microorganism
C. Filtration through activated carbon 3. Removal of iron

D. Treatment with UV light 4. Removal of excess salts

Codes:
A B C D
(1) 3 1 4 2
(2) 4 3 2 1
(3) 3 4 1 2
(4) 2 4 1 3
Ans. (3)

15. In some parts of India, consumption’ of underground water causes mottled teeth and bone damage. Which one of the following is responsible for this malady?
(1) Fluoride ion
(2) Chloride ion
(3) Oxide ion
(4) Carbonate ion
Ans. (1)

16. In Buddhist principle, the performance of Sila and the achievement of Samadhi and Prajna lead to Nirvana. What does this Sila stand for?
(1) Mental control
(2) Physical control
(3) Development of insight
(4) Strict penance
Ans. (1)

17. Agnimitra, the hero of Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitra belonged to:
(1) Sunga dynasty
(2) Kanva dynasty
(3) Satvahana dynasty
(4) Gupta dynasty
Ans. (1)

18. Ministry of Women and Child Development adopted the Mission statement of ‘Budgeting for Gender Equality’ in 2004-05. In this context which of the following statement/statements is/are correct?
(a) It calls for incorporating a gender perspective at all levels and stages of the budgetary process.
(b) It stands for providing safe shelter to displaced women.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(1) a only
(2) b only
(3) Both a and b
(4) Neither a nor b
Ans. (3)

19. The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. In this context which of the following statements is not correct?
(1) Hon’ble Chief Justice of Supreme Court is the Executive Chairman of the Authority
(2) It’s objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society, on the basis of equal opportunity
(3) it issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement the legal programmes and schemes throughout the country
(4) To organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes
Ans. (1)

20. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List-I List-II
(Commission) (Issue)
A. Dar Commission 1. Assassination of Indira Gandhi
B. Kalelkar Commission 2.Ragging in educational institutions
C. Thakkar Commission 3. Demand for Linguistic States
4. Backward Classes
Codes:
A B C
(1) 3 4 1
(2) 3 2 4
(3) 1 2 4
(4) 1 4 2
Ans. (1)

21. Which of the following provisions is/are not directly covered in the definition of Domestic violence under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005?
(1) Physical harm causing physical injury or pain to women
(2) Mental injury such as emotional abuse, insult, harassment, repeated threats, demand for dowry, sexual abuse etc.
(3) Non-sharing of house-hold work, non-caring attitude for children, unhealthy habits of living, late coming etc. (of the male partner)
(4) Deprivation of economic or financial resources
Ans. (3)

22. Which. of the following movement address both sociological and ecological issues?
(a) The Trade Union movements in postcolonial India
(b) Narmada Bachao Andolan
(c) Jai Prakash Narain’s movement for total revolution
(d) Chilka Bachao Andolan
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(1) a and c only
(2) b and d only
(3) a, b and c only
(4) a, b, c and d
Ans. (2)

23. Which of the following is not a correct description of the ‘zero hour’?
(1) The time allotted after the Question Hour
(2) Question on issues of national importance or serious grievances of the people can be raised by members of either House
(3) Questions to he asked during zero hour are circulated one day in advance only
(4) The justification for its origin lies in allowing for democratic discussion beyond rules and procedures
Ans. (3)

24. Which of the following statements is not correct?
(1) Rajaya Sabha can make recommendations on a money bill
(2) Rajya Sabha can amend a money bill
(3) Rajya Sabha can delay the passing of a money bill up to a maximum of 14 days
(4) Rajaya Sabha cannot reject a money bill
Ans. (2)

25. Which of the following statements are correct?
The attorney general of India
(a) must have the qualifications as that required by a judge of the supreme court
(b) enjoys the same privileges and immunities as the members of Parliament.
(c) has the right of audience in all courts of India.
(d) his salaries and expenses are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(1) a, b and c
(2) a and b only
(3) c and d
(4) b and d
Ans. (1)

26. Who among the following Print Ministers of India never had to seek trust vote (vote of confidence) from the Lok Sabha?
(1) Indira Gandhi
(2) P. V. Narasimha Rao
(3) H. D. Devegowda
(4) Manmohan Singh
Ans. (1)

27. The Parliament is entitled to enact a law of preventive detention for reasons connected with:
(1) defense
(2) foreign affairs
(3) security of India
(4) All the above
Ans. (4)

28. Who among the following Prime Ministers of India has not presented the budget?
(1) Jawaharlal Nehru
(2) Morarji Desai
(3) Indira Gandhi
(4) Rajeev Gandhi
Ans. (2)

29. Consider the following statements:
(a) When the inflation decreases, but still remains positive. it is deflation.
(b) Deflation reduces the real value of money over time.
(c) Historically not all episodes of deflation correspond with periods of poor economic
growth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) a, b and c
(2) a and c only
(3) c only
(4) b only
Ans. (3)

30. Which one of the following are advance grants made by the House of People in respect of the estimated expenditure for a part of the ensuing financial year, pending the regular passage of the budget?
(1) Supplementary grants
(2) Special grants
(3) Vote on credit
(4) Vote on account
Ans. (4)

31. Consider the following Statements with respect to Pulitzer Prizes:
(a) The Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal is awarded each year to the American newspaper that wins the Public Service category.
(b) The Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal is never awarded to an individual.
(c) Jhumpa Lahiri won the Pulitzer Prize in the year 2000 for her first book: a short
story collection called The Interpreter of Malacities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) a, b and c
(2) a only
(3) b and c only
(4) a and c only
Ans. (1)

32. Which one of the following is correct with respect to Pawan Hans?
(1) It is a fighter aircraft operational with the Indian Air Force
(2) It is India’s one of the leading helicopter service provider
(3) It is a wind energy plant, located in Himachal Pradesh
(4) It is a mountain peak situated at the Kargil region
Ans. (2)

33. Consider the following statements about Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG):
(a) The NSG guidelines are implemented by each participating government in accordance with its national laws.
(b) The NSG guidelines facilitate the development of nuclear trade.
(c) South Africa is the only country from Africa in the NSG.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) a only
(2) b and c only
(3) a, b and c
(4) a and b only
Ans. (2)

34. Which of the following statements is/are not correct about the historic Stilwell road’?
(a) It connects India and Myanmar through Arunachal Pradesh.,
(b) It was built by the Japanese during the World War II.
(c) The road lies in the lands of ‘three different countries China, Myanmar and India.
Select the answer using the code given below:
(1) a and b
(2) b only
(3) a and c
(4) b and c
Ans. (3)

35. Consider the following paragraph:
With origins shrouded in mystery, the dancers of this classical form of dance of India communicate inner emotions and themes through candences of body flexions, movements and kinetic suggestions. Three styles of this form of dance exist, originating from the three different regions of Seraikela (Jharkhand), Purulia (West Bengal), and Mayurbhanj (Orissa). Martial movements, strong rhythmic statements and dynamic use of space are characteristic of this dance form. The dance is an excellent culmination of enormous vitality and virility. As It is difficult to dance for long with a mask, the dance does not last more than 7-10 minutes.
The above paragraph may be attributed to which one of the following dance form?
(1) Jatra
(2) Chhau
(3) Garba
(4) Cheraw
Ans. (2)

36. Which one of the following is not a function of Reserve Bank of India?
(1) Banker to the government
(2) Keeping foreign exchange reserve
(3) Issuing of one rupee coin and note
(4) Regulating credit in the country
Ans. (3)

37. Consider the following paragraph about a famous autobiographical narrative:
It was first published in 19 when the author was, elected the first African-American President of the Harvard Law Review. The law jurna1. It tells the story of the life of the author up to his entry in the Harvard Law Review. The author’s parents separated when he was two years old. In that book he formed an image of his absent father from the stories told by his mother and her parents.
Who is the author of the memoir?
(1) Nelson Mandela
(2) Martin Luther King
(3) Benjamin Banneker
(4) Barak Hussain Obama
Ans. (4)

38. Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of holding of the Grand Slam tennis tournaments every year?
(1) US Open—French Open— Australian Open—Wimbledon
(2) Australian Open—French Open—Wimbledon—US Open
(3) French Open—Australian Open—US Open—Wimbledon
(4) Wimbledon—French Open— US Open—Australian Open
Ans. (2)

39. Which one of the following statements about Dr. Manmohan Singh is not correct?’
(1) Dr. Manmohan Singh is the first Indian Prime Minister to return to power after
completing a full five-year term,
(2) He was the Union Minister of Finance during the tenure of then-Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao.
(3) He was the Governor of Reserve Bank of India and thereafter the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission,
(4) From 1998 to 2004, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajaya Sabha.
Ans. (1)

40. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below:
List-I List-II
(Chairperson) (Working Group on)
A. Prof. D. L. Seth 1. Empowerment of Scheduled Castes
B. Prof. S. K. Thorat 2. Empowerment of Minorities
C. Shri. S. Sankaran 3. Empowerment of the other backward classes
4. Empowerment of Scheduled Tribes
Codes:
A B C
(1) 4 3 2
(2) 1 4 3
(3) 3 1 4
(4) 3 2 4
Ans. (3)

41. Consider the following statements about Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Act, 1948:
(a) The Act is applicable to non seasonal factories using power and employing 20 or more persons.
(b) The ESI Scheme has already been implemented in different areas in all the State/Union Territories of India.
(c) ESI Scheme being contributory in nature, all the employees in th factories or establishments to which the Act applies shall be insured.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(1) a and b only
(2) a and c only
(3) b and c only
(4) a, b and c
Ans. (3)

42. From the paragraph given below identify the temple referred to:
Situated on the serene surrounding on the bank of river Mahanadi, this temple is one of the wonders of the medieval period and draws at1ention of several devotees, tourists and researchers from all around the world. The temple does not stand upright and is tilted towards one side. Another attraction of the temple of Kudo fish for which special offerings are made.
(1) Muktesvara temple
(2) Huma temple
(3) Cuttack chandi temple
(4) Lingaraj temple
Ans. (2)

43. Consider the following statements with respect to recent developments in infrastructure sector in India:
(a) India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited was Set up as a banking company for providing long-term loans for financing infrastructure projects.
(b) 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment under automatic route is permitted for all infrastructure projects.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(1) a only
(2) b only
(3) Both a and b
(4) Neither a nor b
Ans. (3)

44. Which of the following statements about ‘Ujjawala’, a comprehensive scheme for the prevention of trafficking, rescue, and rehabilitation of women and child victims is not correct?
(1) It consists of certain mechanisms for the reintegration nd repatriation of victims including cross border victims
(2) This scheme is being implemented by various non governmental organizations to provide direct aid and benefit to victims of trafficking
(3) The scheme has four components viz, Prevention, Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Repatriation
(4) The scheme is designed to liberate victims of commercial sexual exploitation
Ans. (3)

45. Consider the following paragraph On Indian painting:
Women are mainly engaged in the creation of these paintings. These painting’s do not depict mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life. Images of human being’s and animals along with scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic pattern. Painted white on mud walls, they are pretty close to prehistoric cave paintings in execution and usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing. sowing and harvesting, Stylistically, they can be recognized by the fact that they .are painted on an austere mud base using one color, white, with occasional dots In red and yellow. This colour is obtained from grounding rice into white powder. The paragraph given above characterizes which one of the following folk and art
form of India?
(1) Tanjore art
(2) Madhubani painting
(3) Warli folk painting
(4) Pattachitra painting
Ans. (2)

Directions: Each of the next five items consists of two statements, one labelled as the ‘Assertion (A)’ and the other as ‘Reason (R)’. You are to examine these two statements carefully and select the answers to these items using the codes given below:
Codes: -
(a) Both A and R are individually true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and Rare individually true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

46. Assertion (A): Import of Chinese toys was banned by the Government of India.
Reason (R): The plastic material used to make the toys are not biodegradable.
Ans. (1)

47. Assertion (A): .A person suffering from myopia uses a concave lens.
Reason (R): A concave lens diverges a beam of light incident on it.
Ans. (1)

48. Assertion (A): The “Green Belt” represents a planning concept for controlling the physical expansion of large cities.
Reason(R): “Green Belt’ is an integral component of a city.
Ans. (1)

49. Assertion (A): In areas of intensive subsistence agriculture, animal husbandry plays an insignificant role.
Reason (R): Throughout the region, the farmers are handicapped in raising cattle due to lack of scientific methods of breeding.
Ans. (3)

50. Assertion (A): Nitrogen gas is used to provide inert atmosphere in chemical reaction. Reason (R): Nitrogen gas has a very little chemical reactivity at ordinary temperature.
Ans. (1)

UNESCO representative list of India intangible cultural heritage of humanity

The Aalst Carnival in Belgium, the Peking Opera, Spanish Flamenco, the Wayuu normative system in Colombia, the traditional skills of carpet weaving in Kashan in Iran, and falconry, presented by 11 countries, are among the 46 elements inscribed today on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. A UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, chaired by Jacob Ole Miaron from Kenya and meeting in Nairobi until 19 November 2010, examined and inscribed 46 of the 47 nominations presented.

India - Chhau dance:

Chhau dance is a tradition from eastern India that enacts episodes from epics including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, local folklore and abstract themes. Its three distinct styles hail from the regions of Seraikella, Purulia and Mayurbhanj, the first two using masks. Chhau dance is intimately connected to regional festivals, notably the spring festival Chaitra Parva. Its origin is traceable to indigenous forms of dance and martial practices. Its vocabulary of movement includes mock combat techniques, stylized gaits of birds and animals and movements modelled on the chores of village housewives. Chhau is taught to male dancers from families of traditional artists or from local communities. The dance is performed at night in an open space to traditional and folk melodies, played on the reed pipes mohuri and shehnai. The reverberating drumbeats of a variety of drums dominate the accompanying music ensemble. Chhau is an integral part of the culture of these communities. It binds together people from different social strata and ethnic background with diverse social practices, beliefs, professions and languages. However, increasing industrialization, economic pressures and new media are leading to a decrease in collective participation with communities becoming disconnected from their roots

.

India - Kalbelia folk songs and dances of Rajasthan:

Songs and dances are an expression of the Kalbelia community’s traditional way of life. Once professional snake handlers, Kalbelia today evoke their former occupation in music and dance that is evolving in new and creative ways. Today, women in flowing black skirts dance and swirl, replicating the movements of a serpent, while men accompany them on the khanjari percussion instrument and the poongi, a woodwind instrument traditionally played to capture snakes. The dancers wear traditional tattoo designs, jewellery and garments richly embroidered with small mirrors and silver thread. Kalbelia songs disseminate mythological knowledge through stories, while special traditional dances are performed during Holi, the festival of colours. The songs also demonstrate the poetic acumen of the Kalbelia, who are reputed to compose lyrics spontaneously and improvise songs during performances. Transmitted from generation to generation, the songs and dances form part of an oral tradition for which no texts or training manuals exist. Song and dance are a matter of pride for the Kalbelia community, and a marker of their identity at a time when their traditional travelling lifestyle and role in rural society are diminishing. They demonstrate their community’s attempt to revitalize its cultural heritage and adapt it to changing socioeconomic conditions.

India - Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of Kerala:

Mudiyettu is a ritual dance drama from Kerala based on the mythological tale of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. It is a community ritual in which the entire village participates. After the summer crops have been harvested, the villagers reach the temple in the early morning on an appointed day. Mudiyettu performers purify themselves through fasting and prayer, then draw a huge image of goddess Kali, called as kalam, on the temple floor with coloured powders, wherein the spirit of the goddess is invoked. This prepares the ground for the lively enactment to follow, in which the divine sage Narada importunes Shiva to contain the demon Darika, who is immune to defeat by mortals. Shiva instead commands that Darika will die at the hand of the goddess Kali. Mudiyettu is performed annually in ‘Bhagavati Kavus’, the temples of the goddess, in different villages along the rivers Chalakkudy Puzha, Periyar and Moovattupuzha. Mutual cooperation and collective participation of each caste in the ritual instils and strengthens common identity and mutual bonding in the community. Responsibility for its transmission lies with the elders and senior performers, who engage the younger generation as apprentices during the course of the performance. Mudiyettu serves as an important cultural site for transmission of traditional values, ethics, moral codes and aesthetic norms of the community to the next generation, thereby ensuring its continuity and relevance in present times.

First in the World

● The first person to cross the Atlantic in an open wicker basket hot air balloon : David Hempleman Adams
● The first woman civilian police adviser of the U.N. : Kiran Bedi
● The first person in the world to land on the moon : Neil Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin
● The first man to enter space : Major Yuri Gagarin (Russian)
● The first woman cosmonaut of the world : Velentina Tereshkova
● The first unmanned spaceship to have softlanded and lifted off from the moon to return to the earth : Luna-16 (USSR) Sept. 21, 1970
● The first space vehicle to land on the moon : Lunar Exploration Module (LEM) nick-named ‘Eagle’
● The first space ship which carried three American astronauts to land two of them on the moon : Apollo-11
● The first country to send man to the moon : USA


● The first space rocket brought back to earth after orbiting the moon : Zond-5
● First crew transfer between the orbiting space ships : Soyuz T-15 with Mir Space Station
● The first mission of a ling-up in space by manned space ships of USA and Soviet Union : Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Mission (ASTP) (launched on July 15 and linked up in space on July 17, 1975)
● The first man to fly into space belonging to a country other than Russia or the USA : Remek (Czechoslovakia)
● The first country to send nuclear powered space craft to explore Jupiter : USA
● The first to launch earth satellite or artificial baby moon : USSR
● The first spaceship in the world to sample moon’s crust : Surveyor-3 (USA)
● The first space vehicle to soft land on moon : Luna 9 (USSR)
● The first manned spaceship to perform the longest stay in space (11 days) : Apollo-7 (USA)
● The first man to win 4 Olympic gold medals : Alvin Kranzein (USA) in 1900
● The first lawn tennis player who won the Wimbledon championship for five years consecutively : Bjorn Borg
● First batsman to score three Test Century in three successive Tests on debut : Mohd. Azharuddin (India)
● World’s first Cricketer to score more than 11,000 runs in his test carrier : Allan Border of Australia with more than 11,000 runs.
● The first person to reach the South Pole : Amundsen (Norway)
● The first person to have climbed Mount Everest : Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing 19th May, 1953
● The first person to sail round the world : Ferdinand Magellan (Portugal)
● The First woman to conquer Mount Everest : Mrs. Junko Tabei (Japan)
● The first man to have climber Mount Everest Twice : Nawang Gombu
● The first vessel ever to reach the North Pole by sailing thought the thick Arctic ice : Soviet Arktika Atomic-powered (ice-breaker)
● The leader of the expedition ‘Ocean to Sky’ : Sir Edmund Hillary
● The first two mountaineers who reached the summit of Everest without using oxygen : Peter Habeler (Austria) and Reinhold Messner (Italy)
● The first woman Prime Minister of a country twice : Mrs. S. Bandarnaike (Sri Lanka)
● The first President of the USA: George Washington
● The first President of the Chinese Republic : Sun Yet Sen
● The first Governor-General of Pakistan : Mohd. Ali Jinnah
● The first European to visit China : Marco Polo
● The first US President to resign Presidency : Richard Nixon
● The first woman Ambassador of Britain : Anne Warburton
● The first woman Prime Minister of a European Country : Margaret Thatcher
● Woman Bishop : Rev Barbara C. Harris (USA)
● Lady President of a country : Maria Estela Person (Argentina)
● The first Muslim women to win Nobel Prize : Shirin Ebadi.
● Civilian Police Advisor in U.N. : Ms. Kiran Bedi.
● 400 Run maker in an inning of Test Cricket : Brian Lara
● Claimer of hat-trick in first over of test match : Irfan Pathan (India)
● One Thousand wicket taker in international cricket : M. Murlitharan (Sri Lanka)
● 16 thousand runs in ODI : Sachin Tendulkar (2008)
● Hitter of six sixes in an over in T-20 Match : Yuvraj Singh (India)
● 4 wickets taler in 4 consecutive balls in ODI : Lasith Malinga (Srilanka)
● 600 Wickets taker & Century. maker in test cricket : Anil Kumble (India) (2008)
● 8 Gold Medal Winner in Olympic : Michael Phelps (USA) (2008)
● Double Century maker in one day cricket (mens) : Sachin Tendulkar (India)
The first woman civilian police adviser of the U.N. : Kiran Bedi

WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN INDIA

Cultural
● Agra Fort (1983)
● Ajanta Caves (1983)
● Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
● Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
● Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
● Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
● Elephanta Caves (1987)
● Ellora Caves (1983)
● Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
● Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
● Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
● Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
● Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
● Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
● Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
● Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
● Mountain Railways of India (1999)
● Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
● Red Fort Complex (2007)
● Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
● Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
● Taj Mahal (1983)
● The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)

Natural
● Kaziranga National Park (1985)
● Keoladeo National Park (1985)
● Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
● Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)
● Sundarbans National Park (1987)

Properties submitted on the Tentative List
● Temples at Bishnupur, West Bengal (1998)
● Buddhist Monastery Complex, Alchi, Leh, known as Alchi Chos-kor (1998)
● Golconda Fort, Hyderbad, Andhra Pradesh (1998)
● Dholavira: a Harappan City, Gujarat, Disstt, Kachchh (1998)
● Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (1998)
● Mattanchery Palace, Ernakulam, Kerala (1998)
● Tomb of Sher Shah Suri, Sasaram, Bihar (1998)
● Group of Monuments at Mandu, Madhya Pradesh (1998)
● Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (1998)
● Hemis Gompa (1998)
● Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab (2004)
● River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam (2004)
● Kalka Shimla Railway (2004)
● The Matheran Light Railway (extension to the Mountain Railways of India) (2005)
● Western Ghats (sub cluster nomination) (2006)
● Namdapha National Park (2006)
● Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch (2006)
● Kangchendzonga National Park (2006)
● Urban and Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh (2006)
● The Kangra Valley Railway - Extension to the Mountain Railways of India (2009)
● Churchgate - Extension to Mumbai CST (2009)
● The Maharaja Railways of India (2009)
● Oak Grove School (2009)
● Excavated Remains at Nalanda (2009)
● Great Himalayan National Park (2009)
● Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (2009)
● Neora Valley National Park (2009)
● Desert National Park (2009)
● Silk Road Sites in India (2010)
● Santiniketan (2010)

FIRST IN INDIA

● British Governor-General : Warren Hastings
● British Governor-General of Independent India : Lord Mountbatten
● Justice of India : Hiralal J. Kania
● Comander-in-Chief of Free India : General K. M. Cariappa
● Chief of Air Staff : Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
● Indian Air Chief : Air Marshal S. Mukherjee
● Chief of Army Staff : General M. Rajendra Singh
● Chief of Naval Staff : Vice-Admiral R. D. Katari
● Consmonaut : Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma
● Emperor of Mughal Dynasty in India : Babar
● Field Marshal : SPFJ Manekshaw
● Governor-General of Indian Union : C. Rajgopalachari
● Indian to get an Oscar : Bhanu Athaiya
● Indian to Reach the South Pole : Col. I. K. Bajaj
● Indian ICS Officer : Satyendra Nath Tagore
● Indian Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council : Sir S. P. Sinha
● Indian Man to Swim Across the English Channel : Mihir Sen
● Indian Woman to Swim Across the English Channel : Miss Aarti Saha
● Indian Woman to Swim Across the Strait of Gibraltar : Aarti Pradhan
● Man to Climb Mount Everest : Sherpa Tenzing
● Man to Climb Mount Everest without Oxygen : Phu Dorjee
● Man to Climb Mount Everest twice : Nawang Gombu
● Muslim Woman to sit on the throne of Delhi : Razia Sultana
● Nobel Prize Winner : Rabindra Nath Tagore
● President of the Indian National Congress : W. C. Banerjee
● Woman President of the Indian National Congress : Annie Besant
● President to Die in Office : Dr. Zakir Hussain
● Prime Minister to Lose an Election : Indira Gandhi
● Prime Minister to Resign from Office : Morarji Desai
● Deputy Prime Minister : Vallabhbhai Patel
● Talkie Film : Alam Ara (1931)
● Test-tube Baby : Indira (Baby Harsha)
● Viceroy : Lord Canning
● Woman Central Minister : Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
● Woman Chief Minister of a State : Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
● Woman Governor : Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
● Woman Minister : Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Pandit
● Woman to Climb the Mt. Everest: Bachendri Pal
● Woman Prime Minister : Mrs. Indira Gandhi
● Woman Speaker of a State Assembly : Mrs. Shanno Devi
● Woman Airline Pilot : Durba Banerjee
● Woman to Win an Asiad Gold : Kamaljit Sandhu
● Woman Judge of the Supreme Court : Fathima Beevi
● Woman IPS Officer : Kiran Bedi
● Indian in the British Parliament: Dadabhai Naoroji
● Indian to win Miss Universe Title : Ms Sushmita Sen
● Indian Woman Congress President : Sarojini Naidu (1925)
● Woman President of UN General Assembly : Vijayalakshmi Pandit (1953)
● Woman to Win the Nobel Prize : Mother Teresa (1979)
● Woman to become ‘Miss World : Reeta Faria
● Speaker, Lok Sabha : G. V. Manavalankar (1952-57)
● Chairman Rajya Sabha : S. V. Krishnamoorthy (1952)
● Indian to Pass ICS : Surendra Nath Banerji (1862)
● Indian Pilot : JRD Tata (1929)
● To Reach Antarctica : Lt. Ram Charan (1960)
● Vernacular Daily : Kolkata (1727)
● Telegraph Line Installed : Calcutta to Diamond Harber (1853)
● Silent Movie : Raja Harish Chandra by Dada Saheb Phalke (1913)
● Coloured Cinemascope Film : Pyar ki Pyas (1961)
● Satellite launched : Aryabhatta (1975)
● Indigenously built satellite : Aryabhatta (1975)
● Atomic device exploded at : Pokharan in Rajasthan (1974)
● Large-scale Nuclear Reactor : Apsara (1956)
● Indigenously designed and built missile : Prithvi (1988)
● Member of the Dalit Community to become the President of India : K. R. Narayanan
● DNA typing forensic Laboratory set-up at : Kolkata
● Electric Train started between : Ludhiana and New Delhi
● Science City was inaugurated in : Kolkata
● Actress of Indian Cinema : Kamalabai Gokhale
● Woman Pilot of IAF : Harita Deol
● Solar Thermal Parabolic Trough Power Station was established at : Mathania (Rajasthan)
● Indian writer to win the Booker Prize : Arundhati Roy
● Musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna : M. S. Subbulakshmi
● Indian Woman to go into Space : Kalpana Chawla
● Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board : Nikhil Chakravarthy
● Indian Institution to be awarded Gandhi Peace Prize : Ramakrishna Mission
● Solar city is developed at : Anandpur Sahib
● Woman to win an Olympic medal : Karnam Malleswari
● Woman Foreign Secretary of India : Chokila Iyer
● Indian to win World Billiards Trophy : Wilson Jones
● Indian Grand Master (in Chess) : Vishwanathan Anand
● Chinese pilgrim to visit India : Fahien
● European invader on India soil : Alexender, the great
● Indian to win World Chess Championship : Vishwanathan Anand
● Women Air Vice Marshal : P. Bandopadhyaya
● Lady Cadet of Indian Army : Priya Jhingan
● First Indian to win a medal in the world Athletic Championship : Anju B. George (2003)
● Triple Century Maker in Test Cricket : Virendra Sahwag (2004)
● Hitter of 5 Double Centuries : Rahul Dravid (2004)
● Woman DGP : Kanchan Chaudhury
● Medal winner in Olympic Games : Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore (2004)
● Asian Tennis Champion, WTA champion, Third round winner in Grand Slam Tournament, Grand slam tournament winner Match winner in U.S. open, Youngest awardee of Padamshree : Sania Mirza
● Formula-1 Car Racer : Narayan Kartikeyan
● Indian to be awarded ‘Srilanka Ratn’ : N. Ram
● Woman Commanded the annual passing out parade : Wahida Prizm (2006)
● Five hundred wicket taker in Test cricket: Anil Kumble (2006)
● To the ski to the North Pole : Ajeet Bajaj (2006)
● First Air Chief to to Sky dive : Air Chief S. P. Tyagi (2006)
● First Indian Woman to win a Badminton Grand Prix : Saina Nehwal (2006)
● First President to make sortie in a combat aircraft : Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (2006)
● First Women President : Pratibha Patil (2007)
● First Indian to win Gold Medal in Olympics in individual Event : Abhinav Bindra (2008)
● First Woman Pilot of Fighter Plane : Suman Sharma
● World Cup (Jr.) Badminton, Indonesian Open Winner (Woman) : Saina Nehwal (2009)
● Woman Speaker Lok Sabha : Ms. Meira Kumar (2009)
● Two Oscar Award Winner : A. R. Rehman (2009)
● Khel Ratna, Arjun and Dronacharya Award : P. Gopi Chand (2009)
● Indian Woman to reach the South Pole : Reena Kaushal (2009)
Woman Speaker Lok Sabha : Ms. Meira Kumar (2009)

Highest, Biggest, Largest & Longest In India

• Award for Gallantry, Highest — Param Vir Chakra
• Award, highest civilian — Bharat Ratna
• Bank with largest number of branches — State Bank of India
• Road bridge, Longest — Mahatma Gandhi Setu (across Ganga—Patna 5.575 Km.)
• Cantilever Span Bridge, Largest — Howrah Bridge (Kolkata)
• Cattle Fair, Largest — Sonepur Fair (Bihar)
• City, Most Populous — Mumbai
• Corridor, Longest — Ramanathaswamy Corridor, Tamil Nadu (1,220 mt.)
• Desert, Largest — Thar (Rajasthan)
• Dam, Longest — Hirakud Dam (Orissa)
• Dam, Highest — Bhakra Dam on river Sutlej (740 ft.)
• Delta, Largest — Sunderban (12,872 Sq. km.)
• Dome, Largest — Gol Gumbaz (Bijapur)
• Gateway, Highest — Buland Darwaja at Fatehpur Sikri (54 m.)
• Lake, Largest — Wular Lake (Kashmir)
• Literacy, Highest — Kerala


