Currentaffairs

a. It will be up to the gram pan- 9. The Union Health and Family NATIONAL chayats to decide which work will Welfare Ministry, in a notification be taken up, irrespective of the issued in in May 2012, 1. A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was priority that the MGNREGA announced that it is essential to unveiled by President Pratibha schedule might list. have complete information of all Patil at the prestigious Constitu• b. The new list of permissible works TB cases. What is the rationale tional Court Complex of South primarily aims at benefiting agri• behind this announcement? Africa in which city on May 3, culture, and giving a fillip to san• 2012, where Gandhi had served (1) In order to ensure proper TB itation through convergence with four prison terms between 1908 diagnosis and case manage• the total sanitation campaign and 1913? ment (TSC). (1) Pretoria (2) Durban (2) To reduce TB transmission Select the correct answer using (3) Cape Town the codes given below: (3) To address the problems of (4) Johannesburg emergence and spread of drug (1) Both a and b 2. The Supreme Court, on May 5, resistant-TB (2) Neither a nor b 2012, set a three-month deadline (3) Onlyb (4) Only a (4) All of the above for the Madhya Pradesh govern• 10. On which recent date did the both ment to ensure supply of clean 6. The Supreme Court, on May 9, Houses of Indian Parliament cel• drinking water to victims of the 2012, set up a seven-member ebrate the 60th anniversary of Bhopal gas leak tragedy living in committee to look into the de• settlements around the Union plorable conditions of "widows/ the first sitting of Parliament? Carbide Factory. With which year destitutes" living in which of the (1) May 9 (2) May 13 is the Bhopal Gas Tragedy following places and set an eight- (3) May 21 (4) May 26 week deadline to complete its linked? 11. Madan B. Lokur, was in May report? (1) 1979 (2) 1982 2012 recommended by the col• (1) Haridwar (2) Kashi (3) 1984 (4) 1986 legium of judges headed by Chief 3. Union Minister for Rural Devel• (3) Vrindavan (4) Mathura Justice of S.H. Kapadia. for opment Jairam Ramesh an• 7. External Affairs Minister S.M. elevation to the Supreme Court. nounced in May 2012 that that Krishna, in May 2012, appealed He is the Chief Justice of the to which country to protect the the Centre has agreed to upgrade (1) Guwahati High Court constitutional rights of its minor• 5,733 km. of rural roads built by (2) Andhra Pradesh High Court red sand (murram roads) under ities by ensuring their safety, (3) Madras High Court the central scheme. Which is the security and wellbeing? state in reference here? (1) Iran (2) Pakistan (4) Delhi High Court (1) Odisha (2) West Bengal (3) Sri Lanka (4) Myanmar 12. To boost trade and investment (3) Bihar (4) Gujarat 8. According to a new study pub• amid recession, which of the fol• 4. Which of the following countries lished in The Lancet on May 10, lowing countries on May 16. were visited by President Pratib• 2012, more than 16.8 lakh chil• 2012, announced the opening of ha Patil in May 2012? dren under five years died of in• two more missions in India? fectious, but preventable, diseas• (1) South Africa (2) Seychelles (1) Spain es in India in 2010 and more than (3) Brazil and Argentina (2) half of them could not complete (4) Both 1 and 2 (3) United Kingdom the first month of their life. Which 5. The Centre in May 2012 unveiled of the following remained the (4) China the expanded version of the Ma• leading killer, which accounted 13. Defence Minister A. K. Antony told hatma Gandhi National Rural Em• for 28.6 per cent of all deaths in the Rajya Sabha in May 2012 that ployment Guarantee Act, allow• children under five? India had become the largest im• ing over 30 new permissible (1) Pneumonia porter of arms, surpassing works, as productivity-enhancing (2) Preterm birth complications activity. Which of the related (1) Pakistan (2) Israel statements is/are correct? (3) Diarrhoea (4) Polio (3) Iraq (4) China 14. Which state government in May 19. Which of the following Memoran• 23. Seven districts ol which cnliur 2012 launched a new programme dum of Understanding (MoU) and were in May 2012 included in Ih called "Anandadhara' under the agreements were signed between National Programme for Prevd a<-gis of the National Rural Liveli India and Myanmar during Prime tion and Control of Cancer. Dia hood Mission (NRLM) and an• Minister Manmohan Singh's state betes. Cardiovascular Diseas. nounced to increase the subsidy visit to the latter in May 2012? and Stroke? for the self help groups from 20 (1) Memorandum of Understand• (1) Rajasthan (2) Odisha per cent to 30 per cent? ing regarding US$ 500 million (3) