IMPORTANT FACTS

1.     The Speaker is the presiding officer of the lower house (Lok Sabha) of Parliament of India.
2.     The Speaker holds office from the date of election till immediately before the first meeting of the next Lok Sabha. He/She is eligible for re-election.
3.     On the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, although the Speaker ceases to be a member of the House, he/she does not vacate her office.
4.     The Speaker may, at any time, resign from office by writing under his/her hand to the Deputy Speaker.
5.     He/she decides whether a bill is a money bill or a non money bill.
6.     He/she maintains discipline and decorum in the house and can punish a member for their unruly behaviour by suspending them.
7.     He/she permits the moving of various kinds of motions and resolutions like themotion of no confidence, motion of adjournment, motion of censure and calling attention notice as per the rules.
8.     The Speaker decides on the agenda to be taken up for discussion during the meeting.
9.     The first speaker of the Lok Sabha was Shri G.V. Mavalankar.
10.     Meira Kumar is the first women speaker of the Indian Parliament.
11.     The UK is a country in north-western Europe. It is bordered to the south by the English Channel; to the east by the North Sea; to the west by the Irish Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
12.     The United Kingdom is made up of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
13.     England, Scotland and Wales together forms Great Britain.
14.     Great Britain and Northern Ireland together form the "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" (UK).
15.     The UK is a developed country and has the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP and eighth-largest economy by purchasing power parity.
16.     It was the world's first industrialised country.
17.     The UK is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946. It has been a member of the European Union and its predecessor the European Economic Community since 1973.
18.     The Royal Greenwich Observatory in London is the defining point of the Prime Meridian.
19.     The UK's de facto official language is English (British English). According to the 2011 census, Polishhas become the second largest language spoken in England.
20.     England's national sport is cricket although some of England's football teams are world famous, such as Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool.
21.     A mountain pass is a saddle point between two areas of higher elevations and makes a path for crossing between the chains of mountains.
22.     The Khardung la's pass is located at the Ladakh range of the Himalayan ranges. It is a gateway to the valleys of Shyok and Nubra.
23.     The Karakoram pass is located in the Karakoram Ranges between Jammu and Kashmir border and the Xingjiang region of China.
24.     Bara-lacha la is present in Zanskar range connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, situated along the Leh-Manali highway.
25.     Jelep La is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. It connects Lhasa to India.
26.     Nama Pass is located in eastern Kumaun region of the Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand, India. It links Kuthi and Darma Valley.
27.     Nathu La connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
28.     Rohtang Pass is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas, connects the Kullu Valley with the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.
29.     Shipki La is a mountain pass and border post on the India-China border. The river Sutlej enters India (from Tibet) through this pass.
30.     Zoji La is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway 1 between Srinagar and Leh in the western section of the Himalayan mountain range.
31.     A credit card is a payment card issued to users to pay for goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for them to banks within stipulated time.
32.     The credit card issuer gives a certain amount of time to pay back all of what holder has borrowed before they charge interest. This period of time is called the grace period and is usually between 20 and 25 days.
33.     Zero interest credit cards or interest free credit cards help customers to avoid paying interest on credit, if they repay the debt within a specified period of time.
34.     In 1950, Diners Club became the first company to offer a credit card that could be used at multiple locations.
35.     A Debit card is essentially like an ATM card. When a person makes any purchases using a debit card, then bank account is instantaneously debited to the extent of the purchase amount.
36.     Benefits to customers include: convenience; rewards and benefits packages; also offer reward points which may be redeemed for cash, products, or airline tickets.
37.     Credit Card associations are an association of card-issuing banks such as Discover, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, etc. that set transaction terms for merchants, card-issuing banks, and acquiring banks.
38.     Visa International has the largest global ATM network in over 113 countries.
39.     According to 2009-10, credit card users in India are 18.3 million whereas debit card users are 181.4 million.
40.     On August 6, 1945, during World War II (1939-45), an American B-29 bomber dropped the world's first deployed atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
41.     It was done on the executive order of U.S. President Harry S. Truman.
42.     The atomic bomb was equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT, it has flattened the city and killed tens of thousands of civilians.
43.     Three days later, a second B-29 dropped another A-bomb on Nagasaki, killing an estimated 40,000 people.
44.     Later Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's unconditional surrender in World War II on August 15, citing the devastating power of "a new and most cruel bomb."
45.     Since then, more have died from leukemia and solid cancers attributed to exposure to radiation released by the bombs.
46.     The effects of the bombing of Hiroshima are still felt today. For generations after the bombing, children were born with severe health defects that are believed to be connected to the effects of the bomb's radiation.
47.     Hiroshima was chosen because it had not been targeted during the US Air Force's conventional bombing raids on Japan and it was also an important military base.
48.     After the war, Hiroshima was rebuilt as a peace memorial city and the closest surviving building to the epicentre was designated the Hiroshima Peace Memorial.
49.     Hiroshima has been declared a City of Peace by the Japanese Parliament.
50.     Rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a group of seventeen elements in the Periodic Table from Atomic no. 57 to 71.

Lakes and Rivers

• Lake Baikal (Russia) is the deepest lake of the world.One of the biggest and most ancient lakes of world is situated nearly in the center of Asia in a huge stone bowl set 445 m above sea level. Everyone who has been to its shores is impressed and charmed by the grandeur, size, and unusual might of this Siberian miracle of nature. Other important lakes in Russia are Lake Onega and Lake Ladoga.
• Lake Eyre is a important lake of Australia.
• Lake Onakal (Uganda) and Lake Aswan (Egypt) are man made lakes.
• Lake Tso Sekuru located on the Tibetan Plateau is the highest lake of the world.
• Lake Titicaca, located at the boundary of Bolivia and Peru is the highest navigable lake of the world.
  The highest lake in India is Devtal, located at a height of 17,745 ft in the Garhwal Himalayas.
• Dead Sea is the lowest lake of the world, its base is located 2500 ft below the sea level.
• Lake Van (Turkey) is the most saline lake of the world, with salinity of330%. It is followed by Dead Sea (238%) Jordan, and Great Salt Lake (220% salinity) USA.
• Caspian Sea is the largest lake of the world. It is a salt water lake. Ural and Volga rivers drain into it from the north, therefore its northern part is less saline.
• Lake Victoria, forms the border between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
• Lake Nyasa or Lake. Malawi forms the border of Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.
• Lake Tanganyika forms the border of Zaire. Tanzania and Zambia.
• Lake Superior is the largest fresh water lake of the world.
• The nuclear test range of China is located near the lake Lop Nor.
• Lake Chad forms the border of Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Camroon.
• Lake Great Bear it is famous as Port Radium.
• Lake Athabasca famous as Uranium City.
• LakeVolta in Ghana is a largest man made lake.
• Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela is famous for oil reserves.
• Wular Lake: Wular Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in Asia and the largest in India, is located in Jammu and Kashmir. It is measures 24 kms across and surrounded by towering mountains, The green water of the Wular Lake is an important natural habitat for fish, a rich population of birds and wildlife. Thousands of people living on its shores and elsewhere in the Kashmir valley depend on Wular Lake for fishing to earn their livelihood.
• Dal Lake: The Kashmir valley is blessed with exotic natural beauty of landscape and water bodies, out of them one of the best is Dal Lake. Dal Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes of India and is the second largest in the J&K valley. This is one of the most famous lakes in India and an icon of the Kashmir tourism industry. Apart from the natural beauty, Dal Lake attractions are The floating gardens, colorful shikaras and houseboats. The east of Dal Lake was the residence of goddess Maa Durga. The Dal lake is situated in the beautiful city of Srinaga,Some of the most famous mosques are also located in Srinagar city to visit.
• Loktak Lake: Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India, located in Manipur. It is also called the only floating lake in the world due to the floating phumdis. This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It serves as a source of water for hydro power generation, irrigation drinking water supply and wildlife. The Keibul Lamjao National Park, which is the last natural refuge of the endangered sangai now found only in manipur.
• Chilka Lake: Chilka Lake is the brackish water lake and is the largest coastal lake in India. The Chilka Lake in situated in Orissa and is Asia’s largest inland salt-water lagoon. Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. Chilika Lake, popularly known as Chilka, is the queen of natural scenery in the tribal state Orissa, also known as the Swiss-lake in the continent. Attraction of chilika lake are fishing boats, migratory birds and an entertaining baba. The beautiful chilka lake is paradise for the migratory birds.
• Pulicat lake: It is a saline backwater lake lying along the Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coast; part extending to Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu. It has an area of 481 sq.KM and it is the 2nd largest brackish water lagoon in India after Chilka lake in Orissa.