• Museum, Largest — Indian Museum (Kolkata)
• Mosque, Biggest — Jama Masjid (Delhi)
• Peak, Highest — K-2 (8,611 mt.)
• Railway Platform, Longest — Kharagpur, SE Railway (2,733 ft.)
• Railway Bridge, Largest — Nehru Setu, Bihar (river Sone)
• River, Longest — The Ganga river (2,525 km.)
• Rainfall, Highest (annual mean) — Mowsyrnam near Cherrapunji (1,080 mm) (Meghalaya)
• Road, Longest — Grand Trunk Road
• Rock-cut Temple, Largest — KailashTemples, Ellora (Maharashtra)
• State, maximum forest cover — Mizoram (cover 75.5% area)
• Statue Tallest — Statue of Risabhnath (Khargone, M.P.) 84 ft.
• State, Largest (area) — Rajasthan (3,42,239 sq. km.)
• State, Most Populous — Uttar Pradesh (16,61,97,921)
• State with Maximum — West Bengal (903 persons per sq. km.) density of population
• Tunnel, Longest (Road) — Jawahar Tunnel (J & K—1.75 miles)
• Tunnel, Longest (Railway) — Between Monkey Hill and Khandala stations (2,100 mt. long)
• Tower, Highest — Qutub Minar (Delhi, 72.5 mt.)
• Waterfall, Highest — Gersoppa Waterfall, Mysore (290 m.)
• Zoo, Largest — Zoologica Gardens, Kolkata
• Man-made Lake, Largest — Govind Sagar (Bhakra)
• Longest Run-way — Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi)
• Longest Sea Bridge — Rajiv Gandhi Sea Bridge (Worli-Bandra Sea-Link), Mumbai
• Longest Flyover — PVR-6 Express Way, Hyderabad

Highest, Longest, Biggest, Largest, Deepest, Smallest of the World

● Largest Airport : King Abdul Khalid International Airport (Saudi Arabia)
● Highest Airport : Lhasa Airport, Tibet
● Tallest Animal : Giraffe
● Largest Animal : Blue Bottom whale
● Largest Bay : Hudson Bay, Canada.
● Fastest Bird : Swift
● Largest Bird : Ostrich
● Smallest Bird : Humming bird
● Longest Bridge : Huey P. Long Bridge (USA)
● Tallest Building : Dubai Burj (Dubai)
● Longest Canal : Baltic sea White Canal
● Largest Cathedral : Cathedral Church of New York
● Largest Cemetry : Ohlsdorf Cemetry (Hamburg, Germany)
● Largest Church : Balisca of St. Peter in the Vatican City, Rome.
● Largest Continent : Asia
● Smallest Continent : Australia
● Largest Country (Area) : Russia
● Smallest Country (Area) : Vatican City
● Biggest Cinema House : Roxy, New York
● Highest City : Wenchuan, China
● Most Populous City : Tokyo
● Longest Day : June 21
● Shortest Day : December 22
● Largest Delta : Sunderban (India)
● Largest Desert : Sahara, North Africa


● Biggest Dome : Gol Gumbaz (Bijapur), India
● Largest Dams : Grand Coulee Dam, USA
● Tallest Fountain : Fountain Hills, Arizona
● Largest Gulf : Gulf of Mexico
● Largest Hotel : Excalibur Hotel (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)
● Largest Island : Greenland
● Largest Lake : Caspian Sea.
● Deepest Lake : Baikal (Siberia)
● Highest Lake : Titicaca (Bolivia)
● Largest Library : United States Library of Congress, Washington
● Largest Mosque : Jama Masjid, Delhi (India)
● Highest Mountain Peak : Mount Everest (Nepal)
● Highest Mountain Range : Himalayas, Asia.
● Largest Mountain Range : Andes (South America)
● Biggest Museum : American Museum of Natural History (New York).
● Largest Minaret : Sultan Hassan Mosque (Egypt)
● Tallest Minaret : Qutub Minar, Delhi (India)
● Biggest Oceans : Pacific Ocean
● Deepest Oceans : Pacific Ocean
● Biggest Palace : Vatican (Rome)
● Largest Palace : Imperial Palace (China)
● Largest Park : National Park of North-Eastern (Greenland)
● Largest Peninsula : Arabia
● Highest Plateau : Pamir (Tibet)
● Longest Platform : Kharagpur, W. Bengal (India)
● Largest Platform : Grand Central Terminal, (Rly. Station), New York (USA)
● Biggest Planet : Jupiter
● Smallest Planet : Mercury
● Brightest Planet : Venus
● Coldest Planet : Neptune
● Nearest Planet (to the Sun) : Mercury
● Farthest Planet (from the Sun) : Neptune
● Longest River : Nile, Africa
● Longest River Dam : Hirakud Dam, India
● Largest Sea : South China Sea
● Largest Stadium : Starhove Stadium, Prague (Czech Republic)
● Brightest Star : Sirius A
● Tallest Statue : Motherland (Russia)
● Largest Sea-bird : Albatross
● Biggest Telescope : Mt. Palomar (USA)
● Longest Train : Flying Scotsman
● Largest Temple : Angkorwat in Combodia.
● Oldest Theatre : Teatro Olimpico (Itlay)
● Tallest Tower : C. N. Tower, Toronto (Canada)
● Longest Wall : Great Wall of China
● Highest Waterfall : Angel (Venezuela)
● Widest Waterfall : Khone Falls (Laos)
● Lowest Water Level : Dead Sea
● Longest Epic : Mahabharata
● Hottest Place : Azizia (Libya)
● Rainiest Place : Mosinram, near Cherrapunji (India)
● Highest Road : Leh-Nobra, Ladakh division India.
● Highest Village : Andean (Chile)
● Highest Volcano : Ojos del Salado, (Argentina) Chile
● Largest Volcano : Manuna Lea (Hawai)
● Lightest Gas : Hydrogen
● Fastest Animal : Cheetah
● Biggest Flower : Rafflesia (Java)
● Longest Corridor : Rameshwaram Temple (India)
● Largest Democracy : India
● Highest Cable Car Project : Gulmarg (Jammu-Kashmir)
● Biggest Airbus : Double Decker A-380
● Highest Rail Track : Kwinghai- Tibbet Railway (China)

WORLD POLITICS OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS

Question 1: The ideal of internationalism involves
1. Total abandonment of nationalism
2. Partial abandonment of nationalism
3. Adequate recognition of cultural distinctiveness of nations
4. Derecognition of cultural distinctiveness

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 2: Assertion (A) : Systems theory is criticized for its alleged ideological bias in favour of status quo. Reason (R) : Systems theory stresses upon notions of stability, equilibrium, steady state and pattern maintenance.
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 not a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 3: Which one of the following statements is correct ?
1. The constitution clearly lays down what its basic structure is
2. The Supreme Court has elaborately defined the basic structure of the Constitution
3. The Law Commission of India with the help of Attorney General of India has defined the basic structure of the Constitution
4. Neither the Supreme Court nor the Parliament have defined the basic structure of the Constitution

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 4: The name of first woman judge of International Court of Justice is—
1. Rosalyn Higgins
2. Rosa E. Otunbayeva
3. Gestrud Mongella
4. Sadako Ogata

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 5: The theory of sovereignty is historically associated with the rise of
1. Feudalism
2. Absolute monarchy
3. Democracy
4. Decolonization

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 6: Which of the following is not part of EOP of USA?
1. Office of management and Budget
2. The white House office
3. Office of personnel management
4. National security council

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 7: Which one of the following scholars consider International law as true law ?
1. Grotius
2. Hobbes
3. Holland
4. Austin

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 8: The advocates of deliberative democracy emphasise
1. Parliamentary sovereignty
2. Judicial autonomy
3. Executive supremacy
4. Popular participation

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 9: On which day of the week is the general election traditionally held in Great Britian?
1. Monday
2. Wednesday
3. Thursday
4. Sunday

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 10: Who is US’s SECRETARY OF STATE appointed by Obama
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Robert Gates
3. Timothy Geithner
4. Janet Napolitano

