UPSC CDS 2011 general knowledge Questions

1. A devastating Cloud Burst swept over Lehn on August 2010. Which one of the following statements with regard to Cloud Burst is not correct?
(a) Cloud Burst is a localized weather phenomenon representing highly concentrated rainfall over a small area in a short duration of time
(b) Cloud Burst occurs due to upward movement of moisture laden air with sufficient rapidity to form cumulonimbus clouds
(c) Cloud Burst occurs only in hilly areas
(d) There is no satisfactory technique till now for predicting Cloud Burst
ANSWER: (c)


2. Ever greening of patents is done by
(a) Citing another use of the same product
(b) Citing another process of forming the same product
(c) Applying for extension of patent term
(d) Citing another product with same use
ANSWER: (c)

3. Consider the following passage and identify the three tribal principalities referred to therein using the code given below :
In the early history of the far south in India, three tribal principalities are mentioned in Ashokan inscriptions of the third century BC and in Kharavela inscription of the first century BC.
Code :
(a) Vakatakas, Cholas and Satvahanas
(b) Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras
(c) Ikshvakus, Vakatakas and Pandyas
(d) Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas
ANSWER: (b)

4. Why is Switzerland unable to join European Union (EU) till date (2010) despite its governments persistent effort to do so?
(a) Few EU countries like France and Germany are opposed to Switzerland’s joining the Union
(b) The Swiss people continue to vote against joining the EU as they do not want to lose Switzerland’s sovereignty
(c) EU rejected Switzerland’s application as Swiss Government did not agree to use Euro as currency
(d) All of the above
ANSWER: (b)

5. When we eat something we like, our mouth waters. This is actually not water but fluid secreted from
(a) Nasal glands
(b) Oval epithelium
(c) Salivary glands
(d) Tongue
ANSWER: (c)

6. Along with goods manufactured using child labour, some of the developed countries have started to boycott goods manufactured in developing countries using ‘sweat labour`. ‘Sweat labour’ implies goods produced by
(a) Female laborers at a very low wage
(b) Laborers working in inhuman/unhealthy Working conditions
(c) Laborers working for more than eight hours a day without any break
(d) Laborers where there is a wage discrimination between male and female laborers
ANSWER: (b)

7. Consider the following statements with regard to the mining industry of India :
1. The spatial distribution of minerals is uneven.
2. The mining industry since colonial days has been export-oriented.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: (c)

8. Which one among the following groups of items contains only biodegradable items?
(a) Wood, Grass, Plastic
(b) Wood, Grass, Leather
(c) Fruit peels, Lime juice, China clay cup
(d) Lime juice, Grass, Polystyrene cup
ANSWER: (b)

9. Which one among the following is not true for Special Economic Zones?
(a) No license is required for import
(b) Manufacturing and service activities are allowed
(c) No permission for suborn- tracing
(d) No routine examination of cargo for export-import by customs authorities
ANSWER: (c)

10. Consider the following statement and identify with the help of the code given below the person who made the statement :
“lt would be quite impossible for a few hundred British to administer against the active opposition of the whole of the politically minded of the population. ”
Code :
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru in April 1947 in an address to Congressmen at Lucknow
(b) Clement Attlee in January 1947 in a private letter addressed to Ernest Bevin
(c) Lord Mountbatten in December 1946 in a note given to British Parliament
(d) Viceroy Wavell in January 1946 in a letter to Secretary of State
ANSWER: (d)

11. Sukhoi-30MKl Squadron is not stationed at
(a) Tezpur
(b) Pune
(c) Jamnagar
(d) Bareilly
ANSWER: (c)

12. Dog bite can cause rabies. Which among the following other animals can also cause rabies?
(a) Donkey
(b) Bat
(c) Horse
(d) Crocodile
ANSWER: (b)

13. The interest of the Vijayanagar and Bahmani rulers clashed in three separate and distinct areas in Deccan. Which one among the following was not directly associated with this intense conflict?
(a) Tungabhadra drab
(b) Krishna-Godavari delta/basin
(c) Knavery interior delta
(d) Marathawada country
ANSWER: (c)

14. Which one among the following was not a reform measure carried out by Mahmud Gawan of Bahmani Kingdom?
(a) The Kingdom was divided into eight provinces or Tarafs
(b) Nobles were paid salaries and were asked to maintain contingents of horses
(c) A tract of land, Khalisa, was set apart for the expenses of the Tarafdar
(d) Lands were measured and land taxes were fixed on that basis
ANSWER: (d)

15. Most of the communication satellites today are placed in a geostationary orbit. In order to stay over the same spot on the Earth, a geostationary satellite has to be directly above the
(a) Tropic of Cancer
(b) Either North or South Pole
(c) Equator
(d) Tropic of Capricorn
ANSWER: (c)

16. SIMBEX is an annual joint maritime bilateral exercise conducted between
(a) China and India
(b) Singapore and Indonesia
(c) India and Singapore
(d) Malaysia and Thailand
ANSWER: (c)