Rivers

• The Ganga : The source of Ganga is at Gaumukh (the shape of the ice formation is like a cow's mouth), where the mighty river emerges from the depths of Gangotri glacier. The Gangotri glacier is situated at the height of4255 m above sea level and is approximate 24 km in length and 7-8 km in width. Here the river is known as Bhagirathi after King -Bhagirath. Rising in the icy caves of Gangotri glacier, the gushing , tossing and gurgling Bhagirathi starts its long journey downwards where later it joins river 'Alaknanda' and becomes Ganga. There are many legends associated with river Ganga, some of which are even mentioned in the ancient holy scriptures.
• The Godavari : It is the only river in India that flows from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India after the Ganges river. .It is also known as "Dakshin ganga (Southern Ganges)" or "Budi Ganga". Godavari originates near Trimbak in Nashik District of Maharashtra state and flows east across the Deccan Plateau into the Bay of Bengal near Narasapuram in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
• The Kavery : The origin of this river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the southeastern lowlands, emptying into the Bay of Bengal through two principal mouths. The Kaveri basin is estimated to be 27,700 square miles (72,000 km2)
• Krishna River starts its journey in the Western Ghats at an altitude of about 1300 metres above sea level in Mahabaleshwar. The river passes through Sangli District and enters the sea in the Bay of Bengal at Hamasaledevi in Andra Pradesh. It passes through the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh.
• Narmada River : This river rises on the summit of Amarkantak Hill in Madhya Pradesh state .It traverses the first 320 kilometres course around the Mandla Hills, which form the head of the Satpura Range; then moves towards Jabalpur passing through the `Marble Rocks`, it enters the Narmada Valley between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and moves westwards towards the Gulf of Cambay. It flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, and finally meets the Arabian Sea in the Bharuch District of Gujarat. Narmada River flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh 1,077 km (669.2 miles), Maharashtra, 74 km (46.0 miles)), 35 km (21.7 miles) border between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra and 39 km (24.2 miles) border between Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and in Gujarat 161 km (100.0 miles)).
• The river Brahmaputra is one of the major river in the world. It originates from Mansarovar near Mount Kailash in the Himalayas, flows via Tibbet, China, India and Bangladesh to Bay of bangal. The total length it travels from Himalayans to the Bay is 2900 Km. In Tibbet the river is known as 'Tsangpo'. It follows the great Himalayans in its course till India with an avergae height of 4000 meters. It enters India in Arunachal Pradesh where it is called 'Siang'. It then flows down to the plains of Assam, where it is called Dibang. It joins with other two giant rivers, Dibang and Lohit.
• The Mahanadi River rises in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh and then flows in the eastward direction, cutting a ravine in the Eastern Ghat. Before joining the Bay of Bengal at False Point through several channels, the river enters the plains of Orissa near Cuttack and forms a delta. This delta is one of the largest mangrove forests in peninsular India, and also a rice producing area. The term `Mahanadi` means Great River and it is truly one of the largest rivers in southeast India and the sixth largest in India. The Tel and the Hadso are the main tributaries of the Mahanadi. Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa share are drained by the Mahanadi.
• Tapti is a river of western India and the history of this river starts with its origin in the Betul district. It rises in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows between two spurs of the Satpura Hills, across the plateau of Khandesh, and thence through the plain of Surat to the sea. It has a total length of around 724 km. and drains an area of 30,000 sq. m. For the last 32 m. of its course, it is a tidal flow, but is only navigable by vessels of small tonnage; and the port of Swally at its mouth. The history of this river is closely associated with the Anglo Portuguese history. The upper reaches of the river are now deserted, owing to silting at the outflow of the river. The waters of the Tapti are usually not used for irrigation.
• Yamuna River : The main stream of the river Yamuna originated from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandar Punch in the Mussorie range of lower Himalayas in the district of Uttar Kashi in Uttarakhand. Some say the source of the river is the Saptarishi Kund, a glacial lake. There is a sacred shrine of Yamunotri or Yamnotri, near this source at an altitude of 3235 m. The Tons and Giri rivers are the important tributaries of Yamuna and principal source of water in mountaineous range. The river Yamuna traverse a route length of about 1200 km in the plain from Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh to the confluence with river Ganga at Allahabad.
• Nile River (4,132 miles 6,650 km.) : The Nile River is the longest river in the world. It has its origins in Burundi, south of the Equator, and flows northward through north eastern Africa, eventually flowing through Egypt and finally draining into the Mediterranean Sea. Three principal streams form the Nile. In Ethiopia's highlands, water flows from the Blue Nile and the Atbara. Headstreams of the White Nile flow into Lake Victoria and Lake Albert. The Nile River basin is immense and occupies an area about one-tenth of the continent of Africa. It includes portions of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, The Sudan, and Egypt. It is estimated to drain an area of 1,293,000 square miles (3,349,000 sq. km.)
• Amazon : The length of the Amazon River is approximately 6400 kilometres (4000 miles). The Amazon River is located in South America. It runs through Guyana, Ecuador, Venezuela, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru.
• Mississippi-Missouri River : The Mississippi is the world's fourth-longest river at 3,870 miles, including the Missouri River. It flows from its source, at Lake Itasca, in Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico. It is the longest river in the United States. This river forms the Bird-foot Delta.
• Rio-Grande : This river forms the border between the USA and the Mexico.
• St Lawrence River : This river forms the biggest inland waterway of the world. Niagara Fall is located on this river.
• Colorado River : World famous Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam are located on this river. Rhine River. This river forms the busiest waterway in Europe. This river is also called 'Coal River'. The busiest port of the Europe, Rotterdam, is situated on the mouth of this river.
• Danube River : This river, originating from the Black Forest Mountains of Germany and flowing through the capitals of five European nations - Belgrade (Yugoslavia), Bratislava (Slovania), Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary) and Vienna (Austria) - falls into the Black Sea.
• Volga River : This is the longest river of Europe. It originates from the Voldai Hills and drains into the Caspian Sea.
• Niger River : The river Niger, draining into the Gulf of Guinea, is also known as the 'Oil River'.
• Zambezi River : Victoria Fall and Kariba dam are located on this river.
• Congo/Zaire River : This river intersects the Equator twice. Stanley and Livingston Falls are located on this river.
• Amur River : This river forms the border of Russia and China.
• Mekong River : This is the longest river of South-East Asia.
• Murray-Darling River : This river originates from the Mt Kosciusko and is the largest river of Australia.
• R. Limppo : This river which originates from the high velds of South Africa, cuts across the tropic of Capricorn twice.
• R. Mahe : This river of India cuts across the tropic of Cancer twice.
• Seine River: The Seine is a 776 km (482 mi)-long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Source-Seine, 30 kilometres northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre.
• Tigris River: River that was a boundary of Mesopotamia, or the "land between the rivers" (Tigris and Euphrates) The Tigris was the eastern of the two rivers and flowed from a source deep in the Armenian mountains all the way to the Persian Gulf, about 1,200 miles. Both rivers were the lifeblood of Mesopotamian civilizations, giving them water and a vehicle for their trade and defense.
• Euphrates River: River that was a boundary of Mesopotamia, or the "land between the rivers" (Tigris and Euphrates) The Euphrates was the western of the two rivers and flowed from a source deep in the Armenian mountains all the way to the Persian Gulf, almost 1,800 miles. Both rivers served as means of defense and trade for every civilization in this area.
• The Huang Ho River: The Huang Ho is the world's sixth-longest river at 3,395 miles. Its source is the Kunlun Mountains, in western China. Its mouth is the Gulf of Bohai. The river is called the Yellow River, named for the color of the silts that are carried downstream in its flow. The earliest civilization in China settled on the banks of the Huang Ho. Ever since, the river has been a source of life and death. The river has flooded so often that is has become known as the River of Sorrow. Possibly the worst flood in written history occurred in 1931. Between July and November of that year, the river overflowed its banks, flooding about 34,000 square miles of land completely and about 8,000 square miles partially. Entire villages and huge amounts of agriculture and farmland were washed away. About 80 million people were left homeless. Nearly 1 million people died in the flood itself and in the famines and epidemics that resulted from the flooding.
• Rhine River: The Rhine River is 1,230 kilometres (760 mi) long. It is one of the longest rivers in Europe. The Rhine is an important waterway. Many goods are transported over the Rhine, and the Rhine valley is also an important wine producing region. The river Rhine begins at Tomasee, a lake in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland, and runs through Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. It is also the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein and also the border between Germany and France.
• Irrawaddy River: Irrawaddy River, Burmese Ayeyarwady, principal river of Myanmar (formerly Burma), running through the centre of the country. Myanmar’s most important commercial waterway, it is about 1,350 miles (2,170 km) long. The river flows wholly within the territory of Myanmar. Its total drainage area is about 158,700 square miles (411,000 square km). Its valley forms the historical, cultural, and economic heartland of Myanmar.

INDIAN IRRIGATION

Water is very important for survival of all forms of life- plant as well as animal. India, by virtue of its peculiar placement in the foothills of the Himalayas and the Deccan Plateau running through it, has vast water resources which have been very meagrely tapped. Conventional and recognised means of irrigation are tanks, wells and canals.
Wells: Well irrigation is an important type of irrigation in India. Wells are particularly suitable for small farms. The important well-irrigated States are Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. In these States water-table is high, soil is soft and, therefore, wells are easily sunk.
Tubewells are an important development in India. They are worked by electricity or diesel oil and thus, they relieve our cattle of much of the strain. They are being quickly developed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab. This is because these have ample sub-soil water.
Wells and tubewells account for about 48 percent of the total irrigation in India.
Tanks: Tanks are also an important and ancient source of irrigation. They are of considerable importance in central and southern India, specially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. About 8 percent of the total irrigated area is irrigated by tanks.
Canals: Canals are the most important means of irrigation in the country. Some canals were constructed by the early Hindu and Mohammedan kings. Most of the canals, however, are the product of the British rule. At present, canals irrigate about 39 percent of total irrigated area of India. Most of the canals of the country are found in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Storage canals have been constructed in Deccan and Madhya Pradesh.
Major , Medium and Minor Irrigation Projects: The methods of irrigation used in India can be broadly classified into major, medium and minor irrigation schemes. Irrigation projects having Culturable Command Area (CCA) of more than 10,000 hectares each are classified as major projects. Those having a CCA between 2,000 hectares and 10,000 hectares fall under the category of medium irrigation projects. And the projects which have a CCA of less than 2,000 hectares are classified as minor irrigation schemes. For the purpose of analysis the major and the medium irrigation projects are generally grouped together. These projects comprise a network of dams, bunds, canals and other such schemes. Such projects require substantial financial outlay and are, therefore, constructed by the government or any other agency which may draw financial assistance form the government and financial institutions.
The minor irrigation projects, on the other hand, comprise all ground water development schemes such as dug wells, private shallow tubewells, deep public tubewells, and boring and deepening of dugewells, and small surface water development works such as storage tanks, lift irrigation projects, etc. Minor irrigation projects or the groundwater development schemes are essentially people's programmes implemented primarily through individual and cooperative efforts with finances obtained mainly through institutional sources.

