AUG 2014

21 AUGUST 2014

Ques. : 1 Two ancient Maya cities, Lagunita and Tamchen, have been discovered by the archaeologist in which of the following countries recently?
1) Argentina 2) Colombia
3) Mexico 4) Chile
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Mexico

Ques. : 2 China slapped USD 201 mn fines on 12 auto makers from which of the following countries recently for anti-monopoly norms violations?
1) US 2) France
3) Germany 4) Japan
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Japan

Ques. : 3 As notified by the govt recently, now we can invest up to what amount annually in our Public Provident Fund (PPF) accounts?
1) Rs 1 lakh 2) Rs 1.5 lakh
3) Rs 2 lakh 4) Rs 2.5 lakh
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Rs 1.5 lakh

Ques. : 4 The US space agency NASA's Opportunity rover broke out-of-this-world distance record clocking 40 km on mars recently. Earlier record was held by Lunokhod 2 rover which belonged to
1) EU 2) Japan
3) Germany 4) Russian Federation
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Russian Federation

Ques. : 5 Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated NTPC's super thermal power station at Mouda in which of the following states recently?
1) Maharashtra 2) Haryana
3) Himachal Pradesh 4) Jammu and Kashmir
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Maharashtra

Ques. : 6 Rakesh Kumar, who has been arrested by the CBI on the charges of bribery, is the chief executive of which of the following institutions?
1) Central Vigilance Commission 
2) Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
3) Central Information Commission 
4) National Intelligence Agency
5) None of these 
Answer:- 2) Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)

Ques. : 7 After the dismal performance by the India cricket team against England in the Test series, the BCCI has appointed who among the following as the Team Director recently?
1) Kapil Dev 2) Sunil Gavaskar
3) Ravi Shastri 4) Madan Lal
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Ravi Shastri

Ques. : 8 The Govt ordered forensic audit on which of the following state-run banks in a fixed deposits scam recently? The PSBs are alleged to have siphoned crores from their fixed deposits customers.
1) Dena Bank 2) OBC
3) Indian Bank 4) All the above
5) Only 1) and 2) Answer:- 5) Only 1) and 2)

Ques. : 9 Padma Shree, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardee BKS Iyengar passed away recently. He was a world renowned
1) musician 2) spiritual preacher
3) dancer 4) yoga exponent
5) None of these Answer:- 4) yoga exponent

Ques. : 10 A Hindu temple, claimed to be the world's first 'eco-temple' featuring solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, has been opened in which of the following countries recently?
1) UK 2) US
3) Singapore 4) Mauritius
5) None of these Answer:- 1) UK

20 AUGUST 2014

Ques. : 1 The Ramon Magsaysay Award established in 1957 is Asia’s highest honour. The award celebrates memory and leadership example of the third president of which of the following Asian countries?
1) Thailand 2) Philippines
3) Malaysia 4) Indonesia
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Philippines

Ques. : 2 While the Indian men's cricket team has disappointed with their spineless performance against England, the women’s cricket team beat which of the following teams by six wickets recently in their first Test match after a eight-year hiatus?
1) Bangladesh 2) New Zealand
3) Australia 4) England
5) None of these Answer:- 4) England

Ques. : 3 The name of Julian Assange is associated with which of the following?
1) Kaspersky lab 2) US NSA whistle blowing
3) Wikipedia 4) WikiLeaks
5) None of these Answer:- 4) WikiLeaks

Ques. : 4 Imran Khan called for 'civil disobedience movement' in Pakistan to oust Nawaz Sharif-led govt recently and arranged 'Azadi March' to Islamabad. He leads which of the following parties?
1) Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) 2) Pakistan Muslim League
3) Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) 4) Pakistan People’s Party
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI)

Ques. : 5 India called off Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan after its High Commissioner in India held talks with Kashmiri separatists. Who is the current High Commissioner of Pakistan in India?
1) Syed Akbaruddin 2) Aizaz Chaudhry
3) Abdul Basit 4) Sartaj Aziz
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Abdul Basit

Ques. : 6 Which of the following extensions of the given acronyms is NOT correct?
1) LAF: Liquidity Adjustment Facility 
2) MSF: Marginal Standing Facility
3) CAR: Current Adequacy Ratio 
4) GST: Goods and Services Tax
5) None of these Answer:- 3) CAR: Current Adequacy Ratio