17. Which one among the following is a function of the Pro-Tem Speaker of the Lok Sabha?
(a) Conduct of the proceedings of the House in the absence of the Speaker
(b) To check if the election certificates of the members of the House are in order
(c) Swear in the members of the House and hold the charge till a regular Speaker is elected
(d) Give his assent to the bills passed by the House
ANSWER: (c)

18. The term ‘demographic gap’ signifies the difference
(a) In sex ratio
(b) In age
(c) In child/woman ratio
(d) Between the birth and the death rate
ANSWER: (d)

19. When items of jewelry made of metals such as copper or nickel are placed in a solution having a salt of gold, a thin film of gold is deposited by
(a) Cooling to below 0° C
(b) Heating above 100° C
(c) Passing an electric current
(d) Just keeping it for 10 minutes
ANSWER: (b)

20. Due to contraction of eyeball, a long sighted eye can see only
(a) Farther objects which is corrected by using convex lens
(b) Farther objects which is corrected by using concave lens
(c) Nearer objects which is corrected by using convex lens
(d) Nearer objects which is corrected by using concave lens
ANSWER: (a)

21. To boost lndia’s power-generating capacity, the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission was launched in India in January 2010. Which of the following statements regarding this Mission is/are correct?
(1) lndia is fast exhausting reserves of fossil fuel resources.
(2) Solar energy is a clean source of energy.
(3) India lacks technology for development of other alternative sources of power generation.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Code :
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only
ANSWER: (b)

22. Which of the following features is/are contrary to the norms of a federal polity?
1. Common All India Service
2. Single integrated judiciary
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Code :
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: (c)

23. Rainwater collected after 30 to 40 minutes of raining is not suitable for drinking because it
(a) Contains bacteria and dirt
(b) Contains dissolved toxic chemicals
(c) Is deficient in minerals
(d) Is acidic
ANSWER: (d)

24. Consider the following statements :
1. The five permanent members of the Security Council are the only countries recognized as nuclear-weapon states under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
2. The term of non-permanent members of the Council is five years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
ANSWER: (a)

25. Mr. X was advised by an architect to make outer walls of his house with hollow bricks.
The correct reason is that such walls
(a) Make the building stronger
(b) Help keeping inside cooler in summer and warmer in winter
(c) Prevent seepage of moisture from outside
(d) Protect the building from lightning
ANSWER: (b)

26. Mr. X has been invited to participate in a conference to be held at Buenos Aires. He has chosen the following shortest flight route :
Mumbai to Frankfurt (non-stop) Frankfurt to Sao Paulo (non-stop) Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires (non-stop)
Which one of the following seas will likely to be flown over by Mr. X?
(a) Tasman Sea
(b) Labrador Sea
(c) Beaufort Sea
(d) Black Sea
ANSWER: (d)

27. Why do Fold Mountains have enormous thickness of sedimentary rocks?
(a) Due to deposition of sediments in a valley for millions of years
(b) Due to accumulation of sediments in a Geosynclines
(c) The plains were folded into mountains
(d) The sediments were folded into recumbent and nappe folds
ANSWER: (b)

28 Consider the following statements regarding lndia’s advocacy for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council ;
1. India is the largest democracy in the world.
2. India is among the top five largest growing economies in the world,
3. India has been the largest contributor to the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.
4. India is one of the top ten contributors of the United Nations Budget.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
ANSWER: (a)

29. Water is a good coolant and is used to cool the engines of cars, buses, trucks, etc. It is because water has a
(a) High specific heat
(b) Low surface tension
(c) High boiling point
(d) Low expansively
ANSWER: (a)

30. The Vindhyan system of rocks is important for the production of
(a) Precious stones and building materials
(b) Iron ore and manganese
(c) Bauxite and mica
(d) Copper and uranium
ANSWER: (a)

31. Which of the following best explain why the lower course of a river is sometimes choked with sediments?
1. The valley of a river is widest in its lower course.
2. The velocity of a river in its lower course is low.
3. The delta sometimes develops in a river‘s lower course.
4. Much of the river water is drawn for irrigation in the lower course.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
(a) 1, 2, 3and 4
(b) 1, 3and4only
(c) 1, 2 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
ANSWER: (c)

32. A close bottle containing water at room temperature was taken to the Moon and then the lid is opened. The water will
(a) Freeze
(b) Boil
(c) Decompose into oxygen and hydrogen
(d) Not change at all
ANSWER: (d)

33. Which one among the following statements regarding the constitutionally guaranteed Right to Education in India is correct?
(a) This right covers both child and adult illiteracy and therefore universally guarantees education to all citizens of India
(b) This right is a child right covering the age group of 6 to 14 years and becomes operational from the year 2015
(c) This right has been taken from the British Constitution which was the first Welfare State in the world
(d) This right has been given to all Indian children between the ages of 6 to 14 years under the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act
ANSWER: (d)

34. Which one among the following is not correct about Down‘s syndrome?
(a) It is a genetic disorder
(b) Effected individual has early ageing
(c) Effected person has mental retardation
(d) Effected person has furrowed tongue with open mouth
ANSWER: (d)