IRRIGATION DEVELOPMENT

Creation for irrigation potential of 10 million hectares was targeted under Bharat Nirman during 2005-06 to 2008-09. The target was proposed to be met through completion of on-going major and medium irrigation projects, and extension, renovation and modernization of existing projects. As per information provided by State Governments, the total irrigation potential created during the period is 7.31 million hectares against the target of 10 million hectares.

SOME IRRIGATION AND MULTIPURPOSE PROJECTS

Bargi Project (Madhya Pradesh): It is a multipurpose project consisting of a masonry dam across Bargi river in the Jabalpur district and a left bank canal.
Beas Project (Joint venture of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan): It consists of Beas-Sutlej Link and Beas Dam at Pong.
Bhadra Project (Karnataka): A multipurpose project across the river Bhadra.
Bhakra Nangal Project (Joint project of Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan): India's biggest, multipurpose river valley project comprises a straight gravity dam across the Sutlej river at Bhakra, the Nangal dam, the Nangal hydel channel, two power houses at Bhakra dam and two power stations at Ganguwal and Kotla.
Bhima Project (Maharashtra): Comprises two dams, one on the Pawana river near Phagne in Pune district and the other across the Krishna river near Ujjaini in Sholapur district.
Chambal Project (Joint project of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan): The project comprises Gandhi Sagar dam, Rana Pratap Sagar dam and jawahar Sagar dam.
Damodar Valley Project (West Bengal and Bihar): A multipurpose project for the unified development of irrigation, flood control and power generation in West Bengal and Bihar. It comprises multipurpose dams at Konar, Tilaiya, Maithon and Pancher; hydel power stations at Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon and Panchet; barrage at Durgapur; and thermal power houses at Bokaro, Chandrapura and Durgapur. The project is administrated by the Damodar Valley Corporation.
Dulhasti Power Project (Jammu & Kashmir): It is a 390 MW power project in Kishtwar region of Jammu & Kashmir on Chenab river. Work for this project started in 1981. The foundation stone was laid on April 15, 1983 by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Work on this project was suspended due to threats of kidnapping and killings by Kashmiri militants resulting in long delay in completion of project.
Farakka Project (West Bengal): The project was taken up for the preservation and maintenance of Calcutta port and for improving the navigability of the Hoogly. It comprises a barrage at Jangipur across the Bhagirathi and a feeder channel taking off from the Ganga at Farakka and tailing into the Bhagirathi below the Jangipur barrage.
Gandak Project (Joint project of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh): Nepal also derives irrigation and power benefits form this project.
Ghataprabha Project (Karnataka): A project across Ghataprabha in Belgaum and Bijapur districts.
Hirakund (Odisha): World's longest dam, is located on the Mahanadi river.
Jayakwadi Project (Maharashtra): A masonry spillway across the river Godavari.
Kahalgaon Project (Bihar): The 840-MW Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Project, a joint venture between National Thermal Power Corporation and the Russian State Enterprise Foreign Economic Association, was on August 12,1996 commissioned and put into commercial operation.
Kakrapara Project (Gujarat): On the Tapti river near Kakrapara, in Surat district.
Kangsabati Project (West Bengal): The project, put in operation in 1965, is located on the Kangsabati and Kumari rivers.
Karjan Project (Gujarat): A masonry dam across Karjan river near Jitgarh village in Nandoo Taluka of Bharuch district.
Kosi Project (Bihar): A multipurpose project, which serves Bihar and Nepal.
Koyna Project (Maharashtra): It is built on a tributary of river Krishna with a capacity of 880 MW. It feeds power to Mumbai-Pune industrial belt.
Krishna Project (Maharashtra): Dhom dam near Dhom village on Krishna and Kanhar dam near Kanhar village on Varna river in Satna district.
Kukadi Project (Maharashtra): Five independent storage dams, i.e. Yodgaon, Manikdohi, Dimbha, Wadaj and Pimpalgaon Jog. The canal system comprises (i) Kukadi left bank Canal, (ii) Dimbha left bank canal, (iii) Dimbha right bank canal, (iv) Meena feeder and (v) Meena branch.
Kundoh Project (Tamil Nadu): It is in Tamil Nadu whose initial capacity of 425 MW has since been expanded to 535 MW.
Let Bank Ghaghra Canal (Uttar Pradesh): A link channel taking off from the left bank of Ghaghra river of Girja barrage across Sarju.
Madhya Ganaga Canal (Uttar Pradesh): A barrage across Ganga in Bijnore district.
Mahanadi Delta Scheme (Odisha): The irrigation scheme will utilize releases from the Hirakud reservoir.
Mahanadi Reservoir Project (Madhya Pradesh): It has three phases: (1) Ravishankar Sagar Project and feeder canal system for supply of water of Bhilai Steel Plant and Sandur dam across Sandur village. (2) Extension of Mahanadi feeder canal. (3) Pairi dam.
Mahi Project (Gujarat): A two –phase project, one across the Mahi river near Wanakbori village and the other across Mahi river near Kadana.
Malaprabha Project (Karnataka): A dam across the Malaprabha in Belgaum district.
Mayurakshi Project (West Bengal): An irrigation and hydro-electric project comprise the Canada dam.
Minimato Bango Hasdeo Project (Madhya Pradesh): This project is locted at Hasdeo Bango river in Korba district and envisages construction of a masonry dam. A hydel power plant of 120 MW capacity has been commissioned on the Bango dam.
Nagarjunasagar (Andhra Pradesh): On the Krishna river near Nandikona village (about 44 km from Hyderabad).
Panam Project (Gujarat): A gravity masonry dam across Panam river near Keldezar village in Panchmahal district.
Parambikulam Aliyar (Joint venture of Tamil Nadu and Kerala): The integrated harnessing of eight rivers, six in the Annamalai Hills and two in the plains.
Pochampad (Andhra Pradesh): Across Godavari river.
Pong Dam (Punjab): It is an important hydro-electric project located on Beas river.
Rajasthan Canal (Indira Gandhi Canal- Rajasthan): The Project uses water released from Pong dam and provides irrigation facilities to the north-western region of Rajasthan, i.e., a part of the Thar desert. It consists of Rajasthan feeder canal (with the first 167 km in Punjab and Haryana and the remaining 37 km in Rajasthan) and 445 km Rajasthan main canal entirely in Rajasthan.
Rajghat Dam Project (Madhya Pradesh): The Rajghat Dam and Rajghat Hydro Electric Projects are Inter-State projects of MP and UP. The Rajghat Dam is almost complete. All the three units of Rajghat Hydro-Electric Project had been synchronized during 1999 and power generation has been continuing ever since.
Ramganga (Uttarakhand): A dam across Ramganga, a tributary of the Ganga river located in Garhwal district. The project has, besides reducing the intensity of floods in central and western Uttar Pradesh, provided water for the Delhi water supply scheme.
Ranjit Sagar Dam (Thein Dam) (Punjab): A multi-purpose highest dam in the country, built on the Ravi river for the benefit of Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.
Rihand Project (Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh): It is the largest man-made lake in India on the borders of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh with a capacity of 300 MW annually.
Sabarmati (Gujarat): A storage dam across Sabarmati river near Dhari Village in Mehsana district and wasna barrage near Ahmedabad.
Salal Project (Jammu & Kashmir): With the successful completion of the 2.5-km long tailrace tunnel, the 690-MW Salal (Stage I and II ) project in Jammu and Kashmir became fully operational on August 6, 1996.
Sarda Sahayak (Uttar Pradesh): A barrage across the river Ghaghra, a link channel, a barrage across River Sarda and a feeder channel of two major aqueducts over rivers Gomti and Sai.
Sharavathi Project (Karnataka): It is located at the Jog Falls with a capacity of 891 MW. It primarily feeds Bengaluru industrial region and also Goa and Tamil Nadu.
Sone High Level Canal(Bihar): An extension on Sone Barrage project.
Tawa Project (Madhya Pradesh): A project across the Tawa river, a tributary of the Narmada in Hoshangabad district.
Tehri Dam Project (Uttarakhand): Earth and rock-fill dam on Bhagirathi river in Tehri district.
Tungabhadra Project (Joint Project of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka): On the Tungabhadra River.
Ukai Project (Gujarat): A multipurpose project across Tapti river near Ukai village.
Upper Krishna Project (Karnataka): A project consisting of Narayanpur dam across the Krishna river and a dam at Almatti.
Upper Penganga Project (Maharashtra): Two reservoirs on Penganga river at Isapur in Yavatmal district and the other on Rayadhu river at Sapli in Parbhani district.
Uri Power Project (Jammu & Kashmir): It is located on the river Jhelum in the Uri Tehsil of Baramulla district in Jammu & Kashmir. It is a 480-MW hydroelectric project which was dedicated to the nation of February 13, 1997.