Ques. : 7 ‘Riel’ is the currency of which of the following countries?
1) Cuba 2) Cameroon
3) Cambodia 4) Canada
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Cambodia

Ques. : 8 Mahela Jayawardene, who bade adieu to Test Cricket, recently, was a batsman of which of the following teams?
1) Sri Lanka 2) West Indies
3) England 4) Bangladesh
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Sri Lanka

Ques. : 9 Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the constitution of an Expenditure Management Commission (EMC) announced in the Budget for FY15. Who among the following will head the Commission?
1) Sumit Bose 2) Bimal Jalan
3) Subir Gokarn 4) Deepak Parekh
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Bimal Jalan

Ques. : 10 The Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines joint venture is all set to launch their airline soon. What will be the brand name of its new airline?
1) Pushpak 2) Udaan
3) Vayudoot 4) Vistara
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Vistara

19 AUGUST 2014

Ques. : 1 The book titled ‘The Brave’ has been authored by who among the following? It is the chronicle of the heroism of the 21 men awarded India’s highest military decoration, the Param Vir Chakra.
1) Meena Kandasamy 2) Robert Gaibraith
3) Kalyan Ray 4) Rachna Bisht Rawat
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Rachna Bisht Rawat

Ques. : 2 Which of the following state govts launched the ‘Bhamashah scheme’ on the eve of Independence Day? Under the scheme bank accounts in the name of women of 1.5 crore families will be opened to transfer benefits directly to their accounts.
1) Madhya Pradesh 2) Rajasthan
3) Gujarat 4) Chhattisgarh
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Rajasthan

Ques. : 3 The Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 banknotes, which contain some additional or new security features as compared to the previous MG series notes, are issued in the denomination of
1) Rs 10 2) Rs 20
3) Rs 50 4) All the above
5) Only Rs 500 Answer:- 4) All the above

Ques. : 4 Examine the following with respect to the two-phase financial inclusion scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana’ and identify the only incorrect statement.
1) The person who will open bank account will get a RuPay debit card and the family will get Rs 1 lakh insurance cover. 
2) Bank accounts will be opened for 15 crore poor persons with an overdraft facility of Rs 5,000.
3) It seeks to provide two accounts to 7.5 crore identified households by Aug 2018. 
4) The minimum monthly renumeration of Rs 5,000 to business correspondents who will provide the last link between the account holders and the bank.
5) None of these Answer:- 5) None of these

Ques. : 5 Which of the following states will host the 2015 paragliding World Cup?
1) Rajasthan 2) Uttarakhand
3) Himachal Pradesh 4) Arunachal Pradesh
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Himachal Pradesh

Ques. : 6 Resham Lal Jangde, who died recently, was
1) the first finance minister of independent India 
2) the fist Indian governor of the RBI
3) the first president of FICCI 
4) the member of India’s first Lok Sabha
5) None of these Answer:- 4) the member of India’s first Lok Sabha

Ques. : 7 Who among the following is NOT a winner of the Roma Magsaysay Award for 2014 announced recently?
1) Hu Shuli (China) 
2) Saur Marlina Manurung (Indonesia)
3) Omara Khan Masoudi (Afghanistan) 
4) The Citizens Foundation (Pakistan)
5) Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh) 
Answer:- 5) Muhammad Yunus (Bangladesh)

Ques. : 8 China’s smog-plagued capital Beijing has announced plans to ban the use of coal by the end of which of the following years?
1) 2016 2) 2018
3) 2020 4) 2022
5) None of these Answer:- 3) 2020

Ques. : 9 The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has been shifted from Environment Ministry to Water Resources Ministry. The govt of India gave River Ganga the status of a national river and constituted NGRBA in
1) Jan 2007 2) Mar 2008
3) Feb 2009 4) Dec 2010
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Feb 2009

Ques. : 10 The govt has set up a committee to provide a blueprint for restructuring the higher education regulator University Grant Commission (UGC). Who among the following is the chairman of the Commission?
1) Hari Gautam 2) Kapil Kapoor
3) CM Jariwala 4) Makarand Paranjape
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Hari Gautam

18 AUGUST 2014

Ques. : 1 On the occasion of Independence Day, who among the following was posthumously conferred with the nation’s highest peacetime gallantry medal, Ashok Chakra?
1) Captain Vikram Batra 2) Yogendra Singh Yadav
3) Rifleman Sanjay Kumar 4) Major Mukund Vardarajan
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Major Mukund Vardarajan

Ques. : 2 Who among the following has become the first woman to win the Fields Medal known as the “Nobel Prize of mathematics” recently?
1) Maria Chudnovsky 2) Maryam Mirzakhani
3) Farinaz Koushanfar 4) Sophie Morel
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Maryam Mirzakhani

Ques. : 3 The Indian Railways launched its next-generation e-ticketing system recently. Which of the following is NOT a highlight of the new system?
1) The system is developed by Centre for Railway information Systems (CRIS) with an estimated cost of Rs 180 cr. 
2) It would allow booking of 7200 tickets per minute against 2000 tickets in the old system.
3) With the launch of the system, now 40,000 concurrent users can book e-tickets simultaneously. 
4) Train tickets can now be booked through Go-India smart card without cash transaction.
5) None of these 
Answer:- 3) With the launch of the system, now 40,000 concurrent users can book e-tickets simultaneously.

Ques. : 4 The govt is in process to set up National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) through which of the following constitution amendment bills?
1) 120th 2) 121st
3) 122nd 4) 123rd
5) None of these Answer:- 2) 121st

Ques. : 5 The cash-strapped and delayed TAPI gas pipeline project has found a new backer in TOTAL (France) to help take off the project. TAPI gas pipeline originates in which of the following countries?
1) Turkmenistan 2) Tajikistan
3) Tunisia 4) Turkey
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Turkmenistan

Ques. : 6 The name of Mithali Raj has been suggested for Padma Shri award. She is associated with which of the following games?
1) Badminton 2) Cricket
3) Shooting 4) Archery
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Cricket

Ques. : 7 The PM Naredra Modi announced a new scheme to promote financial inclusion in the country on the eve of Independence Day. What is the name of the scheme?
1) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana 
2) Pradhan Mantri Jan Jan Yojana
3) Pradhan Mantri Jan Kalyan Yojana 
4) Pradhan Mantri Jan Samriddhi Yojana
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana

Ques. : 8 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced to issue banknotes of which of the following denominations with inset letter ‘R’ in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 which will bear year of printing ‘2014’ on the reverse?
1) Rs 100 2) Rs 500
3) Rs 1,000 4) Rs 5,000
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Rs 1,000

Ques. : 9 From the ramparts of historic Red Fort, PM Narendra Modi called for a 10-year moratorium on which of the following on the eve of Independence Day?
1) Caste and communal violence 
2) Child marriage
3) Girl child genocide 
4) Farmers’ suicide
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Caste and communal violence

Ques. : 10 Who among the following has been appointed the next Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) chairman?
1) DP Agrawal 2) Dinesh Singh
3) Rajni Razdan 4) Ved Prakash
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Rajni Razdan

17 AUGUST 2014

Ques. : 1 Who among the following has been bestowed with the prestigious Mother Teresa Memorial International Award for Social Justice recently?
1) Shabana Azmi 2) Nandita Das
3) Sushmita Sen 4) Raveena Tandon
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Sushmita Sen

Ques. : 2 Setting aside the Delhi High Court’s verdict in 2009, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutional validity of the penal provision for which of the following acts, an offence punishable with up to life imprisonment?
1) Child marriage 2) Superstitious practices
3) Human trafficking 4) Gay sex
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Gay sex

Ques. : 3 A top Indian diplomat was held for visa fraud in US recently and later released on bail. Name the diplomat.
1) Devyani Khobragade 2) Naveen Srivastava
3) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar 4) Meera Shankar
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Devyani Khobragade

Ques. : 4 Both the Houses of Parliament paid glowing tributes recently to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the dastardly attack on the Parliament House on 13 Dec, ______.
1) 2000 2) 2001
3) 2002 4) 2003
5) None of these Answer:- 2) 2001

Ques. : 5 Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed has been appointed the prime minister of which of the following countries by the President of the country recently?
1) Nigeria 2) Somalia
3) Mali 4) Cambodia
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Somalia