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 11: Which one of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched ?
1. Aristotle : State is a magnified individual
2. Hegel : State is a march of God on Earth
3. Marx : Modern state is an instrument of class exploitation
4. Gandhi : State represents violence in concentrated form

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 12: President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine belongs to….
1. Fatah Party
2. Baath Party
3. Hamas
4. PKK

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 13: The thinker who based politics on Psychology, Physics and Geometry was
1. Thomas Hobbes
2. Montesquieu
3. Rousseau
4. Bentham

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 14: Who among the following, characterized bureaucracy as ration-legal authority ?
1. F.M. Marx
2. Vilfredo Pareto
3. Max Weber
4. Herbert A. Simon

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 15: ‘With the causes of exploitation of class by class removed, with the abolition of classes, the State will therefore, inevitably wither away. To which theory of the origin of State is the above statement applicable ?
1. Divine Right Theory
2. Social Contract Theory
3. Evolutionary Theory
4. Marxist Theory

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 16: Who among the following characterized bureaucracy as a rational-legal authority ?
1. F.M. Marx
2. Vilfredo Pareto
3. Max Weber
4. Herbert A. Simon

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 17: Marxian view treats international politics as an extension of class war in
1. Global perspective
2. National perspective
3. Societal perspective
4. None of the above

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 18: S. Finer has designated the interest groups as
1. Invisible governments
2. Unofficial government
3. Government within the government
4. Anonymous empire

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 19: The idea of the Union giving directions to the states was adopted by the makers of the Indian Constitution from
1. The Government of India Act, 1935
2. The US Constitution
3. The Soviet Constitution
4. The Australian Constitution

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 20: In December 2008, Time magazine named ——- as its Person of the Year
1. Barack Obama
2. McCain
3. Hillary Clinton
4. Joe Biden

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 21: Who was the President of Palestinian National Authority in March 2006?
1. Mahmoud Allawayi
2. Ahmed Rashid
3. Mahmoud Younis
4. Mahmoud Abbas

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 22: Consider the following statements: 1. Development of comparative approach of public administration was funded by the American Government. 2. One reason for funding the development of comparative approach of public administration was political interest to arrest communication. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 23: Which one of the following is NOT correct in respect of China ?
1. The Communist Party of China is organized on the basis of democratic centralism
2. The Chinese constitution provides for a uniform judicial system
3. Mao’s ideas of ‘New Democracy’ have been put into practice
4. The Chinese constitution provides for a bicameral legislature

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 24: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List-I (Characteristic Features) List-II (Political Ideology) A. Formation of the natural, harmonious, organic, communities for the free development of the individual and the abolition of the main source of coercion – State 1. Guild Socialism B. Formation of self-governing autonomous associations of people that will work on cooperative basis to establish partnership between groups and State 2. Democratic Socialism C. Combination of human fellowship, just social system, common ownership and mutual service 3. Syndicalism D. A system of revolutionary tactics using non-political methods to create an economic federation
1. A-4 B-1 C-2 D-3
2. A-2 B-1 C-4 D-3
3. A-4 B-3 C-2 D-1
4. A-2 B-3 C-4 D-1

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 25: The Unitary State is stronger than a Federal one because all powers of government are concentrated in the hands of one single set of authorities. Hence there is
1. Absence of conflict of authority and responsibility
2. Absence of simplification of governmental organization
3. Overlapping of jurisdiction
4. Duplication of functions

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 26: Which one of the following statements is NOT correct ?
1. Diplomacy is an instrument of foreign policy
2. Major international agreements are usually negotiated by foreign ministers
3. Diplomats do not play now as great a role in international negotiations as they once did
4. Diplomats now get greater latitude than they enjoyed in 19th Century

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 27: Bill Clinton was the —-President of the United States
1. 42nd
2. 41st
3. 43rd
4. 44th

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 28: Who among the following theorists advocated participatory democracy?
1. F.A. Hayek
2. C.B. Macpherson
3. Michael Oakeshot
4. Gaetano Mosca

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 29: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List-I (Development Approach) List-II (Features) A. Blue print approach 1. Utilization of capital resources over human resources B. Learning process approach 2. Cybernetic process with latitude for change according to needs C. Production centred approach 3. Planning in advance for development D. People centred approach 4. Individual as an actor who defines the goa

1. A-3 B-4 C-1 D-2
2. A-1 B-2 C-3 D-4
3. A-3 B-2 C-1 D-4
4. A-1 B-4 C-3 D-2

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 30: ‘Alternative vote and confidence’ is in vogue in one of the democratic political system. Identify the country
1. Switzerland
2. Austria
3. Germany
4. France

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 31: The Communist manifesto was first published in
1. Russian
2. French
3. German
4. English

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 32: Which one of the following is NOT an input function of political system?
1. Political Communication
2. Political Recruitment
3. Interest Articulation
4. Rule Adjudication

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 33: Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched ?
1. Sunderlal Bahuguna : Chipko Movement
2. Sardar Patel : Warli Struggle
3. Narayanaswamy Naidu : Tamiliga Vyvasaigal sangam
4. Ram Manohar Lohia : Kagodu Satyagraha

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 34: Obama was the junior United States Senator from ——in 2004

1. Illinois
2. Texas
3. California
4. Columbia

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 35: In which of the following federal systems decentralization is implemented under the ‘grass roots’ doctrine ?
1. Canada
2. Australia
3. India
4. U.S.A.

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 36: “Means are after all everything. As the means, so the end; there is no wall of separation between means and end.” The above statement is characteristic of
1. M.K. Gandhi
2. B.R. Ambedkar
3. Mao-Zedong
4. Karl Marx

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 37: Which Prime Minister wrote "The labour Governement: a personal record and the Governance of Britian"?
1. Hugh Gaitskall
2. Herald Wilson
3. Jo Grimond
4. None of these

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 38: The International Criminal Court is located at—
1. Geneva
2. Hague
3. London
4. Washington

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 39: Who among the following has described the world wide triumph of liberal democracy as the end of history ?
1. Samir Amin
2. David Held
3. Francis Fukuyama
4. Samuel P. Huntington

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 40: The practice adopted by the party in power to reward its members and supporters through government contracts and jobs is called.

1. Division of powers
2. Implied powers
3. Power politics
4. Spoils system

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 41: In which of the following countries, the judges of the federal constitutional courts are elected by the federal legislature ?

1. United States
2. Britain
3. Russia
4. Germany

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 42: Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is the

1. Prime minister of Iran
2. Defence Minister of Iran
3. Head of Iran’s Expediency council
4. Head of Irans Religious council

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 43: Identify the two among these who sought to define underdevelopment in terms of neocolonial dependency mode : 1. A.G. Frank 2. Celso Furtado 3. E.W. Weidner 4. Gunnar Myrdal Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
1. 1 and 2
2. 1 and 3
3. 2 and 3
4. 1 and 4

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 44: Which one of the following countries has a disciplined multi-party system ?
1. France during Vth Republic
2. India
3. Sri Lanka
4. Italy

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 45: Which one of the following is NOT a Peasant movement ?
1. Telangana Insurrection
2. Tebhaga Movement
3. Naxal Bari Movement
4. Chipko Movement

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 46: Obama was the — African-American Senator in U.S. history
1. fifth
2. 4th
3. 3rd
4. 6th

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 47: Consider the following statements : The major functions of political parties are 1. Rule making 2. Interest aggregation 3. Political socialization 4. Regulation of the behaviour of the people
1. 1 and 2
2. 2 and 3
3. 3 and 4
4. 1 and 4

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 48: In the U.S.A. the filibuster is a method used by
1. The Congress to pressurize the President
2. The President to prevent the introduction of a Bill in the Congress
3. Members of the Senate to obstruct the passage of a Bill
4. Judiciary to prevent Congress from passing Bill