Major Straits of the world

Name	Joins	Location
Malacca Strait	Andaman Sea & South China Sea	Indonesia - Malaysia
Palk Strait	Palk Bay & Bay of Bengal	India-Sri Lanka
Sunda Strait	Java Sea & Indian Ocean	Indonesia
Yucatan Strait	Gulf of Mexico and Carribbean Sea	Mexico-Cuba
Mesina Strait	Mediterranean Sea	Italy-Sicily
Otranto Strait	Adriatic Sea & Ionian Sea	Italy-Albania
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait	Red Sea & Gulf of Aden	Yemen-Djibouti
Cook Strait	South Pacific Ocean	New Zealand (N & S islands)
Mozambique Strait	Indian Ocean	Mozambique - Malagassy
North Channel	Irish Sea & Atlantic Ocean	Ireland-England
Taurus Strait	Arafura Sea & Gulf of Papua	Papua New Guinea - Australia
Bass strait	Tasman Sea & South Sea	Australia
Bering Strait	Bering Sea & Chuksi Sea	Alaska-Russia
Bonne-Fasio Strait	Mediterranean Sea	Corsika-Sardinia
Bosporous Strait	Black Sea and Marmara Sea	Turkey
Dardenleez Strait	Marmara Sea and Agean Sea	Turkey
Davis strait	Baffin Bay & Atlantic Ocean	Greenland-Canada
Denmark strait	North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean	Greenland-Iceland
Dover strait	English Channel & North Sea	England-France
Florida Strait	Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean	USA-Cuba
Hormuz strait	Gulf of Persia & Gulf of Oman	Oman-Iran
Hudson strait	Gulf of Hudson & Atlantic Ocean	Canada
Gibraltar Strait	Mediterranean Sea & Atlantic Ocean	Spain-Morocco
Magellan strait	Pacific and South Atlantic Ocean	Chile
Makkassar Strait	Java Sea & Celebeze Sea	Indonesia
Tsungaru Strait	Japan Sea and Pacific Ocean	Japan (Hokkaido-Honshu island)
Tatar Strait	Japan Sea & Okhotsk Sea	Russia (E Russia-Sakhalin Island)

Mountains and Plateau

Mountains are such highlands whose slopes are steep and the peaks are pointed. Generally, the mountains are more than 1000 mts high. The mountains whose height is less than 1000 mts, are called hills. The highest point of a mountain or a hill is called its peak. A mountain range is a system of mountains and hills having several ridges, peaks, summits and valleys, formed in a particular period and spread in a narrow belt.

Classification of Mountains

• Folded Mountains: These Mountains are the results of compressive forces, triggered by the endogenetic forces. When the rocks on (he surface of the earth are folded due to the forces generated within the earth, the resultant Himalaya Ural, Rockies, Andes, Atlas etc. examples of folded mountains.
• Block Mountains: These Mountains originate due to the forces of tension leading to the formation of rift valleys. These are also know as fault Block Mountains, as they are the result of faulting. Sierra Nevada mountain of California, USA, Vosages and Black Forest mountains of Europe.
• Accumulated Mountains: These mountain are formed due to accumulation of lava other ejected materials in the proccess of vulcanism. Fujiyama of Japan, Cotopaxi of Equador are its examples.
• Relict Mountains: When orginal mountains are eroded by the agents of gradation, they become relict mountains. Vindhyas, Aravallis, Satpura, Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, Parasnath etc. are relict mountains.

Plateau

A plateau may be defined as that upland which has at least one side of very steep slope standing well above the neighbouring surface and whose upper part is extensive and almost flat.

Classification of Plateau

1. Intermontane Plateau: These Plateaus are surrounded by hills and mountains from all sides. For Example Tibetan plateau, Columbian plateau.
2. Piedmont Plateau: Which is surrounded by-mountain range on one side and by plain or ocean on the other side. For Example Appalachian Mountains (USA) and Patagonian plateau of South America.
3. Dome Shaped Plateau: These Plateaus are formed when the landmass is uplifted in such a manner that the middle portion is raised and the sides are rounded. Chhotanagpur plateau of Jharkhand, Ozark Plateau (USA).
4. Continental Plateau: These are very extensive Plateau and surrounded by oceanic coasts or plains. These are also called Shield. For Example Siberian shield.
5. Volcanic Plateau: These Plateau are formed due to accumulation of thick layers of bassltic laves. Deccan plateau of India and Columbian plateau of USA are the best example of this type.

Plateaus	Location
Anatolia	Turkey
Meseta	Iberian Peninsula
Chiyapas	S. Mexico
Alaska / Yukon	USA
Columbian	USA
Great Basin	USA
Colorado	USA

Ocean Currents

When ocean water moves in a fixed direction within a fixed limit (of area) with very high velocity, it is called current. The velocity of a current is more than that of drift. | Ocean currents can be divided into two type warm currents and cold currents. The currents flowing from the equator to the poles are warm and those flowing from poles to the equator are cold.
Due to Coriolis force, the Ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere deflect towards their right and those in the Southern Hemisphere, towards their left. The only exception of this rule of the flow of ocean is found in the Indian Ocean, where the direction of current flow changes with the change in the direction monsoon wind flow.
Ocean currents influence the climate of bordering coastal regions. They affect temperature, humidity and precipitation.

Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are the regions of very high bio-diversity. These are formed due to accumulation and solidification of skeletons of lime secreting organism known as coral polyps. They are dominating rocks. Coral reefs are of three types :

1. Fringing Reef: Coral reefs developed along the coasts are called fringing reefs. Examples: Gulf of Mannar (india), Southern Florida (USA) etc.
2. Barrier Reef : The coral reefs qf the coastal platforms are called "barrier reefs". There is extensive but shallow lagoon between the coastal land and the reef. Great Barrier Reef, located parallel to the east coast of Australia, is the largest of all the barrier reefs of the world.
3. Coral Ring or Atoll : A ring of narrow growing corals of horse-shoe shape is called atoll. It is generally found around an island or in elliptical form on a submarine platform. Examples : Fiji Atoll, Funfutti Atoll etc.

Tides

Rise and fall of the ocean water level due to the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon are referred to as Tides. The waves generated by tide-are called Tidal Waves. The hight of the tides at different places varies a lot due to several factors such as - depth of water, the coastal features and openness or closeness of the sea. Though the Sun is far bigger than the moon yet, the gravitational force of the Moon is double than that of the sun. This is due to the fact that the Sun is at a greater distance than the Moon, from the Earth.
Every place, along the coast, experiences tide and ebbs twice in 24 hours. When the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are aligned in a straight line this position is referred to as SYZYGY. The combined forces of the Sun and the Moon result into High or Spring Tides. High tides are experienced on the full moon and the new moon.
Unlike this, when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are aligned in a right angle position, the gravitational forces of the Sun and the Moon work against each other, when Neap or Low Tides are experienced. The part of the Earth facing the Moon , experiences a tide due to the gravitational pull of the Moon, but, at the same time the part of the Earth on the Opposite side also experidences a tide. This is due to the strong centrifugal force to balance the rotation of the earth.

Republic day is celebrated every year on January 26. This day is decreed as National holiday since January 26, 1950. Indian became free on August 15, 1945 as was declared as Sovereign, Democratic and Republic State with the adoption of constitution of India in 1950. 

India is celebrating its 64th Republic Day in the year 2013. Chief guest of Republic day 2013 is Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. AS every year, this year too Republic day will be celebrated in a grand way all around the country. On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies accompanied by armed forces is held in all parts of the Country. The Republic Day Parade in Delhi is presided over by the President of India. The Prime Minister of India, lays a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year. By this, the Nation pays respect to all the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives for the country. This is followed by 21 gun salute and thereafter the National flag is unfurled. 

Republic day is celebrated every year on January 26. This day is decreed as National holiday since January 26, 1950. Indian became free on August 15, 1945 and was declared as Sovereign, Democratic and Republic State with the adoption of constitution of India in 1950. 

India is celebrating its 64th Republic Day in the year 2013. Chief guest of Republic day 2013 is Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. As every year, this year too Republic day will be celebrated in a grand way all around the country.

On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies accompanied by armed forces is held in all parts of the Country. The Republic Day Parade in Delhi is presided over by the President of India.

The Prime Minister of India, lays a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year.By this, the Nation pays respect to all the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives for the country. This is followed by 21 gun salute and thereafter the National flag is unfurled.

Republic Day Chief Guests:

Year	Guest Name	Country
1950	President Sukarno	Indonesia
1951	–
1952	–
1953	–
1954	King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck	Bhutan
1955	Governor General Malik Ghulam Muhammad	Pakistan
1956	–
1957	–
1958
1959	–
1960	President Kliment Voroshilov	USSR
1961	Queen Elizabeth II	United Kingdom
1962	–
1963	King Norodom Sihanouk	Cambodia
1964	–
1965	Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid	Pakistan
1966	–
1967	–
1968	Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin	USSR
	President Josip Broz Tito	SFR Yugoslavia
1969	Prime Minister of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov	Bulgaria
1970	–
1971	President Julius Nyerere	Tanzania
1972	Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam	Mauritius
1973	President Mobutu Sese Seko	Zaire
1974	President Josip Broz Tito	SFR Yugoslavia
	Prime Minister Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike	Sri Lanka
1975	President Kenneth Kaunda	Zambia
1976	Prime Minister Jacques Chirac	France
1977	First Secretary Edward Gierek	Poland
1978	President Patrick Hillery	Ireland
1979	Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser	Australia
1980	President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	France
1981	President José López Portillo	Mexico
1982	King Juan Carlos I	Spain
1983	President Shehu Shagari	Nigeria
1984	King Jigme Singye Wangchuck	Bhutan
1985	President Raúl Alfonsín	Argentina
1986	Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou	Greece
1987	President Alan García	Peru
1988	President Junius Jayewardene	Sri Lanka
1989	General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh	Viet Nam
1990	Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth	Mauritius
1991	President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom	Maldives
1992	President Mário Soares	Portugal
1993	Prime Minister John Major	United Kingdom
1994	Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong	Singapore
1995	President Nelson Mandela	South Africa
1996	President Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso	Brazil
1997	Prime Minister Basdeo Panday	Trinidad and Tobago
1998	President Jacques Chirac	France
1999	King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev	Nepal
2000	President Olusegun Obasanjo	Nigeria
2001	President Abdelaziz Bouteflika	Algeria
2002	President Cassam Uteem	Mauritius
2003	President Mohammed Khatami	Iran
2004	President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva	Brazil
2005	King Jigme Singye Wangchuck	Bhutan
2006	King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud[	Saudi Arabia
2007	President Vladimir Putin	Russia
2008	President Nicolas Sarkozy	France
2009	President Nursultan Nazarbayev	Kazakhstan
2010	President Lee Myung Bak	Republic of Korea
2011	President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono	Indonesia
2012	Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra	Thailand
2013	King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck	Bhutan