35. The rainfall distribution pattern over the Ganga basin decreases from the
(a) West to east and north to south
(b) East to west and north to south
(c) West to east and south to north
(d) East to west and south to north
ANSWER: (a)

36. Which one among the following elements/ions is essential in small quantities for development of healthy teeth but causes mottling of the teeth if consumed in higher quantities?
(a) Iron
(b) Chloride
(c) Fluoride
(d) Potassium
ANSWER: (c)

37. Currently half of the world’ s population live in just six countries. identify them from the following.
(a) India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, Bangladesh, Indonesia
(b) India, China, Bangladesh, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia
(c) China, India, United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan
(d) China, India, Bangladesh, United States, Pakistan, Indonesia
ANSWER: (c)

38. Half portion of a rectangular piece of ice is wrapped with a white piece of cloth while the other half with a black one. ln this context, which one among the following statements is correct?
(a) lce melts more easily under black wrap
(b) lce melts more easily under white wrap
(c) No ice melts at all under the black wrap
(d) No ice melts at all under the white wrap
ANSWER: (a)

39. Global positioning system (GPS) is associated with
1. Determining latitude and longitude
2. Constellation of satellites
3. US system of GPS and Russian system of GLONASS
4. Navigation
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Code :
(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 1 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) I, 2, 3 and 4
ANSWER: (a)

40. What is the similarity between Milwaukee Deep, Java Trench and Challenger Deep?
(a) They all are trenches in the Pacific Ocean
(b) They are the deepest points of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, respectively
(c) They all are trenches in the Indian Ocean
(d) They all are deeps ofthe Atlantic Ocean
ANSWER: (b)

41. Contact lenses are made from
(a) Polyvinyl chloride
(b) Polystyrene
(c) Lucite
(d) Teflon
ANSWER: (c)

42. Which one among the following best explains the reason for the eastern and western boundaries of the Pacific Ocean experiencing frequent earthquake?
(a) There are deep ocean trenches along these margins
(b) High mountain stretch along the continental margins adjacent to this ocean
(c) The currents of the vast Pacific Ocean continue to dash against the continental margins
(d) These margins coincide with the plate Margins
ANSWER: (d)

43. The tenure of every Panchayat shall be for five years from the date of
(a) Its first meeting
(b) Issue of notification for the conduct of elections to the Panchayat
(c) Declaration of the election results
(d) Taking oath of office by the elected members
ANSWER: (a)

44. Which one among the following metals is used for making boats because it does not corrode by seawater?
(a) Tungsten
(b) Nickel
(c) Antimony
(d) Titanium
ANSWER: (d)

45. A special category State invariably
(a) Is a border State
(b) Has harsh terrain
(c) Has low literacy rate
(d) Has poor infrastructure
ANSWER: (d)

46. Which one among the following is a strong smelling agent. added to LPG cylinder to help
in the detection of gas leakage?
(a) Ethanol
(b) Thioethanol
(c) Methane
(d) Chloroform
ANSWER: (b)

47. In scuba-diving, while ascending towards the water surface, there is a danger of bursting the
lungs. It is because of
(a) Archimedes’ principle
(b) Boyle’s law
(c) Gay-Lussac’s law of combining volumes
(d) Graham’s law of diffusion
ANSWER: (b)

48. Which one among the following industries produces the most non-biodegradable wastes?
(a) Thermal power plants
(b) Food processing units
(c) Textile mills
(d) Paper mills
ANSWER: (a)

49. Which one of the following is nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile?
(a) Sagarika
(b) Shourya
(c) Prithvi
(d) Nag
ANSWER: (a)

50. Which of the following diseases are transmitted from one person to another?
1. AIDS
2. Cirrhosis
3. Hepatitis B
4. Syphilis
Select the correct answer using the code given below
Code :
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) 1, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 2, 3 and 4 only
ANSWER: (a)

FIVE YEAR PLANS IN INDIA

First Five-Year Plan (1951-1956):: Target Growth:2.1% Actual Growth:3.6%.
Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961):: Target Growth: 4.5% Actual Growth: 4.27%.
Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966):: Target Growth:5.6% Actual Growth: 2.84%.
Three One Year Plans (1967-1969):: realization 3.9%
Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974):: Target Growth: 5.7% Actual Growth: 3.20%.
Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–1979):: Target Growth: 4.4% Actual Growth: 4.7%
 Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–1985):: Target Growth: 5.2% Actual Growth: 5.5%
Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985–1990):: Target Growth: 5.0% Actual Growth: 5.6%
Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992–1997) ::  Target Growth:5.6% Actual Growth:6.5%
 Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997–2002)::  Target Growth:6.5% Actual Growth:5.5%
Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002–2007) :: Target Growth:8.0% Actual Growth:7.8%
Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012) :: Target Growth 8.7% , Current Plan
Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-2017) :: Plans to fix a average target of 9%.

