GK UPDATE: MAY PART-II

1. India’s first indigenous Astra missile was successfully test fired over the Arabian Sea recently. It is a/an________. A. Air-to air missile B. Surface-to-air missile C. Surface-to-surface missile D. Air-to-surface missile
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
India’s first indigenously developed air-to-air missile Astra successfully test fired on 4 May 2014 from a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jet over the Arabian Sea off Goa. Astra is India’s first Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air-to-Air missile. It was designed and developed indigenously by the DRDO. India becomes the fifth country to have BVR missile. Only a few countries like the US, Russia, France and Israel have managed to develop BVR missiles till now. The 60-km plus range missile possesses high Single Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) which makes it highly reliable. Astra is an all-weather missile with active radar terminal guidance. Astra is a highly advanced state of the art missile with excellent ECCM (electronic counter-counter measures) features, smokeless propulsion and process improved effectiveness in multi-target scenario. The project was first sanctioned in March 2004 at an initial cost of 955 crore rupees.

2. Who was recently elected foreign associate of the USNAS? A. Roddam Narasimha B. Raghavendra Gadagkar C. Obaid Siddiqi D. Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, Krishnaswamy Vijay Raghavan on 4 May 2014 elected a foreign associate of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (USNAS). Dr. VijayRaghavan is one of 21 new foreign associates elected in 2014. He had joined a select group of Indians which includes the former NCBS Director, Obaid Siddiqi; National Research Professor C.N.R. Rao, evolutionary biologists Raghavendra Gadagkar and Madhav Gadgil, and aerospace engineer Roddam Narasimha. Members are elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Membership is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is considered one of the highest honours a scientist can receive. Dr. VijayRaghavan is a Distinguished Professor at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Awards
• In 1998, K. VijayRaghavan was conferred with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology award by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
• In 2006, he was awarded the J.C.Bose Fellowship
• In 2012, he received the H K Firodia Award for his original contributions to the field of life sciences, particularly to developmental biology, genetics and neurogenetics.
• In 2012, he became Fellow of Royal Society.
• In 2013, he was awarded with Padma shri by Government of India.

3. Ahmet Sik has won UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2014 recently. He belongs to which country? A. India B. Pakistan C. Afghanistan D. Turkey
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Turkish investigative journalist Ahmet Sik won 2014 UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. He received the award worth of 25000 US dollars by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova in Paris on 2 May 2014. Ahmet Sik, 46, is a freelance journalist who worked for several Turkish newspapers such as Cumhuriyet, Radikal, Evrensel and Yeni Yuzyil between 1991 and 2011. He has also worked as photo journalist for the magazine Nikta and Reuters news agency. He is a member of the Turkish Journalist’s Union.

UNESCO-United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
UNESCO was created in 1947. It strives to build networks among nations that strive to establish the peace on the basis of humanity, moral and intellectual solidarity. The organisation enables solidarity by
• Mobilizing for education
• Building intercultural understanding
• Pursuing scientific cooperation
• Protecting freedom of expression

About the UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
• The award was created by UNESCO’s Executive Board in 1997.
• It is awarded annually on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day that is celebrated on 3 May. It is funded by the Guillermo Cano Isaza Foundation and the Helingin Sanomat Foundation.
• The purpose of the Prize is to reward each year a person, organization or institution that has made a notable contribution to the defence or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially if risks have been involved.
• Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu won the UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize 2013.

4. Who has been elected Vice President of Panama in the recently held Presidential Elections? A. Helingin Sanomat B. Martinelli C. Ricardo Martinelli D. Juan Carlos Varela
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Vice-president of Panama Juan Carlos Varela on 4 May 2014 won the presidential election. Varela will assume the office on 1 July 2014. He will replace former President Ricardo Martinelli. Varela, a 50-year-old engineer, is the scion of one of Panama’s richest families and owner of a namesake rum distillery. He left the 2009 presidential race to throw his conservative Panamenista party’s support behind Martinelli in exchange for the vice presidency. He was the architect of the government’s popular 100 for 70 program that provides a 100 US dollar monthly stipend to Panamanians over age 70 without a pension or retirement benefits.

5. Nobel Laureate Gary Becker died at the age of 93. He was a/an__________. A. Chemist B. Economist C. Social Worker D. Physicist
Ans. B

BACKGROUND:
Nobel Laureate economist Gary Becker died at the age of 93 due to illness in Chicago on 3 May 2014. He was professor of economics and sociology at the University of Chicago. American economist, Becker received the Nobel Prize in 1992 in economics for using economics to analyse human behaviour and interaction topics such as crime (why people commit it), discrimination against minorities and family life. The other awards include the Presidential Medal of Honor in 2007 and the John Bates Clark Medal in 1967. His works include The Economics of Discrimination (1957), Human Capital (1964) and A Treatise on the Family (1981).

About Gary Becker
Becker was born in Pottsville, Pennsylvania in 1930. He completed graduation in mathematics at Princeton University and master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Chicago. He did research at the National Bureau of Economic Research. His method of analysis called as economic approach, assumed that people act rationally that is in a calculated way, balancing varied motivations and employing cost-benefit assessments rather than always in pursuit of personal gain.

6. Sania Mirza and Cara Black won the WTA Portugal Open 2014 recently. Cara Black belongs to which of the following countries? A. Zimbabwe B. Italy C. France D. US
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Sania Mirza of India and Cara Black of Zimbabwe on 3 May 2014 won women’s doubles title at the WTA Portugal Open 2014 held in Oeiras, Portugal. Sania and Cara won the title by defeating the Czech Russian team of Eva Hrdinova and Valeria Solovyeva 6-4, 6-3 in the final. This is the first title and third final of the season for Sania and Cara who ended runners-up at Indian Wells in March 2014 and at Stuttgart event in April 2014. Sania and Cara shared 9919 euro as prize money and earned 280 ranking points each for the title.

7. Elena Baltacha, the former British Tennis player died recently. She was suffering from_______ A. Liver cancer B. Brain cancer C. Throat cancer D. Blood cancer
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Former British No 1 tennis player, Elena Baltacha died on 4 May 2014 due to liver cancer at the age of 30. She was diagnosed of liver cancer in January 2014. She fell ill, just two months after her retirement from the sports. Elena retired from tennis in November 2013.
Elena Baltacha in Tennis
• Earlier, she represented Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.
• In 2010, she got her best ranking 49
• She reached to the third round at the Grand Slam tournaments for three times namely
a) At Wimbledon in 2002
b) The Australian Open in 2005 and 2010

8. Alenka Bratusek resigned recently. She was the Prime Minister of which of the following countries? A. Slovenia B. South Africa C. Brazil D. Chile
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Prime Minister of Slovenia, Alenka Bratusek resigned on 5 May 2014 and urged for early elections in the country. Alenka Bratusek handed her resignation to the speaker of Parliament and announced her resignation. She resigned as Prime Minister after losing the leadership of her Positive Slovenia party to Mayor Zoran Jankovic of Ljublijana. Bratusek was the first women Prime Minister of Slovenia and occupied the post of PM on 23 March 2013. Slovenia is member of European Union (EU) and she steered the country through EU debt crisis.

9. Internet will have around_______ users by end of 2014 according to ITU report. A. 3.5 billion B. 3.0 billion C. 2.5 billion D. 2.7 billion
Ans. B

BACKGROUND:
United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) on 5 May 2014 released the new statistics ICT [Information and Communications Technology]. The statistics claimed that by the end of 2014 the world will have about 3 billion internet users – two-thirds of them will be from the developing world – with mobile-broadband penetration approaching 32 percent. The 3 billion people accounts for about 40 percent of world’s population. The ICT figures also highlighted that by the end of 2014, the mobile cellular will reach 7 billion of which over 75 percent users will be a part of developing countries. Figurative details of for other countries and region by the end of 2014
• Africa – about one fifth of the population will have an access to Internet
• Americas – nearly two-thirds of the population will be online
• Europe – highest Internet penetration rate of 75 percent
• Asia-Pacific region – the largest population of Internet users

10. Mark Selby has recently won the World Snooker Championship 2014. He belongs to which country? A. England B. France C. Australia D. Russia
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Mark Selby of England won the World Snooker Championship 2014 in Sheffield, England on 6 May 2014. He won the title against the defending champion Ronnie O Sullivan with 18-14 in the final. This is his first World title and he was runner-up in 2007. With this win he was ranked world no 1 in the Snooker.

