Interesting Facts about India

• India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
• The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
• Chess was invented in India.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
• The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
• India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
• The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
• The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
• Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
  (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
• Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
• Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
• There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
• The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
• Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
• The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
• Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
• His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
• Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

ECONOMIC G.K. QUESTIONS

1. The first-quarter group profi tof Tata Steel ending on June 30 was…

a. ` 1,625 crore

b. ` 1,725 crore

c. ` 1,825 crore

d. ` 1,925 crore

2. Name the telecom operator which has initiated the Braille Bill service in India.

a. Vodafone

b. Reliance

c. Airtel

d. Idea

3. NMDC has acquired the entire private land required for its proposed ` 15,000 crore steel plant at…

a. Jagdalpur

b. Godda

c. Dumka

d. Samastipur

4. The organisation to sign an agreement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to support the development of India Under-16 football team is

…

a. Bharti Enterprises

b. Mittal Group

c. Tata

d. Reliance ADA Group

5. Nestle will invest ` 350 crore to set up a manufacturing plant at… to produce the 'Maggi' range of food products.

a. Maharashtra

b. Karnataka

c. West Bengal

d. Gujarat

6. Vedanta Resources will take a majority stake of … in Cairn India.

a. $10 billion.

b. $13.3 billion.

c. $14.8 billion.

d. $17 billion.

7. NMDC and Kobe Steel have signed a contract for acquiring stake in iron ore project in …

a. New Zealand

b. Austria

c. Australia

d. New Guinea

8. Mahindra and Mahindra plans to acquire which Korean auto maker for an estimate of $400-450 million?

a. Ssangyong

b. Maruti

c. Hundai

d. Ford

9. Name India’s largest and only telecom operator offering nationwide CDMA and GSM mobile services.

a. Tata Indicom

b. Virgin mobiles

c. Vodafone

d. Reliance Communications

10. Tradus.in has launched an online book store at TradusBooks. in, offering book enthusiasts a wide assortment of titles, ease of shopping and free shipping of books across India. Tradus.in is a sister concern company of …

a. Ibibo Web Pvt Ltd

b. Yahoo

c. Times Shopping

d. 160by2.com

11. German carmaker Mercedes Benz launched a new version of its E-Class sedan priced at

a. ` 63 .4 lakh

b. ` 64.5 lakh

c. ` 65 lakh

d. ` 65. 5 Lakh

12. Name the Indian software services fi rm which has won a New York court ruling to withhold taxes from a $70 million settlement payment to Britain-based Upaid Systems Ltd.

a. Mahindra Satyam

b. Infosys

c. IBM

d. HP

13. According to the Lakshmi Vilas Bank the total income of the bank for the fi rst quarter ended June 2010 has grown at 16.80 per cent to …

a. ` 174.99 crore.

b. ` 274.99 crore.

c. ` 374.99 crore.

d. ` 474.99 crore.

14. What is the amount that Supertech is planning to invest to build an integrated township

on Yamuna Expressway near Greater Noida?

a. ` 1,100 crore

b. ` 1,500 crore

c. ` 1,750 crore

d. ` 2,000 crore

15. Which fi rm is Malaysia's state investor that controls 95 per cent of Singapore hospital

operator Parkway Holdings?

a. Khazanah

b. Apollo Munich

c. Max

d. Bursa Malaysia

16. In tune with its ` 1,500-crore expansion plan, JK Paper signed an agreement with IT product maker … to introduce a new range of high-end digital printing papers in India.

a. Hewitt

b. HP

c. Hewlett Packard

d. Luxar

17. What is the amount that Future Group’s unit Pantaloon Retail planning to raise from its IPO?

a. ` 600 cr

b. ` 650 cr

c. ` 700 cr

d. ` 750 cr

18. ASUS Technology is aiming to capture at least … market share in the Window mobile smart phone segment in the next two years.

a. 15 %

b. 17.5 %

c. 20 %

d. 22%

19. German engineering major, Siemens bagged an order to supply an RH vacuum degassing

plant to the Rourkela Steel plant from Steel Authority of India (SAIL). The deal is worth …

a. 7.5 million euro

b. 10 million euro

c. 15 million euro

d. 17.5 million euro

20. HDFC Trustee Co Ltd acquired 2.44 per cent stake in which textiles and apparels maker

company in August?

