Articles from General Knowledge Today

GK & Current Affairs 2013: March 10, 11

2013-03-13 14:03:19 GKToday

1. The 2013, SAARC literature festival was hosted by__: [A]Agra [B]Jaipur [C]Thimpu [D]Khatmandu Agra Recently, a three-day SAARC festival of literature began in Agra with a call for concerted efforts to raise eco-consciousness and resist predatory policies that devour nature and its components. The theme of this year's festival is "Environment and Literature". The festival is being attended by delegates from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal and India.

Show Answer 2. Recently, which among the following countries was in news for a current designing of world's largest magnet, weighing 50,000 tonnes? [A]China [B]Japan [C]India [D]Australia India The world's largest magnet, weighing 50,000 tonnes, is being designed at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) at Trombay. It will be several times bigger than the one in the Compact Muan Solenoid detector at CERN in Geneva. The magnet will play a major role in the Rs 1,500-crore India-based Neutrino Observatory coming up 4,300 ft below a cave in a mountain not far from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Show Answer 3. The Katchatheevu island belongs to which among the following countries? [A]China [B]India [C]Bangladesh [D]Sri Lanka Sri Lanka Katchatheevu is a controversial uninhabited island belonging to Sri Lanka. This

island is given to Sri Lanka by India in 1974 on a conditional basis. It has a Catholic shrine and has been declared as a sacred area by the government of Sri Lanka.

Show Answer 4. Who among the following is the current chairman of the Goods and Services Tax ( GST) Network (As of March 2013)? [A]Suresh Bharadwaj [B]Navin Kumar [C]Sushil Kumar Modi [D]Pankaj Mishra In what could be seen as a positive development in the introduction of Goods and Services Tax ( GST), the Government has appointed former Navin Kumar Chief Secretary of Bihar, Navin Kumar, as the Chairman of the special purpose vehicle ( SPV) for the GST Network ( GSTN). GSTN is considered to be prerequisite for the new indirect tax regime. This network will help in setting up information technology infrastructure and services to various stakeholders, including the Centre and the States. Last April, the Cabinet approved setting up the SPV with an equity capital of Rs 10 crore. Chairman of the Empowered Committee of States Finance Ministers Sushil Kumar Modi said that Kumar had been appointed for three years. He was selected by a panel consisting of Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Unique ID Authority Chairman Nandan Nilekani besides Modi.

Show Answer 5. The nodal agency for estimating the number of percentage of people living below poverty line is__: [A]Ministry of Rural Development [B]Ministry of Finance [C]National Development Council (NDC) [D]Planning Commission Planning Commission Planning Commission is the nodal agency for estimating the number of percentage of people living below poverty line, which it defines on the basis of monthly per capita consumption. According to the Planning Commission, about 30 per cent of people in India were below the poverty line in 2009-10 that was based on the monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) of Rs 673 for rural areas and Rs 860 for urban areas.

Show Answer 6. A recently released report by Tata Strategic Management Group, keeps which among the following states on highest place in the Female Security Index (FSI)?

[A]Andhra Pradesh [B]Himachal Pradesh [C]Tamil Nadu [D]Gujarat Gujarat Tata Strategic Management Group (Tata Strategic), the largest Indian-owned management consulting firm, who published the 2013 edition of Well Being Index (WBI) and Female Security Index (FSI) for India said that, more than well being, the socio-cultural aspects of the entire region has an impact on female security. Interestingly Gujarat along with southern and north-eastern states has emerged to be most secured state for women as it ranks high on the Female Security Index (FSI). Hyderabad and Delhi were the lowest-ranked amongst the urban agglomerations while Chennai and Bengaluru were at the top on this scale and Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan had the lowest FSI ranking.

Show Answer 7. The Pan-STARRS, which is recently in news is a __________? [A]Dwarf star [B]Comet [C]Asteroid [D]Planet Comet A recently discovered comet made its closest-ever approach to Earth recently, as it buzzed past within 160 million kilometres of our planet. The comet, which passed through the inner solar system this month, is known officially as comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS). It was discovered in June 2011 by astronomers using the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System, or Pan-STARRS telescope, in Hawaii.

Show Answer 8. Who among the following is the head of the six-member committee constituted by the union government to prepare a blueprint for the proposed women's bank? [A]Arundhati Bhattacharya [B]K. Ramakrishnan [C]M.B.N. Rao [D]Jayshree Vyas M.B.N. Rao The Centre has constituted a six-member committee to prepare a blueprint for the proposed women's bank. The committee will be headed by M.B.N. Rao, ex-CMD of Canara Bank. It includes M.D. Mallya, ex-CMD of Bank of Baroda, Jayshree Vyas, MD Sewa, Arundhati Bhattacharya, MD & CEO of SBI Caps, Usha

Ananthasubramaniam, Executive Director, Punjab National Bank, and K. Ramakrishnan, Chief Executive, Indian Banks Association.

Show Answer 9. Recently, which among the following State government has announce a new scheme called Kanyasri Prakalpa, to encourage girls towards higher education? [A]Bihar [B]Uttar Pradesh [C]West Bengal [D]Odisha West Bengal The West Bengal Government announced sops to encourage girls towards higher education. Announcing a special scheme for girls, Kanyasri Prakalpa, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the State Government would provide Rs 500 a year as scholarship to girls belonging to families with an annual income of Rs 50,000. This apart the Government would also provide aid of Rs 25,000 to the girl when she became 18 years under this scheme. The Chief Minister also announced that the State has readied a bill for reservation in higher education.

Show Answer 10. The Nachiarkoil brass lamp, which recently obtained geographical indication (GI) tag is available in ____________? [A]Karnataka [B]Kerala [C]Tamil Nadu [D]Andhra Pradesh Tamil Nadu Traditional brass lamps from Nachiarkoil in Thanjavur district obtained the geographical indication (GI) tag. The traditional Nachiarkoil brass lamps are known as Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku. The production of the ornamental lamp is mainly done by local artisans who have domicile in and around Nachiarkoil, a town in Kumbakonam taluk. The craftsmanship is not found anywhere else. The lamps made for temples are artistically used in South India. The lamp usually consists of four partsbase (Keezhbagam), stem (kandam), oil container (Thanguli) and the apex or Prabhai. The Thanguli or oil container consists of V-shaped spouts to hold the wicks. These four parts are joined together with the help of screw threads. The lamps are suspended from the ceiling and richly decorated and always excellent in workmanship and design.

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