 

Film awards for Indian cinema by national and state authorities

Award	Year of Inception	Awarded by
National Film Awards	1954	Directorate of Film Festivals, Government of India
Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards	1937	Government of West Bengal
Maharashtra State Film Awards	1963	Government of Maharashtra
Nandi Awards	1964	Government of Andhra Pradesh
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards	1967	Government of Tamil Nadu
Karnataka State Film Awards	1967	Government of Karnataka
Orissa State Film Awards	1968	Government of Orissa
Kerala State Film Awards	1969	Government of Kerala

Film awards for Indian cinema by Non Governmental authorities

Award	Year of Inception	Awarded by
Filmfare Awards Filmfare Awards South	1954	Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd.
Screen Awards	1994	Screen Weekly
Zee Cine Awards	1998	Zee Entertainment Enterprises
IIFA Awards	2000	Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd
Stardust Awards	2003	Stardust
Apsara Awards	2004	Apsara Producers Guild
South Indian International Movie Awards	2012	South Indian Film Industry

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs

Q1. In which city is the dargah (tomb) of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti located ?
(A) Mumbai
(B) Srinagar
(C) New Delhi
(D) Ajmer

Q2.  With with musical instrument is Pt. Ravi Shankar associated ?
(A) Sitar
(B) Sarod
(C) Santoor
(D) Tabla

Q3. In 1953, who became the first woman President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) ?
(A) Rajkumari Amrit Kaur
(B) Sucheta Kriplani
(C) Vijay Laxmi Pandit
(D) Sarojini Naidu

Q4. Which lake seprates the Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh, from its twin city Secunderabad ?
(A) Loktak Lake
(B) Chilka Lake
(C) Wular Lake
(D) Hussain Sagar Lake

Q5. What is the name of India’s first nuclear reactor ?
(A) Apsara
(B) Kamini
(C) Dhruva
(D) Aryabhatt

Q6. At which place did Mahatama Gandhi start his first Satyagraha in India ?
(A) Kheda (Gujarat)
(B) Champaran (Bihar)
(C) Sabarmati (Gujarat)
(D) Mumbai (Maharashtra)

Q7. ’Wings of Fire’ and ‘Ignited Minds’ books are authored by which Indian scientist ?
(A) H.G.Khurana
(B) M.S.Swaminathan
(C) A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
(D) S.Chandrasekhar


Q8. The Gir Forest National Park (Sasan Gir), the only home of the Asiatic Lions, is situated in which state ?
(A) Kerala
(B) Gujarat
(C) West Bengal
(D) Madhya Pradesh

Q9. Which Mughal emperor assumed the title of ‘Alamgir’ (Conqueror of the world) ?
(A) Akbar
(B) Jehangir
(C) Shahjahan
(D) Aurangzeb

Q10. What is the common name of Acetylsalicylic Acid ?
(A) Aspirin
(B) Vinegar
(C) Vitamin C
(D) Vitriol

Q11. Who signs one rupee currency note of India ?
(A) RBI Governor
(B) Finance Secretary
(C) Finance Minister
(D) President

Q12. Who wrote the ‘Das Capital’, an extensive treatise on political economy ?
(A) Karl Marx
(B) Friedrich Engles
(C) Leo Tolstoy
(D) Maxim Gorky

Q13. Who was the first law minister of independent India ?
(A) Vallabhbhai Patel
(B) Rafi Ahmed Kidwai
(C) B.R.Ambedkar
(D) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Q14. Arabica, Robusta and Liberica are the varieties of which popluar beverage ?
(A) Tea
(B) Coffee
(C) Yoghurt
(D) Lemonade

Q15. Which Indian classical dance form, native of Andhra Pradesh, was developed by Siddhendra Yogi from Bhamakalapam dance drama ?
(A) Odissi
(B) Kathakali
(C) Bharatanatyam
(D) Kuchipudi

Q16. Where is the headquarters of the National Institute of Oceanography located ?
(A) Dona Paula (Goa)
(B) Kochi (Kerala)
(C) Mumbai (Maharashtra)
(D) Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)

Q17. Which European country is known as the ‘Land of a thousand lakes’ ?
(A) Denmark
(B) Sweden
(C) Norway
(D) Finland

Q18. Which is the nearest star to the Sun ?
(A) Proxima Centauri
(B) Alpha Centauri A
(C) Alpha Centauri B
(D) Bernard’s Star

Q19. Which gas is commonly known as ‘Laughing Gas’ ?
(A) Ozone
(B) Methane
(C) Nitrous Oxide
(D) Carbon dioxide

Q20. Which is the only continent through which all three main latitude lines – Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn – passes ?
(A) Asia
(B) Africa
(C) Europe
(D) South America

Q21. Kavaratti, an island town, is the capital of which Indian union territory ?
(A) Lakshadweep
(B) Daman and Diu
(C) Puducherry
(D) Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Q22. Garba dance is native of which Indian state ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Gujarat
(D) West Bengal

Q23. Antarctica is the largest cold desert in the world. Which is the largest hot desert in the world ?
(A) Thar
(B) Gobi
(C) Sahara
(D) Kalahari

Q24. Sadakat Ashram memorial in Patna is dedicated to which former President of India ?
(A) Zakir Hussain
(B) Rajendra Prasad
(C) Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
(D) V.V.Giri

Q25. Who discoverd Penicillin ?
(A) Jonas Salk
(B) Frederick Benting
(C) Alexander Fleming
(D) Ronald Ross

Q26. In Mumbai terror attacks on 26 Nov. 2008, what was the code name of security forces commando action against terrorists ?
(A) Operation Vijay
(B) Operation Shakti
(C) Operation Cactus
(D) Operation Black Tornado

Q27. At which temprature, Celsius and Fahrenheit scales will show same reading ?
(A) 0 degree
(B) 32 degre
(C) 180 degree
(D) minus 40 degree

Q28. Launched on 1st July 1822, which newspaper is the Asia’s oldest extant daily ?
(A) The Times of India
(B) Mumbai Samachar
(C) The Indian Express
(D) Hindustan Times

Q29. Who is the first Indian woman to graduate from the Harvard Business School ?
(A) Naina Lal Kidwai
(B) Lalita D. Gupte
(C) Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
(D) Chanda Kochhar

Q30. In domestic LPG cylinders, a small quantity of which foul smelling chemical is added to act as a warning agent in case of any gas leakage ?
(A) Pyridine
(B) Isocyanide
(C) Cadaverine
(D) Ethyl Mercaptan


Q31. In tabletop game Carrom, how many coins are used ?
(A) 15
(B) 17
(C) 19
(D) 21

Q32. How much time does Sunlight take to reach the Earth ?
(A) 8 minutes
(B) 10 minutes
(C) 12 minutes
(D) 15 minutes

Q33. Alpha is the first letter of Greek alphabet. Which is the last ?
(A) Beta
(B) Gamma
(C) Sigma
(D) Omega

Q34. Which ruler of Gupta dynasty is also called the ‘Napoleon of India’ ?
(A) Ramagupta
(B) Skandagupta
(C) Samudragupta
(D) Chandragupta Vikramaditya

Q35. Which mountain range in Chhatisgarh, with name literally meaning the hump of ox, is world famous for top-quality deposits of iron ore ?
(A) Aravali
(B) Bailadila
(C) Nilgiri
(D) Patkai

Q36. Which scientist is considered as the father of Indian Space Programme ?
(A) Vikram Sarabhai
(B) Homi Bhabha
(C) M.S.Swaminathan
(D) A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

Q37. Which pigment is responsible for red colour of tomatoes ?
(A) Melanin
(B) Lycopene
(C) Bilirubin
(D) Chlorophyll

Q38. Who founded the ‘Pushti Marg’ (path of divine grace) sect of the Hindu religion ?
(A) Adi Shankaracharya
(B) Nimbarkacharya
(C) Ramanujacharya
(D) Vallabhacharya

Q39. Who authored the book `The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid’ ?
(A) Philip Kotler
(B) Jack Welch
(C) C.K.Prahalad
(D) Mohanbir Sawhney

Q40. Indira Mount, an underwater mountain named after former PM of India Smt. Indira Gandhi, is in which ocean ?
(A) Indian Ocean
(B) Antarctic Ocean
(C) Atlantic Ocean
(D) Pacific Ocean

Q41. In Roman numerals, which letter represents one thousand ?
(A) L
(B) C
(C) M
(D) X

Q42. Who was the only woman ruler of Delhi ?
(A) Chand Bibi
(B) Razia Sultan
(C) Rani Durgavati
(D) Rani Rudramma Devi

Q43. How do we better know Oscar award winner lyricist Sampooran Singh Kalra, the writer of ‘Jai Ho’ song for film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ ?
(A) Sameer
(B) Gulzar
(C) Javed Akhtar
(D) Prasoon Joshi

Q44. Where did Lord Mahavira, the last of 24 tirthankars in Jain tradition, attain Nirvana ?
(A) Nanded (Maharashtra)
(B) Kolkata (W.Bengal)
(C) Kushinagar (U.P.)
(D) Pawapuri (Bihar)

Q45. In 1904, which revolutionary founded Abhinav Bharat Society ?
(A) Veer Savarkar
(B) Bhagat Singh
(C) Chandrasekhar Azad
(D) Lala Hardayal