a. Raymond

b. Grasim

c. Peter England

d. Armani

21. State-owned oil fi rms incurred 4,745 crore annual losses on pre-revised rates, prompting the government to more than double the price of state administered natural gas to …

a. $3.2 per mmBtu

b. $4.2 per mmBtu

c. $5.2 per mmBtu

d. $6.2 per mmBtu

22. Lanco Infratech reported a whopping 68 per cent jump in its profi t after taxes, at ` 194.7

crore for the quarter ended June 30. The company posted a profi t after tax of …

a. ` 105.9 crore

b. ` 115.9 crore

c. ` 125.9 crore

d. ` 135.9 crore

23. How many circles have been allotted to Vodafone for 3G Mobile services?

a. 9

b. 11

c. 14

d. 17

24. Which Indian industrialist has been found guilty in the Bhopal Gas tragedy?

a. Ratan Tata

b. Keshub Mahindra

c. Dheeru Bhai Ambani

d. AAzim Premji

25. Spice Jet has been acquired by…

a. Reliance ADA Group

b. Mahindra n Mahindra

Group

c. Sun Group

d. Larsen & Tourbo

26. Who has been appointed as the new chief fi nancial offi cer (CFO) of Colgate Palmolive?

a. Dilip Chenoy

b. Keshub Mahindra

c. Udai D. Raj

d. Pauk Alton

27. According to CSO, India’s revised GDP growth rate for the fi scal year 2009-2010 is …

a. 7.2 % to 7.4%

b. 7.4 % to 7.2%

c. 4.7 % to 2.7%

d. 2.7 % to 4.7%

28. CIL has joined hands with GAIL and RCF to set up a coal gasification project at which place?

a. Talchar in Orissa

b. Puri in Orissa

c. Cuttak in Orissa

d. Udaigiri in Orissa

29. The total income of the Unitech Group has increased by... percent during the April-June

quarter.

a. 33.87 per cent

b. 43.87 per cent

c. 53.87 per cent

d. 63.87 per cent

30. The Tata Group has become the country's wealthiest group, with a market value of about…

a. ` 3,00,000 crore

b. ` 3,21,000 crore

c. ` 3,71,000 crore

d. ` 3,95,000 crore

31. Jos Alukkas, a leading gold and diamond trader in the country, registered a total business

turnover of … in 2010-2011.

a. ` 550 crore

b. ` 820 crore

c. ` 1020 crore

d. ` 1120 crore

32. Engineering fi rm Era Infra has bagged a highway project that involves four laning of a road stretch from Muzaffarnagar in UP to Haridwar in Uttrakhand. The worth of the project is...

a. ` 1,000 crore

b. ` 1,010 crore

c. ` 1,100 crore

d. ` 1,110 crore

QUESTION BANK

33. During the 2009 – 2010 fi scal, India's cement export declined by 29 per cent to …

a. 2 million tonnes

b. 2. 10 million tonnes

c. 2. 27 million tonnes

d. 2. 50 million tones

34. By which date has would India temporarily shut down BlackBerry services if New Delhi's

concerns about security are not addressed?

a. 31st August

b. 15th September

c. 30th September

d. 1st October

35. The net profi t of Bosch Ltd at the quarter ended on June 30, 2010 is…

a. ` 18.82 crore

b. ` 20.97 crore

c. ` 22. 82 crore

d. ` 26 .97 crore

36. Niraj Cement Structurals signed a contract with the Public Works Department of Bastar

Circle, Jagdalpur. The worth of the deal is…

a. ` 71.27 crore

b. ` 71. 72 crore

c. ` 72. 17 crore

d. ` 72. 71 crore

37. Areva T&D India has signed a contract worth ` 110 crore with Power Grid Corporation of

India Ltd to set up a 765 KV extra high voltage sub-station at …

a. Sasaram, Bihar

b. Vaishali, Bihar

c. Rajgir, Bihar

d. Gaya, Bihar

38. AstraZeneca Plc will pay $198 million to settle claims against its anti psychotic drug…

a. Seroquel

b. Olanzapine

c. Clozapine

d. Loxitane

39. Who has been appointed as the director on Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Asia-Pacifi c board?

a. Shivani Lal

b. Deepali Pruthi

c. Vikas Puniya

d. Naina Lal Kidwai

40. The total number of registered subscribers at Tata Teleservices Ltd by the end of July 2010 was …

a. 71 million

b. 73 million

c. 75 million

d. 79 million

41. Name the organisation that has received an order for 1,000 buses, worth around $26 million from the People's Leasing Company in Sri Lanka.

a. Honda

b. Ashok Leyland

c. Tata Motors

d. Bajaj

42. BHEL signed a contract worth 2,525 crore with Abhijeet Infra for setting up a 1,080 MW

thermal power plant in which state?