2011 Tennis Grand Slam Winners

Wimbledon Championships
Started in 1877
Event	Champion	Runner-up
2011 Men’s Singles	Novak Djokovic	Rafael Nadal
2011 Women’s Singles	PetraKvitová	Maria Sharapova
2011 Men’s Doubles	Bob Bryan,  Mike Bryan	Robert Lindstedt,  Horia Tecău
2011 Women’s Doubles	Květa Peschke,  Katarina Srebotnik	Sabine Lisicki, Samantha Stosur
2011 Mixed Doubles	Jürgen Melzer,  Iveta Benešová	Mahesh Bhupathi,  Elena Vesnina

US Open
Started in 1881
Event	Champion	Runner-up
2011 Men’s Singles	Novak Djokovic	Rafael Nadal
2011 Women’s Singles	Samantha Stosur	Serena Williams
2011 Men’s Doubles	Jürgen Melzer, Philipp Petzschner	Mariusz Fyrstenberg, Marcin Matkowski
2011 Women’s Doubles	Liezel Huber, Lisa Raymond	Vania King, Yaroslava Shvedova
2011 Mixed Doubles	Melanie Oudin, Jack Sock	Gisela Dulko, Eduardo Schwank

Australian Open
Started in 1905
Event	Champion	Runner-up
2011 Men’s Singles	Novak Djokovic	Andy Murray
2011 Women’s Singles	Kim Clijsters	Li Na
2011 Men’s Doubles	Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan	Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes
2011 Women’s Doubles	Gisela Dulko, Flavia Pennetta	Victoria Azarenka, Maria Kirilenko
2011 Mixed Doubles	Katarina Srebotnik, Daniel Nestor	Chan Yung-jan, Paul Hanley

French Open
Started in 1891
Event	Champion	Runner-up
2011 Men’s Singles	Rafael Nadal	Roger Federer
2011 Women’s Singles	Li Na	Francesca Schiavone
2011 Men’s Doubles	Daniel Nestor, Max Mirnyi	Juan Sebastián Cabal, Eduardo Schwank
2011 Women’s Doubles	Andrea Hlaváčková, Lucie Hradecká	Sania Mirza, Elena Vesnina
2011 Mixed Doubles	Casey Dellacqua, Scott Lipsky	Katarina Srebotnik, Nenad Zimonjić

Source: Wikipedia

Rank of Indian States in terms of Area

Rank	State	Area (in Sq Km)
1	Rajasthan	342269
2	Madhya Pradesh	308252
3	Maharashtra	307713
4	Andhra Pradesh	275045
5	Uttar Pradesh	243286
6	Jammu and Kashmir	222236
7	Gujarat	196024
8	Karnataka	191791
9	Orissa	155820
10	Chhattisgarh	135194
11	Tamil Nadu	130058
12	Bihar	99200
13	West Bengal	88752
14	Arunachal Pradesh	83743
15	Assam	78550
16	Jharkhand	74677
17	Himachal Pradesh	55673
18	Uttarakhand	53566
19	Punjab	50362
20	Haryana	44212
21	Kerala	38863
22	Meghalaya	22720
23	Manipur	22347
24	Mizoram	21081
25	Nagaland	16579
26	Tripura	10491.69
27	Sikkim	7096
28	Goa	3702

Rank of Indian States Based on Population Density

Rank	State	Population Density per Sq Km
1	Bihar	1102
2	West Bengal	1029
3	Kerala	859
4	Uttar Pradesh	828
5	Haryana	573
6	Tripura	555
7	Punjab	550
8	Tamil Nadu	480
9	Jharkhand	414
10	Assam	397
11	Goa	394
12	Maharashtra	365
13	Karnataka	319
14	Andhra Pradesh	308
15	Gujarat	308
16	Orissa	269
17	Madhya Pradesh	236
18	Rajasthan	201
19	Chhattisgarh	189
20	Uttarakhand	189
21	Meghalaya	132
22	Jammu and Kashmir	124
23	Himachal Pradesh	123
24	Manipur	122
25	Nagaland	119
26	Sikkim	86
27	Mizoram	52
28	Arunachal Pradesh	17

Nickname of Different Indian Places

Sl No.	Nick Name	Place
1	Golden City	Amritsar
2	Manchester of India	Ahmedabad
3	City of Seven Islands	Mumbai
4	Queen of Arabian Sea	Cochin
5	Space City	Bangalore
6	Garden City of India	Bangalore
7	Silicon Valley of India	Bangalore
8	Pink City	Jaipur
9	Gateway of India	Mumbai
10	Twin City	Hyderabad- Secundrabad
11	City of Festivals	Madurai
12	Deccan Queen	Pune
13	City of Joy	Kolkata
14	Egg Bowls ofAsia	Andhra Pradesh
15	Soya Region	Madhya Pradesh
16	Manchester of the South	Coimbatore
17	City of Nawabs	Lucknow
18	Veniceof the East	Cochin
19	Blue Mountains	Nilgiri
20	Queen of the Mountains	Mussoorie
21	Hollywood of India	Mumbai
22	City of Castles	Kolkata
23	State of Five Rivers	Punjab
24	City of Weavers	Panipat
25	City of Lakes	Srinagar
26	Steel City of India	Jamshedpur/ Tatanagar
27	City of Temples	Varanasi
28	City of Rallies	New Delhi
29	Heaven of India	Jammu & Kashmir
30	Boston of India	Ahmedabad
31	Garden of spices of India	Kerala
32	Switzerland of India	Kashmir
33	Abode of the God Prayag	Allahabad
34	Pittsburg of India	Jamshedpur