Q46. In which city are the headquarters of International Olympic Committee (IOC) located ?
(A) Zurich (Switzerland)
(B) London (United Kingdom)
(C) Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
(D) Lausanne (Switzerland)

Q47. In 1872, which Viceroy of India was assassinated at Port Blair in the Andaman Islands ?
(A) Lord Mayo
(B) Lord Curzon
(C) Lord Lytton
(D) Lord Irwin

Q48. Greenland, the largest island in world, is the part of which country ?
(A) Canada
(B) Denmark
(C) Norway
(D) Iceland

Q49. Who created the first cloned sheep Dolly ?
(A) Adam Osborne
(B) Charles Babbage
(C) Tim Burners-Lee
(D) Ian Wilmut

Q50. Which pass, connecting Sri Lankan mainland with Jaffna peninsula. is referred as the ‘Gateway to Jaffna’ ?
(A) Khyber pass
(B) Nathu La pass
(C) Elephant pass
(D) Rohtang pass

Q51. After Sachin Tendulkar, who is the second cricketer to receive the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award ?
(A) Saurav Ganguly
(B) Rahul Dravid
(C) Mahendra Singh Dhoni
(D) Anil Kumble

Q52. Which city houses the headquarters of Central Railway ?
(A) Bhopal
(B) Nagpur
(C) Allahabad
(D) Mumbai

Q53. Who was the first Indian Governor-General of independent India ?
(A) Lord Mountbatten
(B) C.Rajagopalachari
(C) Rajendra Prasad
(D) Jawaharlal Nehru

Q54. ’Bhogi’, ‘Surya’, ‘Mattu’ and ‘Kanum’ are the parts of which four day long harvest festival of Tamilnadu ?
(A) Bihu
(B) Lohri
(C) Pongal
(D) Baisakhi

Q55. Wheeler Island, the site of India’s missile testing facility Integrated Test Range (ITR), is situated in which state ?
(A) Orissa
(B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Tamilnadu
(D) Kerala

Q56. To whom does the President of India address his resignation ?
(A) Chief Justice of India
(B) Prime Minister
(C) Lok Sabha Speaker
(D) Vice President

Q57. Apart from Russia, the territory of which country lies in both Europe and Asia continents ?
(A) Turkey
(B) Greece
(C) France
(D) Germany

Q58. In 1998, who became the first Indian ever to be awarded the Wharton School Dean’s Medal ?
(A) J.R.D.Tata
(B) Dhirubhai Ambani
(C) N.R.Narayana Murthy
(D) Azim Premji

Q59. Who is known as the ‘Father of Medicine’ ?
(A) Herodotus
(B) Hipparchus
(C) Hippocrates
(D) Wilhelm Wundt

Q60. ’Razmnama’ is the Persian translation of which Indian epic ?
(A) Ramayana
(B) Mahabahrat
(C) Raghuvamsha
(D) Kumarsambhava

Q61. After Hindi, which is the second most spoken language in India ?
(A) Tamil
(B) Marathi
(C) Telugu
(D) Bengali

Q62. In terms of area, which is the largest country ?
(A) Russia
(B) Canada
(C) China
(D) United States of America

Q63. Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award ?
(A) Indira Gandhi
(B) Mother Teresa
(C) Aruna Asaf Ali
(D) M.S.Subbulakshmi

Q64. Which is the only element whose atoms have no neutron ?
(A) Helium
(B) Oxygen
(C) Nitogen
(D) Hydrogen

Q65. Challenger Deep, a part of Mariana Trench and the deepest point in the oceans, named after British ship Challenger II which first surveyed it in 1951, is located in which ocean ?
(A) Indian Ocean
(B) Pacific Ocean
(C) Atlantic Ocean
(D) Antarctic Ocean

Q66. In 1922, Chittarajnan Das and Motilal Nehru founded which political party ?
(A) Forward Block
(B) Swaraj Party
(C) Swatantra Party
(D) Ghadar Party

Q67. According to Hindu mythology, which warrior was the possessor of ‘Chanrdrahas’ sword ?
(A) Arjun
(B) Kansa
(C) Ravana
(D) Parshuram

Q68. In which state is the Dachigam National Park, famous for Hangul (Red Deer), located ?
(A) Assam
(B) Jammu & Kashmir
(C) West Bengal
(D) Madhya Pradesh

Q69. Which early 11th century traveller to India authored the books ‘Tahqiq-i-Hind’ and ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ ?
(A) Fi-Hien
(B) Marco Polo
(C) Al Beruni
(D) Ibn Batuta

Q70. Who was the first President of Pakistan ?
(A) Ayub Khan
(B) Liaquat Ali Khan
(C) Iskandar Mirza
(D) Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Q71. Which is the heaviest organ in the human body ?
(A) Heart
(B) Liver
(C) Kidney
(D) Stomach

Q72. Which hill station was the summer capital of British India ?
(A) Nainital
(B) Mussoorie
(C) Darjeeling
(D) Shimla

Q73. ’Hematite’ and ‘Magnetite’ are the principal ores of which metal ?
(A) Iron
(B) Nickel
(C) Cobalt
(D) Aluminium

Q74. ’Biman’ is the national airline of which Asian country ?
(A) Nepal
(B) Bhutan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Sri Lanka

Q75. In 1581, which Mughal ruler started religious doctrine ‘Din-i-Ilahi’ (Divine Faith) ?
(A) Babar
(B) Akbar
(C) Jehangir
(D) Shahjahan

Q76. From which country did India procure the aircraft carier Admiral Gorshkov, scheduled to join Indian Navy as INS Vikramaditaya in 2012 ?
(A) Russia
(B) Germany
(C) France
(D) United States of America

Q77. Which National Film Award is given to the Best First Film of a Director ?
(A) Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus)
(B) Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus)
(C) Nargis Dutt Award
(D) Indira Gandhi Award

Q78. ’Kalaripayattu’ is the traditional martial art of which Indian state ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Manipur
(C) Kerala
(D) Jammu & Kashmir

Q79. Hazratbal Dargah, which houses the sacred hair of Prophet Mohammed, is situated in which city ?
(A) Ajmer
(B) Srinagar
(C) Fatehpur Sikri
(D) Mumbai

Q80. ’Struggle for Existence’ book is the autobiography of which Indian woman leader ?
(A) Mayawati
(B) J.Jayalalitha
(C) Sushma Swaraj
(D) Mamta Banerjee

Q81. Who administers the oath of office to the President of India ?
(A) Prime Minister
(B) Lok Sabha Speaker
(C) Rajya Sabha Speaker
(D) Chief Justice of India

Q82. With which state is the Phulkari embroidery associated ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Gujarat
(C) Karnataka
(D) Uttar Pradesh

Q83. Which capital city houses the headquarters of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) ?
(A) Dhaka
(B) Thimpu
(C) Kathmandu
(D) Islamabad

Q84. Zend Avesta is the holy book of which religion ?
(A) Islam
(B) Judaism
(C) Christianity
(D) Zoroastrianism

Q85. Before Hyderabad, which city was the the capital of Andhra Pradesh (erstwhile Andhra State) ?
(A) Warangal
(B) Kurnool
(C) Vijayawada
(D) Visakhapatnam

Q86. Who was the first Indian to win boy’s Wimbledon Singles title in 1954 ?
(A) Ramanathan Krishnan
(B) Vijay Amritraj
(C) Ramesh Krishnan
(D) Leander Paes

Q87. At which place in Kerala was the first tide (ocean wave) generated electricity project of India established ?
(A) Alapuzha
(B) Ezhimala
(C) Vizhinjam
(D) Kozhikode

Q88. In 1954, with which Chinese premier did Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru sign Panchsheel (five principles of peaceful co-existence) Pact ?
(A) Mao Zedong
(B) Zhou Enlai
(C) Deng Xiaoping
(D) Hua Guofeng

Q89. Who authored the ‘Rajatarangini’, a historical chronicle of Kashmir ?
(A) Kalidas
(B) Kalhana
(C) Chankaya
(D) Banabhatt

Q90. Who designed the Param Vir Chakra medal, India’s highest military award ?
(A) Nek Chand
(B) Umesh Rao
(C) Bobby Kooka
(D) Savitri Khanolkar


Q91. Who directed ‘Raja Harishchandra’ (1913), the first totally indigenous Indian feature film ?
(A) Ardeshir Irani
(B) Dadasaheb Phalke
(C) V.Shantaram
(D) Sohrab Modi

Q92. Who is the ex-officio chairman of the Planning Commission of India ?
(A) President
(B) Prime Minister
(C) Finance Minister
(D) RBI Governor

Q93. What is the name of India’s longest river bridge, built over the river Ganga at Patna ?
(A) Rabindra Setu
(B) Vidyasagar Setu
(C) Mahatma Gandhi Setu
(D) Anna Indira Gandhi Bridge

Q94. Who founded the Brahmo Samaj, initially known as Brahmo Sabha, in 1828 ?
(A) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
(B) Debendranath Tagore
(C) Mahadev Govind Ranade
(D) Keshub Chandra Sen

Q95. ’Tamasha’ is the popular folk theatre of which state ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Karnataka
(D) West Bengal

Q96. In which city is the Central Rice Research Institute located ?
(A) Karnal (Haryana)
(B) Shimla (Himachal Pradesh)
(C) Rajamundry (Andhra Pradesh)
(D) Cuttack (Orissa)

Q97. At which place Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and the last Guru of Sikhs, created ‘Khalsa’ in 1699 ?
(A) Anandpur (Punjab)
(B) Amritsar (Punjab)
(C) Patna (Bihar)
(D) Nanded (Maharashtra)

Q98. Who is the first woman Air Marshal of India Air Force (IAF) ?
(A) Punita Arora
(B) Harita Kaur Deol
(C) Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
(D) Padmavathy Bandopadhyay