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 49: The idea of ‘World Systems Theory’ signifying the arrival of international capitalist order was predicted in the 1970s. identify the scholar who advanced this idea
1. Samuel P. Huntington
2. Andre Gunder Frank
3. George Wallerstein
4. Cardoso

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 50: ‘Government of National Unity’ is a concept developed by which one of the following third world countries ?
1. Nigeria
2. Tanzania
3. Argentina
4. South Africa

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 51: The first Prime Minister of Bangladesh was
1. Gopalakrishnan
2. Mujibur Rehman
3. Billahdi Moni
4. Samuel Raj

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 52: “Everything for the state; nothing against the State, nothing outside the State” sums up the philosophy of
1. Marxism
2. Fascism
3. Fabian Socialism
4. Guild Socialism

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 53: Which Prime Minister lost a vote of no confidence in the house of Commons in 1979 in U.K.?
1. Herald Wilson
2. Ramsay McDonald
3. Edward Heeth
4. James Callaghan

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 54: Which one of the following is NOT feature of French Constitution of 1958 ?
1. Adoption of Declaration for Rights in 1789
2. Favouring strong Presidency
3. Limited powers of Parliament
4. Unicameral legislature

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 55: China has moved away from the policy of statism to market economy, which was propounded by one of the communist leaders of revolution who said “Market in China is like a bird in cage”. Identify the person
1. Chou En Lai
2. Lio Shao Chi
3. Deng Tsiao Ping
4. Chiang Kai Shek

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 56: Consider the following statements: 1.Kofi Annan – the UN Secretary General is from Nigeria. 2.Kofi Annan is the first UN Secretary General to be appointed from the ranks of the United Nations staff. 3.Kofi Annan was appointed for a second term to the office of the UN Secretary General. Which of the statements given above are correct?
1. 1 and 3, only
2. 2 and 3, only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 2, only

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 57: Assertion (A) : Decision making theory directs attention not to states as metaphysical abstractions, but instead seeks to highlight the behaviour of decision-makers. Reason (R) : Decision-making theory identifies a large number of relevant variables and suggests possible inter-relationships among them.
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 not a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 58: Which one of the following is NOT correct about ‘Dyarchy’ introduced by the Government of India Act of 1919 ?
1. It was a system of dual governments at central and provincial levels
2. Provincial subjects were divided into reserved and transferred
3. Governor appointed ministers from the elected members of the legislative council
4. Governor had the power of overriding the majority decision

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 59: Which Constitution is called a ‘tailor-made’ Constitution ?
1. Constitution of Fourth Republic of France
2. Constitution of Fifth Republic of France
3. Constitution of United Germany
4. Constitution of U.S.A

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 60: Who among the following has described democracy as “that institutional arrangement for arriving at political decisions in which individuals acquire the power to decide by means of a competitive struggle for the People’s vote” ?
1. Robert Dahl
2. Peter Bachrach
3. C. Wright Mills
4. Joseph Schumpeter

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 61: The Poona Pact in 1932 upheld
1. Joint electorates
2. Separate electorates
3. Joint electorates with reserved seats for the scheduled castes
4. Joint electorates with reserved seats for caste Hindus

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 62: Non-security issues have taken priority over force, violence, and military might because of
1. Modernization of the world political and communication systems
2. Modernization of the world political and economic systems
3. Trans nationalization of the world economic and political systems
4. Decentralization of the world economic and political systems

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 63: Who among the following is an acclaimed analyst on political parties ?
1. Walter Lippman
2. Maurice Duverger
3. H.J. Laski
4. Jame Bryce

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 64: Which one does NOT contributes to the formation of International Government ?
1. Expansion of international trade
2. Establishment of international trade
3. Inter-state rivalry
4. Means of communication

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 65: Who was the prime minister when the John Profumo Christien Keeler scandal broke out in 1963?
1. Ramsay McDonald
2. Herald Wilson
3. Herald McMillan
4. William Hauge

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 66: National League for Democracy is
1. A ruling party of Indonesia
2. A opposition party of Myanmar
3. A ruling party of Bhuttan
4. An opposition party of Indonesia

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 67: Chelliah Committee is related to which of the following?
1. Banking reforms
2. Securities Scam
3. Taxation
4. Rajiv Gandhi’s murder

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 68: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List-I (Acts) List-II (Provisions) A. The Government of India Act, 1935 1. Transfer of power from the East India Company to the British crown B. The Government of India Act, 1909 2. Envisaged Dominion status to India C. The Government of India Act, 1919 3. Introduction of provincial autonomy D. The Government of India Act, 1858 4. Introduction of Dyarchy in provinces 5. Introduction of separate electorate for Muslims and others
1. A-1 B-4 C-2 D-3
2. A-3 B-5 C-4 D-1
3. A-1 B-5 C-4 D-3
4. A-3 B-4 C-2 D-1

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 69: In 1990 which former Prime Minister travelled to Iraq to secure the release of British Hostages?
1. Edward Heeth
2. Margaret Thatcher
3. James Callaghan
4. Jo Grimond

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 70: The concept of sustainable development was popularized by Brundtland Report and Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development in
1. 1991
2. 1992
3. 1993
4. 1994

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 71: —- is appointed as USA’s TREASURY SECRETARY by Obama
1. Timothy Geithner
2. Janet Napolitano
3. Lawrence Summers
4. James Jones

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 72: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List-I (Author) List-II (Phrase) A. Hayes 1. “Of all the evils I hate, I think I hate nationalism most” B. Organsko 2. “AN organized self interest of the whole people” C. Rabindranath Tagore 3. “As a belief nationalism has been a curse and nothing but a curse” D. Victor Golancz 4. “To believe that nationalism will vanish because it is dangerous or the nations will wither away because there are other ways of organizing mankind is false”
1. A-1 B-2 C-4 D-3
2. A-3 B-4 C-2 D-1
3. A-1 B-4 C-2 D-3
4. A-3 B-2 C-4 D-1

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 73: Begum Khaleda Zia belongs to which of the following political parties?
1. Muslim League
2. Awami League
3. Jatiya Party
4. Bangladesh Nationalist Party

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 74: Which of the following is not a principal organ of United Nations Organisation ?
1. Trusteeship Council
2. Economic and Social Council
3. International Court of Justice
4. Human Rights Commission

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 75: The relationship between the government and the President in France is a complex one due to
1. Direct election of the President
2. Centralization of powers
3. A mixed presidential parliamentary form government
4. Parliament’s reduced powers to control the government

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 76: Which one of the following can enforce the judgement of International Court of Justice ?
1. General Assembly on the recommendations of Security Council
2. Secretary General
3. Security Council on the request of International Court of Justice
4. None of the above

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 77: Who among the following were known as physiocrats at the time of the French Revolution?
1. The Clergy
2. Economists
3. The Nobility
4. Medical professionals

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 78: Which one of the following statements is NOT true with regard to Non-Government Organizations ? 1. They have come to play increasingly constructive role in the development process. 2. They have to redefine their role in accordance with the changing times. 3. The government has to change the bureaucratic attitude towards the Non-Government Organizations. 4. The government should affiliate Non-Government Organisations to its respective departments in order to have better control over their functioning. Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2
3. 1 and 3
4. 3 and 4

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 79: Who is selected as the national intelligence director in USA
1. Dennis Blair
2. Leon Panetta
3. Hillary Clinton
4. Michael McConnell

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 80: Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List-I (Authors) List-II (Books) A. Simon de Beauvoir 1. The Second Sex B. Betty Friedan 2. Sexual Politics C. Kate Billet 3. Feminine Mystique D. Sheila Rowbothom 4. Woman’s consciousness Man’s World
1. A-2 B-3 C-4 D-1
2. A-1 B-4 C-3 D-2
3. A-2 B-4 C-3 D-1
4. A-1 B-3 C-4 D-2