a. Jharkhand

b. Uttaranchal

c. Bihar

d. Chhattisgarh

43. Who has been appointed as the Offi cer Employee Director on the Board of Directors of Andhra Bank?

a. Vir Sanghvi

b. N Rajagopal Reddy

c. Rajeev Ranjan

d. Narayan Murthy

44. Indiabulls Real Estate bought the National Textile Corporation's 8.3 acres of prime mill land in Mumbai for…

a. ` 1,405 crore

b. ` 1,055 crore

c. ` 1,505 crore

d. ` 1,005 crore

45. The local car sales in India rose to an annual percent of … as on July 2010.

a. 38%

b. 36%

c. 35%

d. 32%

46. Vascon Engineers has acquired 90 per cent of equity shares of GMP Technical Solutions Pvt Ltd worth how much?

a. 62.62 crore

b. 62.63 crore

c. 63.62 crore

d. 63.63 crore

47. Name the mobile application store which will be offering Reliance Communications its extensive catalog of over 65,000 free mobile applications.

a. Navteq

b. GetJar

c. BlackBerry

d. Google

48. The new poverty Index introduced by UNDP is …

a. Multi Dimensional Poverty Index

b. Human Poverty Index

c. BPL Index

d. Social Poverty index

49. The symbol of Indian rupee has been designed by whom?

a. Dewang Patel

b. Harsha Madiraju

c. Venkat Raman Kumar

d. D.Udai Kumar

QUESTION BANK

50. Which sector amongst the following contributes the maximum to India’s GDP?

a. Shipping

b. Services

c. Mining

d. Manufacturing

Answers:

1. c. Rs 1,825 crore

2. b. Reliance

3. a. Jagdalpur

4. a. Bharti Enterprises

5. b. Karnataka

6. a. $10 billion.

7. c. Australia

8. a. Ssangyong

9. d. Reliance Communications

10. a. Ibibo Web Pvt Ltd

11. b. Rs 64.5 lakh

12. a. Mahindra Satyam

13. b. Rs 274.99 crore

14. d. Rs 2,000 crore

15. a. Khazanah

16. c. Hewlett Packard

17. d. Rs 750 cr

18. c. 20%

19. b. 10-million euro

20. a. Raymond

21. b. $4.2 per mmBtu

22. b. Rs 115.9 crore

23. a. 9

24. b. Keshub Mahindra

25. c. Sun Group

26. d. Pauk Alton

27. a. 7.2 % to 7.4%

28. a. Talchar in Orissa

29. c. 53.87 per cent

30. c. Rs 3,71,000 crore

31. b. Rs 820 crore

32. c. Rs 1,100 crore

33. c. 2. 27 million tonnes

34. a. 31st August

35. b. Rs 20.97 crore

36. a. Rs 71.27 crore

37. a. Sasaram, Bihar

38. b. Seroquel

39. d. Naina Lal Kidwai

40. c. 75 million

41. b. Ashok Leylanda

42. a. Jharkhand

43. b. N Rajagopal Reddy

44. c. Rs 1,505 crore

45. a. 38%

46. b. Rs 62.63 crore

47. b. GetJar

48. a. Multi Dimensional Poverty Index

49. d. Udai Kumar

50. b. Services

G.K. QUESTIONS

1. Who among the following Presidents of India served as the Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement for some period?

1. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
2. Varahagiri Venkatagiri
3. Giani Zail Singh
4. Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma

2. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists

List I (Person)	List II (Organization
A. Anil Agarwal	1. Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd.
B. Gautam H. Singhania	2. Raymond Ltd.
C. Sanjay Dalmia	3. Vedanta Resources
D. Venugopal Dhoot	4. Videocon Group

Code:

	A	B	C	D
(a)	3	1	2	4
(b)	4	1	2	3
(c)	3	2	1	4
(d)	4	2	1	3

3. To integrate cultural leaders into its meetings, which one of the following gives "Crystal Award"?

1. Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
2. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
3. World Health Organization
4. World Economic Forum
   

4. In India, which of the following states has the largest inland saline wetland?

1. Gujarat
2. Haryana
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Rajasthan

5. Consider the following statements:

1. MMTC is India's largest trading organization
2. Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited has been set up by MMTC jointy with the Government of Orissa

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

6. In which of the following states has India's largest private sector sea port been commissioned recently?

1. Andhra Pradesh
2. Karnataka
3. Kerala
4. Tamil Nadu
   

7. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

1. Japan: Nikkei
2. Singapore: Shcomp
3. UK: FTSE
4. USA: Nasdaq
   

8. Consider the following statements:

1. INS Sindhughosh is an aircraft carrier
2. INS Viraat is a submarine

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
   

9. Consider the following statements:

1. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices recommends the Minimum Support Prices for 32 crops
2. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has launched the National Food Security Mission

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
   

10. In India, ports are categorized as major and non-major ports. Which one of the following is a non-major port?

1. Kochi (Cochin)
2. Dahej
3. Paradip
4. New Mangalore
   

11. Among other things, which one of the following was the purpose for which the Deepak Parekh Committee was constituted?