11. RBI has recently allowed minors of the age above ______ to open Savings bank accounts. A. 15 years B. 12 years C. 11 years D. 10 years
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 May 2014 issued the guidelines to allow the minors of age above 10 years to independently open and operate savings bank accounts and use other facilities like ATM and cheque books. Till now, banks allowed minors to operate bank accounts only along with a parent or a guardian. All children and teenagers below the age of 18 are considered minors under current rules. RBI took this initiative to promote the objective of financial inclusion and also to bring uniformity among banks in opening and operating minors’ accounts.
Highlights of the guidelines:
• All minors can now open a savings/fixed/recurring bank deposit account through either his/her natural guardian or legally appointed guardian.
• Banks may keeping in view their risk management systems, fix limits in terms of age and amount up to which minors may be allowed to operate the deposit accounts independently.
• The banks can also decide on the minimum documents which are required for opening of accounts by minors.
• Banks are free to offer additional banking facilities like Internet banking, ATM/debit card, cheque book facility, etc, subject to the safeguards that minor accounts are not allowed to be overdrawn and that these always remain in credit.
• On attaining majority, the minor would be required to confirm the balance in his/her account.
• If the account was operated by the natural/legal guardian, fresh operating instructions and specimen signature of the minor should be obtained and kept on record for all operational purposes.

12. The Constitutional Court of which of the following countries recently ordered PM Yingluck Shinawartra to step down? A. Brazil B. Fiji C. Nederland D. Thailand
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Constitutional Court of Thailand on 7 May 2014 ruled that the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawartra must step down over abuse of power charges. In its direction, the Court ruled the Yingluck acted illegally and abused her power by transferring her National Security Chief, a civil servant to another post about three years ago in 2011. The court termed that the transfer was carried out to benefit her politically powerful family and that’s why it violated the Constitution. This accusation was denied by her.

13. Who has authored the book entitled “A Stamp Is Born”? A. C. R. Pakrashi B. Anurag Mittal C. Shabana Azmi D. Piyush Panday
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
A book entitled A Stamp is Born authored by C. R. Pakrashi was released on 6 May 2014 by Vice President of India, M Hamid Ansari. The book gives a graphic account of history and evolution of postage stamps. The author Pakrashi, who is also a renowned Stamp designer, in the book has described his first-hand experiences with all stages of production of the stamp right from conception to final execution and printing. The book includes 56 commemorative stamps.

14. Who among the following was ranked no. 1 in ICC One Day International rankings in May 2014? A. Mahendra Singh Dhoni B. Virendra Sehwag C. Shikhar Dhawan D. Virat Kohli
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Virat Kohli was ranked no 1 in ICC list of One Day International (ODI) rankings released in Dubai on 4 May 2014. He remained on the top rank in batsmen list with 881 points and is followed by the AB de Villiers with 872 points. The other two Indians under top 10 lists are Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan. Jadeja remained at fifth position with 676 points and Ravichandran Ashwin (rank 14) in the bowling list. Jadeja is ranked fourth in the list of the all rounder.