Largest Island by Area

Rank	Island’s Name	Area (Sq KM)	Country/ Countries
1	Greenland	2130800	Greenland
2	New Guinea	785753	Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
3	Borneo	748168	Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia
4	Madagascar	587713	Madagascar
5	Baffin Island	507451	Canada
6	Sumatra	443066	Indonesia
7	Honshu	225800	Japan
8	Victoria Island	217291	Canada
9	Great Britain	209331	United Kingdom
10	Ellesmere Island	196236	Canada
11	Sulawesi	180681	Indonesia
12	South Island	145836	New Zealand
13	Java	138794	Indonesia
14	North Island	111583	New Zealand
15	Luzon	109965	Philippines
16	Newfoundland	108860	Canada
17	Cuba	105806	Cuba
18	Iceland	101826	Iceland
19	Mindanao	97530	Philippines
20	Ireland	84421	Ireland
21	Hokkaido	78719	Japan
22	Hispaniola	73929	Dominican Republic and Haiti
23	Sakhalin	72493	Russia
24	Banks Island	70028	Canada
25	Sri Lanka	65268	Sri Lanka
Souce: Wikipedia

Man Booker Prize Winners

Year	Author	Country	Title
1969	P. H. Newby	United Kingdom	Something to Answer For
1970	Bernice Rubens	United Kingdom	The Elected Member
1971	V. S. Naipaul	Trinidad and Tobago/United Kingdom	In aFree State
1972	John Berger	United Kingdom	G.
1973	J. G. Farrell	United Kingdom	The Siege of Krishnapur
1974	Nadine Gordimer	South Africa	The Conservationist
1974	StanleyMiddleton	United Kingdom	Holiday
1975	Ruth Prawer Jhabvala	United Kingdom/Germany	Heat and Dust
1976	David Storey	United Kingdom	Saville
1977	Paul Scott	United Kingdom	Staying On
1978	Iris Murdoch	Ireland/United Kingdom	The Sea, the Sea
1979	Penelope Fitzgerald	United Kingdom	Offshore
1980	William Golding	United Kingdom	Rites of Passage
1981	Salman Rushdie	India	Midnight’s Children
1982	Thomas Keneally	Australia	Schindler’sArk
1983	J. M. Coetzee	South Africa	Life & Times of Michael K
1984	Anita Brookner	United Kingdom	Hotel du Lac
1985	Keri Hulme	New Zealand	The Bone People
1986	Kingsley Amis	United Kingdom	The Old Devils
1987	Penelope Lively	United Kingdom	Moon Tiger
1988	Peter Carey	Australia	Oscar and Lucinda
1989	Kazuo Ishiguro	United Kingdom/Japan	The Remains of the Day
1990	A. S. Byatt	United Kingdom	Possession: A Romance
1991	Ben Okri	Nigeria	The Famished Road
1992	Michael Ondaatje	Sri Lanka/Canada	The English Patient
1992	Barry Unsworth	United Kingdom	Sacred Hunger
1993	Roddy Doyle	Ireland	Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994	James Kelman	United Kingdom	How Late It Was, How Late
1995	Pat Barker	United Kingdom	TheGhost Road
1996	Graham Swift	United Kingdom	Last Orders
1997	Arundhati Roy	India	The God of Small Things
1998	Ian McEwan	United Kingdom	Amsterdam
1999	J. M. Coetzee	South Africa	Disgrace
2000	Margaret Atwood	Canada	The Blind Assassin
2001	Peter Carey	Australia	True History of the Kelly Gang
2002	Yann Martel	Canada	Life of Pi
2003	DBCPierre	Australia/Mexico	VernonGod Little
2004	Alan Hollinghurst	United Kingdom	The Line of Beauty
2005	John Banville	Ireland	The Sea
2006	Kiran Desai	India	The Inheritance of Loss
2007	Anne Enright	Ireland	The Gathering
2008	Aravind Adiga	India	The White Tiger
2009	Hilary Mantel	United Kingdom	Wolf Hall
2010	Howard Jacobson	United Kingdom	The Finkler Question
2011	Julian Barnes	United Kingdom	The Sense of an Ending

Source: Wikipedia

Famous Punch lines (IT/Tech)

BRAND/ COMPANY	PUNCHLINE
Accenture	High Performance Delivered
Acer	Empowering People
Adobe	Simplicity at work. Better by adobe
amazon.com	Earth’s Biggest Bookstore
Apple Macintosh	Think Different
Aptech	We change lives
AT&T	The World’s Networking Company
Cisco	Powered Network
Cognizent	Passion for building stronger businesses
Compaq	Inspiration Technology
Dell	Here is yours
ebay	The Worlds online market place.
Hewlett & Packard	Invent
HP-Invent	Everything is Possible
IBM	On Demand
IndiaInfoline.com	It’s all about money, honey
Infosys Technologies	Building Tomorrow’sEnterprise
Intel	Intel inside
Lenovo	We are building a new technology company.
Microsoft	Your Potential Our Passion
Monster.com	Never Settle
Sun Microsystems	The Network is the Computer
TCS	Experience Certainity
Wipro	Applying Thought