Ques. : 6 The International Mountain Day is observed on which of the following dates?
1) 11 Dec 2) 12 Dec
3) 13 Dec 4) 14 Dec
5) None of these Answer:- 1) 11 Dec

Ques. : 7 Consider the following statements with respect to the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill and identify the correct statement(s):
1) The regulator would neither have the authority to allocate blocks nor determine prices of the dry fuel. 
2) The Bill provides for creation of a Fund called ‘Coal Regulatory Authority Fund’, whenever all grants, fees, charges received by the authority shall be credited.
3) The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity shall act as Appellate Tribunal for the appeals against the decisions of the Coal Regulatory Authority. 
4) Only 1) and 2)
5) All 1), 2) and 3) Answer:- 5) All 1), 2) and 3)

Ques. : 8 Who among the following has bagged the ‘Emerging Cricketer of the Year’ trophy at the 2013 ICC Annual awards recently?
1) Virat Kohli 2) R Ashwin
3) Cheteshwar Pujara 4) Shikhar Dhawan
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Cheteshwar Pujara

Ques. : 9 Which of the following teams has won women’s Kabaddi World Cup championship for the third time in a row recently?
1) New Zealand 2) India
3) Nepal 4) China
5) None of these Answer:- 2) India

Ques. : 10 Which of the following international airports has been renamed after Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda, who founded the city in 16th century?
1) Cochin International Airport 
2) Mangalore International Airport
3) Goa International Airport 
4) Bengaluru International Airport
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Bengaluru International Airport

Ques. : 11 Which of the following teams lifted Men's Junior Hockey World Cup for a record sixth time recently in New Delhi?
1) Malaysia 2) Netherlands
3) France 4) India
5) Germany Answer:- 5) Germany
Ques. : 12 India defeated which of the following teams to emerge as champions of the fourth Kabaddi World Cup played in Ludhiana recently?
1) Pakistan 2) Bangladesh
3) Nepal 4) China
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Pakistan

Ques. : 13 The RBI has undertaken Cheque Truncation System (CTS) as a new method for clearing of cheques. Which among the following is NOT correct about the CTS system?
1) Physical movement of cheques takes place. 
2) Electronic image of the cheque is transmitted.
3) Clearing related frauds and cost of collection are reduced. 
4) Only 1) and 3)
5) Only 2) and 3) Answer:- 5) Only 2) and 3)

Ques. : 14 The Union Cabinet gave its nod for a central plan scheme monitoring system recently. Which of the following statements is/are correct about the system?
1) It will be known as the Plan Accounting and Public Finance Management System (PA&PFMS). 
2) It will be rolled out over a period of four years till 2017.
3) It will be rolled out with a total outlay of Rs 10,080 cr. 
4) Only 1) and 2)
5) Only 1) and 3) Answer:- 4) Only 1) and 2)

Ques. : 15 The CCEA has approved the continuation of the ongoing Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) in the Twelfth Plan (2012-13 to 2016-17) with an outlay of ________.
1) Rs 22246 cr 2) Rs 43246 cr
3) Rs 63246 cr 4) Rs 94623 cr
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Rs 63246 cr

Ques. : 16 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced to lend $350 mn for improving power transmission and distribution system in which of the following Indian states?
1) Bihar 2) Gujarat
3) Madhya Pradesh 4) Uttar Pradesh
5) Odisha Answer:- 3) Madhya Pradesh

Ques. : 17 Which of the following Indian firms has topped the wealth creation table, according to the Motilal Oswal annual wealth creation study for the five year period (2008-13)?
1) Eicher Motors 2) Infosys
3) HDFC Bank 4) ITC
5) Tata Consultancy Services Answer:- 5) Tata Consultancy Services

Ques. : 18 Which of the following countries has become the first country to allow euthanasia for incurably ill children recently? Earlier in 2002, the country has legalised the practice for adults.
1) New Zealand 2) Chile
3) Norway 4) Belgium
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Belgium

Ques. : 19 As per US-based business magazine Forbes’ annual list of India’s 100 richest people released recently, who is the richest person of the country at present?
1) Azim Premji 2) Dilip Shanghvi
3) Lakshmi Mittal 4) Mukesh Ambani
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Mukesh Ambani