15. Name the new element found recently by the scientists at GSI accelerator lab in Germany.
Ans. Ununseptium

BACKGROUND:
The existence of element 117- “Ununseptium” has been confirmed by the scientists at the GSI accelerator laboratory in Germany, including those from India, who have created atoms of the element. This confirmation succeeds the original discovery, made in 2010 by a joint US—Russian team. The atoms were similar to the heaviest atoms ever observed, 40% heavier than an atom of lead. The discovery marks a significant advancement towards the capability to observe still more long-lived super-heavy nuclei, as expected to exist on the ‘Island of Stability’ of super-heavy elements.
Ununseptium
• Chemical Symbol: Uus
• Atomic number: 117
• CAS ID: 87658-56-8
• Chemical series: Period 7 element, Halogen
Super-heavy elements: Elements with atomic number greater than 104 are referred to as Super-Heavy Elements. Although super-heavy elements have not been found in nature, they can be created by accelerating beams of nuclei and shooting them at the heaviest possible target nuclei. Fusion of two nuclei – a very uncommon event – at times produces a super-heavy element. Those currently accessible generally only exist for a short time. ‘Island of Stability’: A theoretical concept of Nuclear Physics first propounded by Glenn T. Seaborg in the late 1960s. As per this theory, the island of stability is a set of as-yet undiscovered heavier isotopes of transuranium elements which are supposed to be much more stable than some of those closer in atomic number to uranium. Specifically, they are expected to have radioactive decay half-lives of minutes or days, with some researchers expecting half-lives of millions of years. Utility of this Experiment and discovery: The successful experiments on element 117 are an important step on the path to the production and detection of elements situated on the ‘island of stability’ of super-heavy elements.

16. As per Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), a newly created class for overseas investors, will be able to invest up to: A. $1.25 billion B. $1.30 billion C. $ 60billion D. $81 billion
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
As per India’s stock market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), a newly created class for overseas investors, will be able to invest up to $81 billion (close to Rs 4 lakh crore) in government and corporate debt securities in India This would include investments up to $30 billion in government debt and up to $51 billion in corporate debt securities under the new FPI regime, which would come into force from June 2014. FPIs would also be allowed to invest in unlisted non-convertible debentures or bonds issued by corporate in the infrastructure sector. Furthermore, FPI can invest in privately placed bonds if it is listed within 15 days.
Under the new FPI regime:
• Investment limit of $30 billion for government securities would include up to $10 billion by Category-I FPIs.
• All categories of FPIs will be allowed an investment of up to $20 billion in government debt securities.
• For corporate debt securities, the overall cap will be $51 billion, which would include $2 billion in commercial papers.
• FPIs have been allowed to invest in dated government securities, commercial papers, rupee denominated credit enhanced bonds, security receipts issued by asset reconstruction companies, listed and unlisted non-convertible debentures (NCDs) or bonds issued by an infrastructure firm and NCDs issued by Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFC).
• FPIs barred from buying short-term government securities – the Treasury Bills. The existing investments in T-Bills by FIIs and other overseas investors converting into FPIs will be allowed to taper off on maturity or sale.
• FPIs have been classified into following 3 categories as per their risk profile:-
Category I: Lowest risk entities comprising foreign government and government-related foreign investors. Examples are sovereign wealth funds, multilateral agencies, endowment funds, insurance funds, pension funds and foreign central banks.
Category II – Regulated entities, broad-based funds whose investment managers are regulated, university funds, university-related endowments and pension funds etc.
Category III – All other FPIs would come under this category.

17. Who among the following is Libya’s youngest and fifth Prime Minister since dictator Gaddhafi was toppled and killed in 2011 uprising? A. Ahmed Hassi B. Omar al-Hassi C. Ahmed Maiteeq D. Muammar Gaddafi
Ans. C

BACKGROUND:
Businessman Ahmed Maiteeq (42) of Libya’s National Conference has been elected as the new Prime Minister. Maiteeq defeated his rival Omar al-Hassi, a university professor. It comes three weeks after former PM Abdullah al-Thinni resigned from the post. Libya has been grappling with instability since armed groups threw out Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. Maiteeq will have to tackle the lawlessness and insecurity currently destabilizing the country. He is the fifth Prime Minister to be appointed to lead the country in the past two and a half years.

18. Which of the following countries has conducted world’s biggest human organ imaging project? A. France B. Italy C. USA D. UK
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
The UK has launched world’s biggest scanning project- UK Bio-bank imaging study in which 100,000 British volunteers are participating to undergo a detailed imaging of their brain, heart and vital organs to help researchers study a wide range of common, chronic and life-threatening illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease. DNA has been collected from all the volunteers who will be compared and cross-referenced with the scans.