Q99. What is the boundary line demarcating India and China known as ?
(A) Curzon Line
(B) Durand Line
(C) McMahon Line
(D) RadCliffe Line

Q100. In 1958, which billiards player became the first Indian to win an individual world title in any sport ?
(A) Wilson Jones
(B) Michael Ferreira
(C) Geet Sethi
(D) Manoj Kothari

GENERAL AWARENESS PRACTICE MCQs

Q1. Which gas is used to disinfect water in swimming pools ?
(A) Hydrogen
(B) Nitrogen
(C) Chlorine
(D) Oxygen

Q2. ’Royal Bengal’, ‘Sumatran’, ‘Malayan’ and ‘Siberian’ are the species of which member of cat family ?
(A) Lion
(B) Tiger
(C) Leopard
(D) Jaguar

Q3. Which was the first state in the India to be formed on a purely linguistic basis, in 1953 ?
(A) Punjab
(B) Gujarat
(C) Andhra Pradesh
(D) Tamil Nadu

Q4. Which 19th century social reformer from Maharashtra was popularly known as ‘Lokhitwadi’ ?
(A) Mahadev Govind Ranade
(B) Dhondo Keshav Karve
(C) Mahatma Jyotirao Phule
(D) Gopal Hari Deshmukh


Q5. In humans, which protein transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of body ?
(A) Lectin
(B) Keratin
(C) Collagen
(D) Hemoglobin


Q6. The union territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands is under the jurisdiction of which High Court ?
(A) Orissa High Court
(B) Andhra Pradesh High Court
(C) Kolkata High Court
(D) Madras High Court

Q7. Ganymede, the largest natural satellite in the Solar System, is a natural satellite (moon) of which planet ?
(A) Mars
(B) Jupiter
(C) Saturn
(D) Uranus


Q8. Which princely state was the first to be annexed to the British East India Company under the Doctrine of Lapse policy, devised by Lord Dalhousie ?
(A) Satara
(B) Sambalpur
(C) Jhansi
(D) Awadh

Q9. Which water body seprates the Africa from the Europe ?
(A) Suez Canal
(B) Panama Canal
(C) Palk Strait
(D) Strait of Gibraltar


Q10. Which American President in his famous Gettysberg speech defined democracy as the ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ ?
(A) Abraham Lincoln
(B) George Washington
(C) John F. Kennedy
(D) Theodore Roosevelt

Q11. What is the popular name of Sodium Chloride ?
(A) Epsom Salt
(B) Common Salt
(C) Baking Soda
(D) Washing Soda

Q12. ’Satyameva Jayate’, the national motto of India, has been teken from which Upanishad ?
(A) Kena
(B) Katha
(C) Mundaka
(D) Aitareya

Q13. On the banks of which river is the city of Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu & Kashmir, situated ?
(A) Ravi
(B) Tawi
(C) Tapti
(D) Gomti

Q14. How do we better know social activist Murlidhar Devidas, the founder of leprosy rehabilitation center ‘Anandvan’ in Maharashtra ?
(A) Baba Amte
(B) Vinoba Bhave
(C) Swami Ramdev
(D) Swami Agnivesh

Q15. Which passenger train service connects Kolkata (India) with Dhaka (Bangladesh) ?
(A) Thar Express
(B) Samjhauta Express
(C) Maitreyi Express
(D) Himsagar Express

Q16. To the Greeks, which Maurya ruler was known as ‘Sandrokottos’ ?
(A) Bindusara
(B) Ashok the Great
(C) Chandragupta Maurya
(D) Dasaratha Maurya

Q17. In 1998, which internet search engine company was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin ?
(A) Google
(B) Alta Vista
(C) Yahoo
(D) Lycos

Q18. ’By God’s Decree’, ‘Cricket my style’ and ‘Straight from the Heart’ are the autobiographies of which Indian cricketer ?
(A) Sunil Gavaskar
(B) Ajit Wadekar
(C) Sandeep Patil
(D) Kapil Dev


Q19. On 21st July 1969, at which site did Neil Armstrong set his foot on the Moon ?
(A) Sea of Waves
(B) Sea of Clouds
(C) Sea of Serenity
(D) Sea of Tranquility


Q20. Due to its ability to dissolve glass, which acid is not kept in glass container ?
(A) Nitric Acid
(B) Sulphuric Acid
(C) Hydrochloric Acid
(D) Hydrofluoric Acid



Q21. Which state is known as the ‘Spice Garden of India’ ?
(A) Kerala
(B) Karnataka
(C) Andhra Pradesh
(D) Tamil Nadu

Q22. Which Marathi newspaper is the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena ?
(A) Saamna
(B) Sakal
(C) Lokmat
(D) Loksatta

Q23. Constituting about 78% by volume, which is the most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere ?
(A) Argon
(B) Oxygen
(C) Nitrogen
(D) Carbon dioxide

Q24. Koyna Hydroelectric Power Project constructed over Koyna river, a tributary of Krishna river, is located in which state ?
(A) Karnataka
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Andhra Pradesh
(D) Madhya Pradesh

Q25. For Lok Sabha, how many members from the Anglo-Indian community are nominated by the President of India ?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4

Q26. The Grand Trunk Road (GT Road), running from Peshawar in Pakistan to Sonargaon in Bangladesh, was built by which ruler ?
(A) Babur
(B) Akbar
(C) Sher Shah Suri
(D) Humayun

Q27. Which American swimmer created history by winning 8 gold medals in Beijing Olympic 2008, the most gold medals by an individual at a single Olympic ?
(A) Carl Lewis
(B) Paavo Nurmi
(C) Mark Spitz
(D) Michael Phelps


Q28. Which Muslim social reformer founded the Aligarh Muslim University, originally known as Mohammeden Anglo-Oriental College, in 1875 ?
(A) Zakir Hussain
(B) Hakim Ajmal Khan
(C) Syed Ahmed Khan
(D) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad

Q29. Which chennai born writer won the Booker Prize 2008 for his debut novel ‘The White Tiger’ ?
(A) V.S.Naipaul
(B) Amitav Ghosh
(C) Salman Rushdie
(D) Aravind Adiga


Q30. ’Fight the guerrilla as a guerrilla’ is the motto of which miltary academy ?
(A) National Defence Academy
(B) Indian Military Academy
(C) Defence Services Staff College
(D) Counterinsurgency & Jungle Warfare School



Q31. Who was the first Indian woman to win Miss Asia Pacific title in 1970 ?
(A) Rita Faria
(B) Zeenat Aman
(C) Tara Anne Fonseca
(D) Diya Mirza

Q32. Who wrote India’s natinal song the ‘Vande Mataram’, which first appeared in the book ‘Anandmath’ ?
(A) Rabindranath Tagore
(B) Bankimchandra Chatterjee
(C) Mohammed Iqbal
(D) Kavi Pradeep

Q33. How many times Equinox, when Sun is vertically above the Earth’s equator and the day & night are equally long, occurs in a year ?
(A) Two
(B) Three
(C) Four
(D) Not fixed

Q34. After attaining enlightenment, where did Gautama Buddha deliver his first sermon ‘Dharamachakra Pravartan’ (set in motion Wheel of Law) ?
(A) Bodh Gaya (Bihar)
(B) Sarnath (U.P.)
(C) Kushinagar (U.P.)
(D) Sanchi (M.P.)

Q35. Which Asian country is known as the ‘Land of the White Elephants’ ?
(A) Thailand
(B) Indonesia
(C) Malaysia
(D) Singapore

Q36. Who is the first chief of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), set up recently to investigate terror-related cases across the country ?
(A) K.C.Verma
(B) N.P.S.Aulakh
(C) Radha Vinod Raju
(D) Ashwani Kumar

Q37. Who invented Smallpox Vaccine ?
(A) Jonas Salk
(B) Frederick Banting
(C) Edward Jenner
(D) Louis Pasteur

Q38. Which freedom fighter authored ‘Gita Rahasya’, a commentary on Bhagvad Gita, during his imprisonment at Mandalay in Myanmar ?
(A) Vinoba Bhave
(B) Mahatma Gandhi
(C) C.Rajagopalachari
(D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak


Q39. Considered as the symbol of peace, two branches of which tree are depicted on the United Nations (UN) flag ?
(A) Neem
(B) Mango
(C) Olive
(D) Eucalyptus

Q40. Which city is served by the Veer Savarkar Airport ?
(A) Nasik
(B) Nagpur
(C) Mumbai
(D) Port Blair



Q41. For which domestic Cricket trophy, the Ranji Trophy champions play against the Rest of India team ?
(A) Irani Trophy
(B) Duleep Trophy
(C) Deodhar Trophy
(D) Nissar Trophy

Q42. Which garden near Chandigarh was built by Aurangzeb’s foster brother Fidai Khan ?
(A) Shalimar Gardens
(B) Nishat Gardens
(C) Brindavan Gardens
(D) Pinjore Gardens


Q43. Who was the first education minister of independent India ?
(A) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(B) Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
(C) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
(D) Vallabhbhai Patel

Q44. Which city houses the headquarters of United Nations (UN) ?
(A) Vienna (Austria)
(B) Geneva (Switzerland)
(C) New York (USA)
(D) Washington (USA)

Q45. Which among the following is the measuring unit of electric current ?
(A) Ohm
(B) Volt
(C) Watt
(D) Ampere


Q46. Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia, the largest Hindu temple in the world, is dedicated to which God ?
(A) Surya
(B) Shiva
(C) Vishnu
(D) Brahma

Q47. Where is the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, the launching site of the Chandrayaan-I, located ?
(A) Thumba (Kerala)
(B) Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh)
(C) Bangalore (Karnataka)
(D) Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)

Q48. Which African country was formerly known as ‘Nyasaland’ ?
(A) Malawi
(B) Ghana
(C) Botswana
(D) Tanzania