Ques. : 20 India’s trade deficit with China nears record level in the current year. After 11 months of 2013, it has reached to
1) USD 20 b 2) USD 30 b
3) USD 40 b 4) USD 50 b
5) None of these Answer:- 2) USD 30 b

Ques. : 21 Who among the following has became the first Indian squash player to win the IMET Open, in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava recently?
1) Greg Lobban 2) Mahesh Mangaonkar
3) Siddharth Suchde 4) Cyrus Poncha
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Mahesh Mangaonkar

Ques. : 22 India’s second largest low-cost carrier SpiceJet has signed an interline agreement with which of the following Singapore-based airlines recently?
1) Jetstar Asia Airways 2) SilkAir
3) Tigerair 4) Valuair
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Tigerair

Ques. : 23 Commemorating its victory over Pakistan, India celebrated 43rd Victory Day recently on
1) 12 Dec 2) 14 Dec
3) 16 Dec 4) 18 Dec
5) None of these Answer:- 3) 16 Dec

Ques. : 24 Which of the following countries has inked a deal enabling EU to send back illegal migrants who entered the 28-nation bloc via this country? It is a major transit country for Asians and Africans heading for the EU.
1) Georgia 2) Azerbaijan
3) Bulgaria 4) Turkey
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Turkey

Ques. : 25 The United Nations has announced its biggest ever appeal for humanitarian aid to Syria’s 22.4 mn conflict-affected population. What amount has been sought by the UN?
1) USD 5.5 bn 2) USD 6.5 bn
3) USD 7.5 bn 4) USD 8.5 bn
5) None of these Answer:- 2) USD 6.5 bn

Ques. : 26 The European Parliament granted Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) status to which of the following countries recently?
1) India 2) South Africa
3) Brazil 4) Thailand
5) Pakistan Answer:- 5) Pakistan

Ques. : 27 Doha Bank has been granted licence to commence banking operations in India recently. It is the largest private commercial bank based in
1) Kuwait 2) Iran
3) Bahrain 4) Qatar
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Qatar

Ques. : 28 Who among the following has been named Time Person of the Year 2013 recently?
1) Barack Obama 2) Bashar al-Assad
3) Edith Windsor 4) Edward Snowden
5) Pope Francis Answer:- 5) Pope Francis

Ques. : 29 A veteran politician, Sis Ram Ola, died recently. Which of the following is correct about him?
1) He served as Union Minister and held various portfolios in the Union Council of Ministers. 
2) He was member of Rajasthan Assembly for eight terms from 1957 to 1990.
3) He was an agriculturist and was conferred the Padma Shri in 1968. 
4) All the above
5) Only 1) and 3) Answer:- 4) All the above

Ques. : 30 The Centre has made major changes in its flagship programme MNREGA recently. Which of the following is/are among them?
1) Rs 10,000 for constructing toilets for all job card holders. 
2) Assistance for buildings for women self help federations.
3) If wage payment is delayed beyond 90 days, workers will be compensated with the amount being deducted from officials responsible for it. 
4) Only 1) and 2)
5) Only 1) and 3) Answer:- 4) Only 1) and 2)

Ques. : 31 Who among the following has been appointed the Chairman of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) recently?
1) Prakash Bakshi 2) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala
3) Santosh Nayar 4) Sushil Muhnot
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Harsh Kumar Bhanwala

Ques. : 32 The International Migrants Day is observed on which of the following dates?
1) 16 Dec 2) 18 Dec
3) 20 Dec 4) 28 Dec
5) None of these Answer:- 2) 18 Dec

Ques. : 33 The Lokpal Bill has been passed by both the houses of the Parliament recently. Which of the following is not among the important features of the Bill?
1) Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta at the level of the states. 
2) Fifty per cent of members of Lokpal shall be from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women.
3) A transfer of the investigating officers could only take place with the Lokpal’s approval. 
4) Prime Minister has been brought under the purview of the Lokpal.
5) All the NGOs and the religious bodies will fall under the Lokpal’s jurisdiction. 
Answer:- 5) All the NGOs and the religious bodies will fall under the 
Lokpal’s jurisdiction.