19. Which country has purchased India-made EVMs for its presidential polls? A. Namibia B. South Africa C. Brazil D. Fiji
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
The Namibian government has purchased 3,400 India-made Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for its presidential polls. Previously, India-made EVMs have been used by other countries in Asia to conduct smooth and fair elections. The EVMs have been bought at a cost of Namibian $10 million (approx $948,000) from Bengaluru-based public sector unit, Bharat Electronic Limited (BEL). The South African nation Namibia, which had ordered 1,700 EVMs in 2013, placed another order earlier this year, is the first African country to use such machines in any of its polls.

20. Dipika Pallikal is associated with: A. Squash B. Badminton C. Polo D. Swimming
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Dipika Pallikal was ranked No 10 in Women’s Squash Association (WSA) rankings released on 1 May 2014. She entered the top 10 ranks after winning the Texas Open 2014. Her previous rank was 12. Dipika won Texas Open 2014 against Rachel Grinham of Australia and it is her seventh Women’s Squash Association title. Pallikal is the highest ranked Indian in squash history to reach no 10 in the world. Malaysian Nicol David was ranked No 1 for 94th successive month. Another Indian squasher, Joshana Chinappa remained in the 21st position though she won the Richmond Open 2014.First time she was ranked 10 in world ranking in 2012.

21. Royal Navy Submarine Service appointed its first female submariners. To which of the following countries does the Royal Navy belong? A. UK B. USA C. France D. Ireland
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Royal Navy Submarine Service of United Kingdom for the first time appointed female submariners. Pioneering lieutenants Maxine Stiles, Alex Olsson and Penny Thackeray on 5 May 2014 have become the first women to serve in the Royal Navy Submarine Service. The move was taken for the first time in the 110-year history of the Submarine Service. All the three have earned their Dolphins after months of training. During training, all the 3 female officers conducted operations on HMS Vigilant, a Vanguard Class submarine. The role of women in the Royal Navy has changed drastically over the years. In 1994, women began to serve at sea in surface ships. In 2011 UK Government lifted the ban preventing women from serving on board submarines.

22. Martin Klizan won the Munich ATP title recently. He belongs to: A. Slovakia B. Russia C. Ukraine D. Italy
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Martin Kilzan on 4 May 2014 won the Munich ATP tournament to claim second title of his career. In the final match, he defeated Fabio Fogging 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. Martin Kilzan of Slovakia ranked 111th in the world after winning the tournament was presented with a white BMW 420d Convertible car and winner’s cheque of 77315 Euros by the tournament organisers.

23. Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants have abducted more than 200 girls in _______. A. Nigeria B. Greece C. Iran D. Israel
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants have abducted more than 200 girls from north-eastern Nigeria from April 2014. The girls taken were aged between 12 and 15. The latest kidnapping happened on 5 May 2014 in the village of Warabe, in Borno state. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video on 6 May 2014 confirming the abduction claim. Recently, leader of Boko Haram had threatened to sell girls whom they had seized from their school. Meanwhile, the US had offered assistance to Nigeria and the offer was accepted by it. US aid was a combination of military, law enforcement and other agencies who are going in, trying to identify where these girls might be. Moreover, Nigerian police offered a 50 million naira reward on 6 May 2014 to anyone who can give credible information leading to the rescue of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist rebels.

24. The book “Arctic Summer” has been written by________.
Ans. Damon Galgut

BACKGROUND:
Arctic Summer written by Novelist Damon Galgut was released on 6 March 2014. Twice Booker shortlisted novelist Damon Galgut evokes the life and work of EM Forster, his travels to India, and the freedom and inspiration he found there. The novel is based on the journey of E M Forster.

About the Damon Galgut
Damon Galgut was born in Pretoria in 1963. He wrote his first novel, A Sinless Season, when he was seventeen. His other books include Small Circle of Beings, The Beautiful Screaming of Pigs, The Quarry, The Good Doctor, The Impostor and In A Strange Room. So far he has written eight novels. The Good Doctor was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and the Dublin/IMPAC Award, The Impostor was also shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize and In a Strange Room was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.