Famous Punch lines (Pharma/Media)

BRAND/ COMPANY	PUNCHLINE
Pharma
Bayer	Science for a Better life
Bicon	The difference lies in our DNA
Cipla	Caring for life. Life is our life’s work
Dr. Reddy lab	Life Research Hope
IBP	Pure bhi Pura bhi
Pfizer	Working together For A Healthier World
Sanofi Aventis	Because Health Matters
Torrent Pharmaceuticals	Not Just Healthcare Life care
Wockhardt	Healthcare Is In Our Genes
Media
Aaj Tak	Sabse Tez
BBC World	Putting News First
Business Standard	Intelligence Everywhere
Business Today	For Managing Tomorrow
CNBCIndia	Profit From It
CNN	The World’s News Leader
Discovery Channel	Lets all discover
HBO	Simply The Best
HindustanTimes	The Name India trusts for News
Indian Express	Journalism Of Courage
NDTV	Expertise. Truth First
NDTV Profit	News you can Use
Outlook	Speak Out
Tehelka	The People’s Paper
The Economic Times	The Power Of Knowledge
The Telegraph	Unputdownable
Times Now	Feel The News
Times OfIndia	Let Truth Prevail

Famous Punch lines (AUTO)

BRAND/COMPANY	PUNCHLINE
Audi	Vorsprung Durch Technik (Progress through technology)
Bajaj Auto	Inspiring Confidence
BMW	The Ultimate Driving Machine
Bridgestone	Passion For Excellence
Chevrolet Optra	For A Special Journey Called Life
Chevron Corporation	Human Energy
Fiat	Driven by Passion. FIAT
Ford	Built for the Road Ahead
Ford Motors	Make Everyday Exciting
GM	Only GM
Honda	The Power Of Dreams
Maruti Suzuki	Count On Us
Mercedes Benz	Brace Yourself
Opel	Fresh Thinking, Better Cars
Skoda	Obsessed with quality since 1897
Tata Motors	Even More Car per Car
Toyota	Quality Revolution
Volkswagen	Drivers wanted
Yamaha	Touching Your Heart

Different Scientific words and their Meaning

Sl No.	Name	Meaning
1	Acoustics	Study of sound and sound waves
2	Agrostology	Study of grasses
3	Anatomy	Study of the animal / human body
4	Astronautics	Study of space travel & space vehicles
5	Astronomy	Study of  Universe and Planets
6	Biology	Study of Living organisms
7	Botany	Study of Plant
8	Bryology	Study of mosses
9	Cardiology	Study of Heart and Heart diseases
10	Chemistry	Study of elements
11	Cosmetology	Study of cosmetics and their use
12	Dactylogy	Study of fingerprints
13	Dietetics	Study of Diet and Nutrition
14	Endocrinology	Study of glands
15	Lithology	Study of the characteristics of rocks
16	Mycology	Study of Fungi and Fungal diseases
17	Nephrology	Study of Kidney
18	Oncology	Study of Tumours
19	Orology	Study of Mountains
20	Paediatrics	Study of Child diseases
21	Pathology	Study of Mechanisms of diseases
22	Psychiatry	Study of Mental & Emotional disorders
23	Radiology	Study of X-rays f
24	Rheumatology	Study of Small Joints in human body
25	Seismology	Study of Earthquakes
26	Theology	Study of Religions
27	Virology	Study of Viruses
28	Zoology	Study of Animal life
29	Zymology	Study of Fermentation Process

First Indian in Different Categories

Sl No.	Category	Person
1	First British Viceroy ofIndia	Lord Canning
2	First Chairman of Prasar Bharti	Nikhil Chakravorty
3	First Chairman of Rajyasabha	S.V. Krishnamurthy
4	First Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia	Sukumar Sen
5	First Field Marshal ofIndia	General S.P.F.J. Manekshaw
6	First Foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna Khan	Abdul Gaffar Khan
7	First Governor General of freeIndia	Lord Mountbatten
8	First Home Minister ofIndia	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
9	First Indian Air chief Marshal	S. Mukherjee
10	First Indian Chess Grandmaster	S Vishwnathan
11	First Indian Commander-in-chief	General K. M. Kariappa
12	First Indian Cricketer to score Triple Century in Test	Virendra Sehwag
13	First Indian Naval Chief	Vice Admiral R. D. Katari
14	First Indian Pilot	JRD Tata
15	First Indian toCrossEnglish Channel	Mihir Sen
16	First Indian to get an Oscar	Bhanu Athaiya
17	First Indian to get Anderson Award	Ruskin Bond
18	First Indian to go in space	Squadron Ldr. Rakesh Sharma
19	First Indian to reachAntarctica	Lt. Ran Charan
20	First Indian to reach the deep sea floor in the Mid Atlantic	P.S. Rao
21	First Indian to reach the south pole	Col.I K Bajaj
22	First Indian to Receive Bharat Ratna	Dr. Radha Krishnan
23	First Indian to receive Jnan Peeth award	Sri Shankar Kurup
24	First Indian to receive Magsaysay Award	Vinoba Bhave
25	First Indian to receive Nobel Prize in Economics	Dr. Amartya Sen
26	First Indian to receive Stalin Prize	Saifuddin Kichlu
27	First Indian to win Nobel Prize	Rabindra Nath Tagore
28	First Judge to face Impeachment proceedings in Loksabha	Justice V. Ramaswami
29	First person to reachMount Everestwithout Oxygen	Sherpa Arga Dorji
30	First person to receive Paramvir Chakra	Major Somnath Sharma
31	First President of Indian National Congress	W.C. Banerjee