Ques. : 34 Who among the following has been named the International Tennis Federation’s men’s world champion for 2013?
1) Novak Djokovic 2) Andy Murray
3) Roger Federer 4) Rafael Nadal
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Novak Djokovic

Ques. : 35 Who among the following will be conferred BCCI’s Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award for the year 2013?
1) Mohinder Amarnath 2) Sunil Gavaskar
3) Kapil Dev 4) Ravi Shastri
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Kapil Dev

Ques. : 36 In which of the following countries, Indians have been charged with alleged rioting in the country’s worst outbreak of violence in over 40 years and 52 Indians have been deported recently?
1) Malaysia 2) Singapore
3) US 4) Italy
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Singapore

Ques. : 37 The novel titled ‘A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing’ has been authored by
1) Supriya Dravid 2) Eimear Mcbride
3) Fatima Bhutto 4) Juliet Reynolds
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Eimear Mcbride

Ques. : 38 Which of the following auto majors operating in the country has announced to shift its entire export operations for the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia to India by the end of the next fiscal year?
1) Suzuki Motor Corporation 2) General Motors
3) Toyota Motor Corporation 4) Ford Motors
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Suzuki Motor Corporation

Ques. : 39 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its quarterly policy review on 18 Dec. Which of the following key policy rates are correctly matched after the review?
1) Repo rate – 7.75 per cent 
2) Reverse repo rate – 6.50 per cent
3) CRR – 4 per cent 
4) MSF – 8.75 per cent
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Reverse repo rate – 6.50 per cent

Ques. : 40 What does the term ‘red herring’ refers to in the context of an IPO?
1) Minimum offer per share 2) No of shares offered
3) Preliminary prospectus 4) Size of IPO
5) None of these Answer:- 3) Preliminary prospectus

Ques. : 41 Who among the following has been named the International Tennis Federation’s women’s world champion for 2013?
1) Serena Williams 2) Victoria Azarenka
3) Maria Sharapova 4) Li Na
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Serena Williams

Ques. : 42 The Gaia satellite, one of the most ambitious space missions in history which is going to map the precise positions and distances to more than a billion stars, has been launched recently by:
1) US 2) Europe
3) Russia 4) China
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Europe

Ques. : 43 The National Energy Conservation Day is observed in India on:
1) 11th Dec 2) 14th Dec
3) 18th Dec 4) 24th Dec
5) None of these Answer:- 2) 14th Dec

Ques. : 44 The Election Commission (EC) is planning to introduce which of the following facilities to paramilitary forces in the coming Lok Sabha elections?
1) Downloadable ballot paper 
2) Special leave provision
3) Special booth for deputed personnel 
4) Online voting
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Downloadable ballot paper

Ques. : 45 The US central bank Federal Reserve announced that it would reduce the monthly bond purchases from the existing level and from Jan 2014, it will purchase bonds only worth:
1) USD 85 bn 2) USD 80 bn
3) USD 75 bn 4) USD 70 bn
5) None of these Answer:- 3) USD 75 bn

Ques. : 46 The Cabinet has allowed the state-owned miner Coal India Ltd (CIL) to produce coal-bed methane (CBM). Consider the following in this respect and identify the correct statement(s):
1) Currently, simultaneous extraction of CBM and coal is prohibited. 
2) According to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), India has CBM reserves of about 4.6 trillion cubic metres.
3) The world’s largest coal miner is allowed to rope in private firms for CBM exploration and production. 
4) Only 1) and 2)
5) Only 1) and 3) Answer:- 4) Only 1) and 2)

Ques. : 47 Which of the following names has been included in the list of awardees of Sahitya Akademi Awards 2013 announced recently?
1) Javed Akhtar 2) Mridula Garg
3) Subodh Sarkar 4) All the above
5) None of the above Answer:- 4) All the above

Ques. : 48 Who among the following has been given the ET Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 recently?
1) Vinod Khosla 2) P Chidambram
3) Kumar Mangalam Birla 4) Azim Premji
5) None of these Answer:- 4) Azim Premji

Ques. : 49 Which of the following teams has won the ATS 69th National team badminton titles, for the 15th year in succession recently?
1) Air India 2) Petroleum
3) Railway 4) Services
5) None of these Answer:- 2) Petroleum

Ques. : 50 Goa celebrated the 52nd anniversary of liberation day recently. The state was freed from which of the following colonial powers on 19 Dec 1961?
1) Portuguese 2) French
3) British 4) Dutch
5) None of these Answer:- 1) Portuguese