25. Kuwait recently renewed its crude supply contracts with _____ A. BPCL B. HP C. ONGC D. IOC
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Kuwait on 7 May 2014 renewed the crude supply contracts with India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) worth up to 3.7 billion dollars a year. In the process or renewal of the contract the State-owned Kuwait Petroleum Company (KPC) has signed one contract with the BPCL and another with its subsidiary Bharat Oman Refineries Ltd (BORL). Kuwait is a member state of OPEC and per day it produces 3 million barrels of oil of which two thirds is exported by it.

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) was founded in Baghdad, Iraq, with the signing of an agreement in September 1960 by five countries namely Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. They were to become the Founder Members of the Organization. These countries were later joined by Qatar (1961), Indonesia (1962), Libya (1962), the United Arab Emirates (1967), Algeria (1969), Nigeria (1971), Ecuador (1973), Gabon (1975) and Angola (2007). From December 1992 until October 2007, Ecuador suspended its membership. Gabon terminated its membership in 1995. Indonesia suspended its membership effective from January 2009

26. Which country was honored with the New Frontiers Award 2014 recently? A. Pakistan B. India C. UAE D. Bangla Desh
Ans. B

BACKGROUND:
Arabian travel Market (ATM) awarded India with New Frontiers Award 2014 on 8 May 2014. It was awarded at the special roundtable session at annual event of ATM in Dubai. It was awarded for its outstanding contribution to rebuild physical infrastructure and its rural tourism economy in the wake of the June 2013 floods, landslides in the northern state of Uttarakhand, the devastation wreaked by tropical Cyclone Phailin. The award includes crystal trophy, the New Frontiers Award comprises ATM exhibition space valued at 10000 US dollars along with additional marketing support in promoting the outstanding tourism opportunities offered by the India.

27. A new travel planning portal _________ was recently launched in Partnership with Incredible India. A. tripigator.com B. cheaptrip.com C. tripontrip.com D. tripmaker.com
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Delhi Government on 5 May 2014 launched Travel planning Portal Tripigator.com in Partnership with Incredible India. Three IIT ions Mukul Garg, Piyush Grover and Karteek Narumanchi have come together to help the Incredible India site of the tourism ministry through their own tripigator.com. Tripigator.com is a travel planning engine. The website was selected as the official travel planner by the Ministry of Tourism and will also be available on Incredible India website. Tripigator will help both domestic and international travellers in planning their trips seamlessly by asking basic inputs such as timeline, budget, areas of interest (adventure, romantic, nature etc.) and destinations of choice. Tripigator is designed to aggregate information about cities, tourist spots, transportation, hotels, culture, weather and visa applications. It will cater to domestic and global travellers.

28. Pakistan has recently test-fired a missile called: A. Hataf-III Ghaznavi B. Hataf-II Ghaznavi C. Hataf-I Ghaznavi D. Hataf Ghaznavi
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Pakistan on 8 May 2014 successfully test-fired Hataf-III Ghaznavi missile during war exercises of Army’s Strategic Force Command. Hataf-III Ghaznavi missile is a short range surface-to-surface Ballistic Missile and is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional weapons up to 290 kilometers. The field training exercise was performed with an aim to test the operational readiness of a Strategic Missile Group besides up gradation of various capabilities of Weapon Systems. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Pakistan is General Raheel Sharif.

29. Where has a new species of snakes been discovered? A. In Himalayas B. In Central India C. In Gangetic plans D. In South India
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
A new species of brownish pit viper, Himalayans was discovered by the Chinese scientists. The genetic analysis identified Protobothrops Himalayans as new species of snake. The discovery was published in Asian Herpetological Research. It was first spotted at Jailing valley in Southern Tibet Autonomous Region in 2012. It was named Himalayans in honour of its home Himalayas. The local people called the snake as the holy region of the Himalayas. The Himalayans with a round head and copper-coloured eyes is about 1.5 metres in length, is fierce and aggressive reptile. Himalayans is mostly found on the south flank of the Himalayas. Currently, there are 12 valid species in the genus Protobothrops, of which seven are known to inhabit China and many of them prefer at high elevations of mountain areas.