1. To study the current socio-economic conditions of certain minority communities
2. To suggest measures for financing the development of infrastructure
3. To frame a policy on the production of genetically modified organisms
4. To suggest measure to reduce the fiscal deficit in the Union Budget
   

12. The brothers Umakanth and Ramakanth Gundecha are

1. Dhrupad vocalists
2. Kathak dancers
3. Sarod maestros
4. Tabla players
   

13. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:

List I (Famous person)	List II (Well-known for)
A. Mandakini Amte	1. Theatre director
B. Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry	2.Social service and community leadership
C. Romila Thapar	3. Dance
D. Vanashree Rao	4. History writing

Code:

	A	B	C	D
a	2	1	4	3
b	2	4	1	3
c	3	1	4	2
d	3	4	1	2

14. With reference to Stree Shakti Puraskar, for which one of the following is "Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Award" given?

1. Administrative skills
2. Achievements in scientific research
3. Achievements in sports and games
4. Courage and valour
   

15. In which state is the Buddhist site Tabo Monastery located?

1. Arunachal Pradesh
2. Himachal Pradesh
3. Sikkim
4. Uttarakhand
   

16. With which one of the following has the B.K. Chaturvedi Committee dealt?

1. Review of Centre-State relations
2. Review of Delimitation Act
3. Tax reforms and measures to increase revenues
4. Price reforms in the oil sector
   

17. Mahamastakabhisheka, a great religious event, is associated with and done for who of the following?

1. Bahubali
2. Buddha
3. Mahavir
4. Nataraja
   

18. Consider the following pairs:

	Tradition	State
1.	Gatka, a traditional martial art	Kerala
2.	Madhubani, a traditional painting	Bihar
3.	Singhey Khababs Sindhu Darshan Festival	Jammu and Kashmir

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3
   

19. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:

	List I (Famous person)		List II (Well-known as)
A.	Anna Hazare	1.	Lawyer
B.	Deepak Parekh	2.	Banker
C.	GVK Reddy	3.	Gandhian and social activist
D.	Harish Salve	4.	Industrialist

Code:

	A	B	C	D
a	1	2	4	3
b	1	4	2	3
c	3	2	4	1
d	3	4	2	1

20. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:

	List I (Famous person)		List II (Well-known as)
A.	Amrita Sher-Gil	1.	Dancer
B.	Bhimsen Joshi	2.	Painter
C.	Rukmini Devi Arundale	3.	Poet
D.	Suryakant Tripathi Nirala	4.	Singer

Code:

	A	B	C	D
a	2	1	4	3
b	2	4	1	3
c	3	1	4	2
d	3	4	1	2

21. With reference to the schemes launched by the Union Government, consider the following statements:

1. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana
2. Minstry of Textiles launched the Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
   

22. Consider the following pairs:

	Persons	Sport
1.	Anand Pawar	Chess
2.	Akhil Kumar	Boxing
3.	Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia	Golf

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3
   

23. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists:

	List I (Book)		List II (Author)
A.	In Custody	1.	Amartya Sen
B.	Sea of Poppies	2.	Amitav Ghosh
C.	The Argumentative Indian	3.	Anita Desai
D.	Unaccostomed Earth	4.	Jhumpa Lahiri

Code:

	A	B	C	D
a	4	1	2	3
b	4	2	1	3
c	3	2	1	4
d	3	1	2	4

24. Among the following, who are the Agaria community?

1. A traditional toddy tappers community of Andhra Pradesh
2. A traditional fishing community of Maharashtra
3. A traditional silk-weaving community of Kerala
4. A traditional salt pan workers community of Gujarat
   

25. Recently, which one of the following was included in the UNESCO's World Heritage list?

1. Dilwara Temple
2. Kalka-Simla Railway
3. Bhiterkania Mangrove Area
4. Vishakapatnam to Araku valley railway line

Answer:

1.c 2.c 3. d 4.d 5.c 6.a 7.b 8.d 9.d 10.b

11.b 12.a 13.a 14.a 15.b 16.d 17.a 18.c 19.c 20.b

21.b 22.b 23.c 24.d 25.b