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 81: Assertion (A) : A social movement is a participation form of collective behaviour in which the motivation act springs from the attitude of members and the challenges of the society. Reason (R) : Social Groups and movements of brace interest groups and political parties to achieve their goals.
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 not a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 82: Consider the following features of the Civil Service in the USA: 1. Top posts are filled up by ‘insiders and outers’. 2. Recruitment takes place at various levels of hierarchy. 3. Partisan political activities are prohibited. 4. Rank classification system is not upheld. Which of these are correct?
1. 1,2 and 3
2. 2,3 and 4
3. 1,3 and 4
4. 1,2 and 4

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 83: —–will serve on Obama’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
1. Michael McConnell
2. Dennis Blair
3. Leon Panetta
4. Steve Kappes

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 84: The National Parliamentary body of China is known as
1. State Council
2. National People’s Congress
3. People’s Assembly
4. Supreme Soviet

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 85: The author of the American Declaration of Independence was
1. George Washington
2. Jefferson
3. Lafayette
4. Thomas Paine

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 86: According to Keohane Nye, the internationalization of the world economy had led the major industrialized nations to a pattern of
1. Complex interdependence
2. Complex dependence
3. Dependence
4. Interdependence

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 87: Assertion (A) : Development administration signifies action-oriented and target-oriented programmes suitable for developing countries. Reason (R) : The success of rural development plans acts as a strong impetus for initiating other developmental plans.
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 not a correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 88: Gen. Bruno Cuche from France recently visited India. He is the counterpart of India’s….
1. Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor
2. Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash
3. Chief of Air staff Air chief Marshal Fali Homi Major
4. Defence Minister A.K. Anthony

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 89: In which year did India become a party to the International Convention on Biological Diversity ?
1. 1992
2. 1993
3. 1994
4. 1995

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 90: Birsa Munda was associated with tribal struggle of
1. North East Region
2. Jharkhand
3. Nagar Division
4. Deccan

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 91: To which part of U.K. does the Plaid Cymrau party belong?
1. Northern Ireland
2. Scotland
3. Wales
4. London

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 92: Which one of the following is NOT the characteristic of ‘a six point syndrome’ of totalitarianism propounded by Friedrich and Braezinski ?
1. An official ideology
2. A system of terroristic policy
3. A monopoly of means of communication
4. A divine right to rule

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 93: Who succeeded Nigel Lawson as the chancellor of the Exchequer in 1989?
1. Tony Blair
2. William Hauge
3. John Major
4. Douglas Hurd

Correct Answer: 3.

Question 94: Which aspect of imperialism does the dependency theory emphasize ?
1. Economic
2. Political
3. Cultural
4. Strategic

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 95: Who is the Defense Secretary of USA
1. Robert Gates.
2. Dennis Blair
3. David Petraeus
4. Andrew D. Lipman

Correct Answer: 1.

Question 96: The constructive no-confidence vote in the Basic Law of Germany means that the Bundestag can overthrow a Chancellor
1. Only by a special majority vote
2. Only if it is first able to agree on a successor
3. Only with the consent of the President
4. Only with the consent of the Federal Constitutional Court

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 97: In which one of the following countries did women get the right to vote only in 1971 ?
1. Australia
2. New Zealand
3. Mexico
4. Switzerland

Correct Answer: 4.

Question 98: Who was the First Woman Prime Minister of any Country?
1. Smt Indira Gandhi
2. Smt Sirimao Bhandaru Naike
3. Smt Shahin
4. Smt Benjir Bhutto

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 99: Environment problems and issues received special attention of the Government of India from the
1. Third Five-Year Plan
2. Fourth Five-Year Plan
3. Sixth Five-Year Plan
4. Ninth Five-Year Plan

Correct Answer: 2.

Question 100: Under Article 243 D, which one of the following categories enjoys reservation for Panchayat membership in proportion to their population ?
1. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
2. Women
3. Backward Classes
4. Physically handicapped persons

Correct Answer: 1.

AWARDS BASED QUESTIONS

1. Who among the following was the first to win the Booker Prize?
a) William Golding
b) PH Newby
c) JM Coetzee
d) Peter Carey
2. Which one of the following awards instituted by KK Birla Foundation is given to an individual for outstanding work on Indian philosophy, culture and art?
a) Saraswathy Samman
b) Vyas Samman
c) Shankar Puraskar
d) Kalidas Samman
3. When was the Nobel Prize for literature instituted?
a) 1956
b) 1969
c) 1972
d) 1975
4. Contribution to which field is honoured by Dhanvantari award?
a) Physics
b) space research
c) literature
d) medicine
5. Which of the following is India’s highest honour in the field of literature?
a) Vyas Samman
b) Kalidas Samman
c) Jnanpith Award
d) Saraswathi Samman
6. Which one of the following is India’s highest civilian honour?
a) Bharat Ratna
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padama Vibhushan
d) Padma Sri
7. Who was the first to win the Nobel Prize for literature?
a) Albert Camus
b) Ernest Hemingway
c) Knut Hamson
d) Rene Sully Prudhome
8. Men from which nation has won the highest number of Nobel Prizes?
a) England
b) France
c) America
d) Italy
9. Which of the following awards is given to the Best Parliamentarian?
a) Gujar Mal Modi Award
b) JB Pant Award
c) Nehru Award
d) none of those
10. When did Amnesty International win the Nobel Prize?
a) 1917
b) 1949
c) 1977
d) 1982
11. Who was the first woman to win the Jnanpith award?
a) Ashapurna Devi
b) Mahasweta Devi
c) Amrita Pritam
d) Sarojini Naidu
12. In terms of Prize money which of the following is the highest literary prize in India?
a) Vyas Samman
b) Saraswathy Samman
c) Jnanpith Award
d) Kalidas Samman
13. Which of the following awards was instituted by the Indian National Congress in its Centenary Year?
a) Gandhi Peace Prize
b) Nehru Award
c) Indira Gandhi award for National Integration
d) Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award
14. Which one of the following awards was instituted by the KK Birla Foundation?
a) Saraswati Samman
b) Kabir Award
c) Kalidas Samman
d) Jnanpith Award
15. When did Red Cross win the Nobel Peace Prize for the first time?
a) 1917
b) 1977
c) 1949
d) 1956
16. The Annual Academy awards are better known as
a) Nobel Prize
b) Magsasay Award
c) Oscar Award
d) None of these
17. Contribution to which field is honoured by the Kalinga award?
a) Science and Technology
b) Literature
c) Peace
d) environmental protection
18. Who among the following has won the Polar Music Award instituted by the Royal Music Academy, Sweden?
a) Sakir Hussein
b) Pundit Ravi Shankar
c) Bismillah Khan
d) Allah Rakha Khan
19. Who was the first foreigner to win the Bharat Ratna?
a) Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
b) Winston Churchill
c) Nelson Madela
d) Benazir Bhutto
20. Which one of the following awards is given for contribution to poetry?
a) Kabir award
b) Kalidas Samman
c) Saraswathy Samman
d) Vyas Samman

Answers

1. PH Newby
   2. Shankar Puraskar
   3. 1969
   4. medicine
   5. Jnanpith Award
   6. Bharat Ratna
   7. Rene Sully Prudhome
   8. America
   9. JB Pant Award
   10. 1977
   11. Ashapurna Devi
   12. Saraswathi Samman
   13. Indira Gandhi award for National Integration
   14. Saraswathi Samman
   15. 1917

16. Oscar Award
17. Science and Technology
18. Pundit Ravi Shankar
19. Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
20. Kabir award