30. Who among the following has been appointed head coach of Pakistan cricket team? A. Haroon Rashid B. Intikhab Alam C. Moin Khan D. Waqar Younis
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
Waqar Younis, the former fast bowler of Pakistan on 6 May 2014 was appointed as the national coach of the national cricket team of Pakistan for a period of two years. His name was finally formalised by the Pakistan Cricket Board after his name was declared a week ago by Najam Sethi, the Chairman of the Board. His name was selected by a committee constituted by PCB that met in Lahore. The committee included
• Intikhab Alam – Director Domestic Cricket Operations
• Haroon Rashid – Director Game Development
• Moin Khan – the Chief selector

31. “My Years with Rajiv and Sonia” is a book written by _____ A. R.D. Pradhan B. R.D. Pande C. D. K. Pradhan D. O.P. Pradhan
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
A book My Years with Rajiv and Sonia written by R.D.Pradhan released on 27 March 2014. R.D.Pradhan has penned his work experiences with Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in his book. Pradhan who was associated with Rajiv after Indira Gandhi’s assassination shares how Rajiv had tackled crucial situations like terrorism and the separatist movement in the Punjab and festering insurgency in Mizoram. He also narrates his association with Sonia Gandhi and her career. He sheds light on how the Sonia emerged as a formidable force to reckon with.

32. SC has quashed Kerala law on Mullaperiyar dam and ordered that water level can be raised to: A.122 feet B. 132 feet C. 152 feet D. 142 feet
Ans. D

BACKGROUND:
The Supreme Court of India on 7 May 2014 quashed the law passed by Kerala Assembly on the Mullaperiyar dam. The Court also ruled that the water level of the dam can be raised to 142 feet. Apart from this, the Apex Court has also appointed a three-member Committee to supervise its safety aspects. The quashed law is Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006. The committee will be headed by a representative from the Central Water Commission and will include one member each from the two states. It will also oversee the repair works. The constitutional bench comprised of: Chief Justice of India R.M. Lodha, Justice H.L. Dattu, Justice Chandramauli Kr. Prasad, Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice M.Y. Eqbal.

33. “Sarvada Vijay”: Indian Army’s desert exercise was recently conducted to tests its fighting skills in: A. Rajasthan B. MP C. UP D. Gujrat
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Indian Army conducted “Sarvada Vijay” combat drill in West Rajasthan as part of regular training aimed at honing war fighting skills in temperatures as high as 45 degree Celsius. Composite infantry and mechanized forces practised swift manoeuvres as part of the air – land battle. Networked radars, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and aerial surveillance platforms ensured continuous flow of information resulting in battlefield transparency which enabled Commanders to assess and suitably modify their operational plans to meet the emerging challenges. Mobile communication systems integrated with terrestrial network provided efficient communication during manoeuvres.

34. Which Indian company has won an Expressway project in Yemen? A. Punj Llyod B. TATA C. DLF D. L&T
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Indian construction major, Punj Lloyd won a 211 million US dollar expressway project in Yemen on 6 May 2014. The Ministry of Public Works and Highways of Yemen confirmed the construction of a 42 km, 2*3 lane dual carriageway projects between Draught and Noubat Dokaim. The project is funded by Saudi Development Fund.

About Punj Lloyd MEA and CIS Buildings & Infrastructure
The Punj Lloyd Group is a diversified international conglomerate delivering EPC services in energy and infrastructure, along with engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the defence sector. Punj Lloyd has already executed work on the offsites and utilities of the Yemen LNG project.

35. Former Chief Minister of _________, N Janardhan Reddy died recently. A. Andhra Pradesh B. Tamilnadu C. Karnataka D. Kerla
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
Nedurumilli Janardhan Reddy, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh died in Hyderabad on 9 May 2014. Till his death, Reddy was a sitting Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh. He was elected to Rajya Sabha in 2009.
About Nedurumilli Janardhan Reddy
• Janardhan Reddy, 80, served as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from December 1990 to October 1992.
• He was born in Wakadu on 20 February 1935.
• He became the AP Congress Committee president in 1988.
• He was elected to the State Assembly from Venkatagiri in 1989.
• He was replaced by Marri Channa Reddy as CM in 1990.
• He also led the Congress party to regain power in AP after N T Rama Rao (Telugu Desam Party) who ruled from 1983 to 1989.
• He was elected to Lok Sabha from Bapatla, Narasaraopeta and Visakhapatnam three times in 1998, 1999 and 2004.