Q49. ’Long Walk To Freedom’ is the autobiography of which Bharat Ratna recipient ?
(A) Jawaharlal Nehru
(B) S.Radhakrishnan
(C) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
(D) Nelson Mandela


Q50. Which island nation, in the Indian Ocean, is the world’s largest producer and exporter of Vanilla ?
(A) Maldives
(B) Madagascar
(C) Sri Lanka
(D) Mauritius

Q51. Gol Ghar, a beehive shaped structure built in 1786 to store grains for the British Army, is located in which city ?
(A) Meerut
(B) Chennai
(C) Kolkata
(D) Patna

Q52. In humans, which dark brown pigment is responsible for the skin colour ?
(A) Melanin
(B) Bilirubin
(C) Carotene
(D) Hemoglobin

Q53. Who wrote the famous novel ‘Devdas’ ?
(A) Rabindranath Tagore
(B) Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
(C) Sharat Chandra Chatterjee
(D) Bibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhyay

Q54. Which freedom fighter was popularly known as ‘Lokpriya’ ?
(A) Gopinath Bordoloi
(B) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
(C) Chittaranjan Das
(D) Jayaprakash Narain

Q55. Which battle lead to the disintegration of Vijayanagar empire of south India ?
(A) Battle of Plassey (1757)
(B) Battle of Buxar (1764)
(C) Battle of Talikota (1565)
(D) Battle of Seringapatam (1799)

Q56. In which city is the Indian Institute of Pulses Research located ?
(A) Lucknow
(B) Nagpur
(C) Indore
(D) Kanpur


Q57. Pinaka, the multi barrel rocket launcher produced in India, is named after which Hindu God’s bow ?
(A) Indra
(B) Shiva
(C) Vishnu
(D) Brahma

Q58. Which scale is used to measure the Acid or Alkali (Base) content of a substance ?
(A) Mohs scale
(B) Beaufort scale
(C) Richter scale
(D) pH scale


Q59. Which disease, named after a Japanese city where it was first observed, is caused by severe Mercury poisoning ?
(A) Argyria
(B) Minamata
(C) Itai-itai
(D) Devon colic

Q60. Who was the first Indian to be elected a Fellow of Royal Society (FRS) ?
(A) Srinivasa Ramanujan
(B) Ardaseer Cursetjee Wadia
(C) Jagadish Chandra Bose
(D) Meghnad Saha

Q61. Which among the following is not a Kharif crop ?
(A) Mustard
(B) Sugarcane
(C) Groundnut
(D) Maize

Q62. Which monument was built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591 to commemorate the end of the plague in his capital ?
(A) Taj Mahal, Agra
(B) Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
(C) Gol Gumbad, Bijapur
(D) Charminar, Hyderabad


Q63. For the popularization of science, which agency of United Nations (UN) awards the Kalinga Prize ?
(A) UNIDO
(B) UNESCO
(C) UNICEF
(D) UNHRC

Q64. ’Lawsons Bay Beach’ and ‘Ramakrishna Beach’ are located in which port city on the Bay of Bengal ?
(A) Paradip (Orissa)
(B) Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
(C) Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu)
(D) Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)


Q65. Which ancient Indian physician is known as the ‘Father of Modern Plastic Surgery’ ?
(A) Charak
(B) Madhav
(C) Sushruta
(D) Patanjali

Q66. Who directed Oscar award winning short documentary film ‘Smile Pinki’ (2008) ?
(A) Danny Boyle
(B) Megan Mylan
(C) Andrew Stanton
(D) Gus Van Sant

Q67. Who presided over the first session of the All India Trade Union Cogress in 1920 ?
(A) M.N.Roy
(B) V.V.Giri
(C) Lala Lajpat Rai
(D) Shripad Amrut Dange

Q68. On which planet, due to its clockwise (east to west) rotation on the axis, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east ?
(A) Mars
(B) Earth
(C) Venus
(D) Mercury

Q69. By what name is British lady Madeleine Slade, a disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, better known ?
(A) Meera Ben
(B) Sister Nivedita
(C) The Mother
(D) Sarla Ben

Q70. For his major role in the development of computer chip ‘Pentium’, which indian IT expert is called the ‘Father of Pentium’ ?
(A) Sabeer Bhatia
(B) Vinod Dham
(C) Vinod Khosla
(D) Vijay Bhatkar

Q71. In which sport, each team consists of four male and four female players ?
(A) Baseball
(B) Volleyball
(C) Korfball
(D) Hockey

Q72. What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha ?
(A) 3 years
(B) 4 years
(C) 5 years
(D) 6 years


Q73. In which state is the Kanchenjunga, the second highest mountain peak in India, located ?
(A) Sikkim
(B) Jammu & Kashmir
(C) Himachal Pradesh
(D) Uttarakhand

Q74. What does the Pisciculture refers to ?
(A) Beekeeping
(B) Fish Farming
(C) Silk Farming
(D) Dairy Farming

Q75. In 1906, at the founding session of all India Muslim League in Dhaka, who became the first president of the party ?
(A) Mohammed Ali Jinnah
(B) Syed Ahmed Khan
(C) Mohammed Iqbal
(D) Nawab Salimullah Khan


Q76. Which is the longest National Highways in India ?
(A) Kolkata – Hazira (NH6)
(B) Chennai – Baharagora (NH5)
(C) Varanasi – Kanyakumari (NH7)
(D) Pathankot – Samakhiali (NH15)

Q77. How do we better know nineteenth century spiritual guru Gadadhar Chatterjee ?
(A) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
(B) Ramakrishna Paramhans
(C) Swami Dayanand Saraswati
(D) Swami Vivekanand

Q78. Stapes, the smallest and the lightest bone in human body, is the part of which organ ?
(A) Ear
(B) Hand
(C) Foot
(D) Lungs

Q79. Which mineral is mined at Jayamkondam in Tamil Nadu ?
(A) Zinc
(B) Lignite
(C) Copper
(D) Gold

Q80. Who authored the book ‘A Brief History of Time’ ?
(A) Jack Welch
(B) Bill Gates
(C) Deepak Chopra
(D) Stephan Hawking

Q81. When do we celebrate the Engineers Day of India, the birthday of Bharat Ratna recipient M.Visvesarayya ?
(A) 15 January
(B) 28 February
(C) 29 August
(D) 15 September


Q82. ’Muga’, ‘Eri’, ‘Tussar’ and ‘Mulberry’ are the varieties of which natural fibre ?
(A) Wool
(B) Silk
(C) Jute
(D) Cotton

Q83. In which pilgrimage city of India would you come across the world’s longest corridor ?
(A) Dwarka
(B) Varanasi
(C) Rameshwaram
(D) Tirupati

Q84. In 1929, who founded non-violent movement ‘Khudai Khidmatgar’, also known as ‘Red Shirts’ ?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Gopal Krishan Gokhle
(C) Mohammed Ali Jinnah
(D) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan


Q85. Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education is located in which city ?
(A) Jhansi
(B) Gwalior
(C) Patiala
(D) Nagpur

Q86. Athlete’s Foot, an infectious disease, is caused by which agent ?
(A) Virus
(B) Fungi
(C) Bacteria
(D) Protozoa

Q87. Who authored the book ‘Hindu View of Life ?
(A) S.Radhakrishnan
(B) Jawaharlal Nehru
(C) C.Rajagopalachari
(D) Mahatma Gandhi

Q88. Solid form of which gas is commonly known as ‘Dry Ice’ ?
(A) Oxygen
(B) Nitrogen
(C) Carbon dioxide
(D) Hydrogen

Q89. Who was the first woman president in the world ?
(A) Golda Meir
(B) Indira Gandhi
(C) Sirimavo Bhandarnaike
(D) Maria Isbel Paron


Q90. Who created the first Portable Computer ?
(A) Adam Osborne
(B) Charles Babbage
(C) Steve Jobs
(D) Tim Berners-Lee

Q91. Designed by Bengali architect Vidhyadhar Bhattacharya, which city is known as ‘Pink City’ ?
(A) Jaipur
(B) Jodhpur
(C) Bengaluru
(D) Chandigarh

Q92. Which metal is used to make electric bulb filaments ?
(A) Copper
(B) Silver
(C) Tungsten
(D) Aluminium

Q93. Who was the first Viceroy of India ?
(A) Lord Mayo
(B) Lord Dalhousie
(C) Lord Canning
(D) Lord Curzon

Q94. In terms of both area and population, which is the smallest country in the world ?
(A) Nauru
(B) Monaco
(C) Tuvalu
(D) Vatican City


Q95. Which portfolio did Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the first woman cabinet minister in India, hold in the independent India’s first cabinet ?
(A) Labour
(B) Health
(C) Education
(D) Railways

Q96. Palghat Gap, about 20 miles wide mountain pass between the Nilgiri Hills and the Anaimalai Hills, connects Kerala to which state ?
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Karnataka
(C) Maharashtra
(D) Andhra Pradesh

Q97. Named after the mount of Hindu god Vishnu, ‘Garuda’ is the national airline of which most Muslim populous country ?
(A) Nigeria
(B) Pakistan
(C) Bangladesh
(D) Indonesia

Q98. At which town in Andhra Pradesh, famous for silk sarees, did Vinoba Bhave start the Bhoodan Movement in 1951 ?
(A) Vijayawada
(B) Rajahmundry
(C) Pochampally
(D) Warangal

Q99. ’Daughter of the East’ book is the autobiography of which Asian woman leader ?
(A) Indira Gandhi
(B) Benazir Bhutto
(C) Aung San Suu Kyi
(D) Maghawati Sukarnoputri

Q100. Which country was formerly known as ‘Upper Volta’ ?
(A) Namibia
(B) Ethiopia
(C) Botswana
(D) Burkina Faso