First in Indian Politics

Sl. No.	Category	First
1	First President ofIndia	Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
2	First Woman President ofIndia	Mrs. Pratibha Patil
3	First Vice President ofIndia	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
4	First Muslim President ofIndia	Dr. Zakir Hussain.
5	First Sikh President ofIndia	Giani Jail Singh.
6	First Prime Minister ofIndia	Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru
7	First Woman Prime Minister ofIndia	Mrs. Indira Gandhi.
8	First Speaker of the Lok Sabha	G.V. Mavlankar.
9	First Chief Justice ofIndia	Justice H.L. Kania.
10	First Chairman of the Rajaya Sabha	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
11	First Woman Governor of a State	Mrs. Sarojini Naidu.
12	First Woman Chief Minister	Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani.
13	First Woman Central Minister	Rajkumari Amrit Kaur.
14	First Woman Speaker of Lok Sabha	Mrs. Shanno Devi.
15	First Woman IAS Officer	Anna George.
16	First Woman IPS Officer	Kiran Bedi.
17	First Woman Advocate	Carnelia Sorabji.
18	First Woman Judge	Anna Chandi.
19	First Woman Judge of High Court	Anna Chandi.
20	First Woman Judge of Supreme Court	M. Fathima Beevi.
21	First Woman Chief Justice of High Court	Justice Leela Seth.
22	First Chairman of Planning Commission	Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru.
23	First Chairman of Finance Commission	K.C. Niyogi.
24	First Acting Prime Minister ofIndia	Guljari Lal Nanda.
25	First Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha	M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar.
26	First recognised leader of opposition in Lok Sabha	Y.V. Chavan.
27	First recognised leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha	Lokpati Tripathi.
28	First Lok Sabha Election	1952
29	First Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia	Sukumar Sen.
30	First Woman Chief Election Commissioner ofIndia	Smt. V.S. Rama Devi.

List of Maharatna, Navratna and Miniratna CPSEs

Maharatna CPSEs

1. Coal India Limited
2. Indian Oil Corporation Limited
3. NTPC Limited
4. Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Limited
5. Steel Authority of India Limited

Navratna CPSEs

1. Bharat Electronics Limited
2. Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited
3. Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
4. GAIL (India) Limited
5. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
6. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited
7. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited
8. National Aluminium Company Limited
9. NMDC Limited
10. Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited
11. Oil India Limited
12. Power Finance Corporation Limited
13. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
14. RashtriyaIspat Nigam Limited
15. Rural Electrification Corporation Limited
16. Shipping Corporation of India Limited

Miniratna Category – I CPSEs

1. Airports Authority of India
2. Antrix Corporation Limited
3. BalmerLawrie& Co. Limited
4. Bharat Dynamics Limited
5. BEML Limited
6. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited
7. Bridge & Roof Company (India) Limited
8. Central Warehousing Corporation
9. Central Coalfields Limited
10. Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited
11. Cochin Shipyard Limited
12. Container Corporation of India Limited
13. Dredging Corporation of India Limited
14. Engineers India Limited
15. Ennore Port Limited
16. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited
17. Goa Shipyard Limited
18. Hindustan Copper Limited
19. HLL Lifecare Limited
20. Hindustan Newsprint Limited
21. Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited
22. Housing & Urban Development Corporation Limited
23. India Tourism Development Corporation Limited
24. Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Limited
25. IRCON International Limited
26. KIOCL Limited
27. Mazagaon Dock Limited
28. Mahanadi Coalfields Limited
29. Manganese Ore (India) Limited
30. Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemical Limited
31. Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited
32. MMTC Limited
33. MSTC Limited
34. National Fertilizers Limited
35. National Seeds Corporation Limited
36. NHPC Limited
37. Northern Coalfields Limited
38. Numaligarh Refinery Limited
39. ONGC Videsh Limited
40. Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited
41. Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited
42. RITES Limited
43. SJVN Limited
44. Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited
45. South Eastern Coalfields Limited
46. State Trading Corporation of India Limited
47. Telecommunications Consultants India Limited
48. THDC India Limited
49. Western Coalfields Limited
50. WAPCOS Limited