36. Which of the following countries has accused China of placing an oil rig near Paracel Island? A. Japan B. Vietnam C. South Korea D. North Korea
Ans. B

BACKGROUND:
Vietnam on 6 May 2014 accused China to place an oil rig near Parcel islands. The 1 billion US dollar rig is owned by China’s state-run CNOOC oil company and it drilling south of Hong Kong. Vietnam said that Chinese ships repeatedly rammed and used water cannons against Hanoi’s patrol vessels in the South China Sea, where Beijing has placed an oil rig in disputed waters near the Parcel islands. According to the deputy head of Vietnam’s national border committee, there were as many as 80 Chinese vessels, including seven military ships, deployed to guard the rig. The Maritime Safety Administration of China (MSAC) announced that all vessels should stay 1.6 kilometres away from the rig, expanding that to five kilometres on 6 May 2014.

About Parcel Island
The Parcel Islands is a group of islands in the South China Sea whose sovereignty is disputed by the People’s Republic of China and Vietnam. All of the islands are currently controlled as part of China’s Hainan Province, which in July 2012, established Sansha City to administer the three townships under its jurisdiction. The islands include over 30 islets, sandbanks and reefs over a maritime area of around 15,000 square kilometres with less than 8 square kilometres of land.

37. A new dancing frog species was found in: A. Western Ghats B. Eastern Ghats C. Sundarvan D. Himalaya
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
14 new species of dancing frogs were discovered in the Western Ghats of southern India by the scientists and biologists. These tiny acrobatic amphibians (frogs) were found by Indian biologists and this name was derived by their style of unusual kicks used to attract the mates. This new species of so-called dancing frogs were identified by the Indian biologists by using molecular DNA markers and morphological descriptions. As per the biologists, they breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams. Their size is a reason that breeding happens only when the level of stream drops down. The case is vice-versa in case when the streams dry out early, in such conditions they get caught without the right conditions to breed. These frogs are tiny in shape and are not bigger than a walnut and they can be swept away easily in the mountain stream.

Some facts about the new species
Dance is done only by males: dancing is a part of their unique behaviour for breeding and is called foot-flagging. In the process of the dance, they stretch, extend and whip their legs out to the side and this activity is performed to attract attention of the females. The biologists suggests that the dance is performed because might be possible that the females have trouble in hearing mating croaks over the sound of water flowing through perennial hill streams. The biologists also suggested that dance depends upon the size of the frogs, bigger one dance more. The species of other dancing frogs are found in Central America and Southeast Asia. The Indian family evolved about 85 million years ago. The Indian Dancing frogs are scientifically known as Micrixalidae and their family comprises a single genus Micrixalus.

38. Which country has launched its first solar power project? A. Pakistan B. Sri Lanka C. Bhutan D. Nepal
Ans. A

BACKGROUND:
The project is a joint venture of the Punjab government, Bank of Punjab and M/s TBEA of China, which will eventually produce 1000 MW in two and a half years. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sharif said the Pakistan-China Economic Corridor, with a total investment of $33 billion, is an example of the very close friendship between the two countries. The 2,100 km Pak-China Economic Corridor would include special economic zones, a railway system and model city, airport and free port at Gowadar, Karachi to Lahore Motorway and many more projects. “Since Pakistan’s creation, 23,000 MW electricity has been produced, while we are planning to add 21,000 MW to the system in the next eight years,” he said. As the country is reeling under a power crisis, he said, “I do not want to give my nation any false hope, but after seeing the pace of work on power projects, soon the people of Pakistan will observe a considerable reduction in load-shedding,” A 1320 MW Port Qasim power plant was recently inaugurated and 10 power projects at Gaddani Power Park will add 6,600 MW to the system.