Miniratna Category-II CPSEs

1. Bharat Pumps & Compressors Limited
2. Broadcast Engineering Consultants (I) Limited
3. Central Mine Planning & Design Institute Limited
4. Ed.CIL (India) Limited
5. Engineering Projects (India) Limited
6. FCI Aravali Gypsum & Minerals India Limited
7. Ferro Scrap Nigam Limited
8. HMT (International) Limited
9. HSCC (India) Limited
10. India Trade Promotion Organisation
11. Indian Medicines & Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited
12. M E C O N Limited
13. National Film Development Corporation Limited
14. National Small Industries Corporation Limited
15. P E C Limited
16. Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited

Source: Department of Public Enterprises Website (as on 20^th July, 2011)

Indian Sports Award 2011

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Player	Category
Sh. Gagan Narang	Shooting

Dhyan Chand Awards

Player	Category
Shri Shabbir Ali	Football
Shri Sushil Kohli	Swimming
Shri Rajkumar	Wrestling

Dronacharya Awards (For Coaching)

Coach	Category
Shri Inukurthi Venkateshwara Rao	Boxing
Shri Devender Kumar Rathore	Gymnastics
Shri Ramphal	Wrestling
Dr. Kuntal Roy	Athletics
Shri Rajinder Singh	Hockey

Arjuna Awards

Player	Category
Shri Rahul Banerjee	Archery
Ms. Preeja Sreedharan	Athletics
Ms. Jwala Gutta	Badminton
Shri M. Suranjoy Singh	Boxing
Shri Sunil Chhetri	Football
Shri Rajpal Singh	Hockey
Shri Rakesh Kumar	Kabaddi
Ms. Tejeswini Bai V	Kabaddi -Women
Ms. Tejaswini Ravindra Sawant	Shooting
Shri Veedhawal Vikram Khade	Swimming
Shri Sanjay Kumar	Volleyball
Shri Ravinder Singh	Wrestling
Naib Subedar Katulu Ravikumar	Weightlifting
Ms. Wangkhem Sandhyarani Devi	Wushu
Shri Prasantha Karamakar	Swimming Paralympics
Shri Vikas Gowda	Athletics
Shri Zaheer Khan	Cricket
Shri Ashish Kumar	Gymnastics
Shri Somdev Kishore Devvarman	Tennis

Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar

Institute/Board	Category
The Petroleum Sports Promotion Board	Financial Support for Sports Excellence Establishment
Shri N. Ramachadran of Squash Academy, Chennai	Establishment Management of Sports Academics of Excellence

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards for the year 2010

Person	Category
Late Col. Balwant Singh Sandhu	Life Time Achievement Award (Posthumously)
Ms. Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu	Land Adventure
Ms. Mamta Sodha	Land Adventure
Shri Dilip Donde	Water Adventure

Source: Press Information Bureau, GOI

Worldwide Famous Stock Exchanges

Country	Stock Exchange (Index Name)
Australia	Australian Securities Exchange (S&P/ASX 200 INDEX)
Brazil	BRAZILBOVESPA INDEX
Canada	TorontoStock Exchange (S&P/TSX COMPOSITE INDEX)
China	Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SHENZHEN G-SHARES)
China	Shanghai Stock Exchange (SHANGHAISE COMPOSITE)
Europe	Euronext (Euro STOXX)
France	CAC
Germany	Deutsche Börse (DAX)
Hong Kong	Hong KongStock Exchange (Hang Seng)
India	BombayStock Exchange (Sensex)
India	National Stock Exchange ofIndia(Nifty)
Italy	Borsa Italiana (FTSE)
Japan	TokyoStock Exchange (Nikkei)
Mexico	MEXICOIPC INDEX
New Zealand	NZX 50 INDEX
Portugal	PSI General Index
Russia	MICEX INDEX
South Africa	JSE Limited (FTSE/JSEAFRICATOP40 IX)
South Korea	KOSPI INDEX
Spain	BME Spanish Exchanges (IBEX)
Switzerland	SIX Swiss Exchange (SWISS Market Index)
Taiwan	TaiwanStock Exchange (TAIWANTAIEX INDEX)
United Kingdom	LondonStock Exchange (FTSE)
United States	New YorkStock Exchange (Dowjones)
United States	NASDAQ
Pakistan	KARACHI100 INDEX
Argentina	ARGENTINAMERVAL INDEX

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Members

Sl No.	Country	Sl No.	Country	Sl No.	Country	Sl No.	Country
1	Argentina	13	Denmark	25	RepublicofKorea	37	Slovakia
2	Australia	14	Estonia	26	Latvia	38	Slovenia
3	Austria	15	Finland	27	Lithuania	39	South Africa
4	Belarus	16	France	28	Luxembourg	40	Spain
5	Belgium	17	Germany	29	Malta	41	Sweden
6	Brazil	18	Greece	30	Netherlands	42	Switzerland
7	Bulgaria	19	Hungary	31	New Zealand	43	Turkey
8	Canada	20	Iceland	32	Norway	44	Ukraine
9	China	21	Ireland	33	Poland	45	United Kingdom
10	Croatia	22	Italy	34	Portugal	46	United States
11	Cyprus	23	Japan	35	Romania
12	CzechRepublic	24	Kazakhstan	36	Russian Federation

Source: Wikipedia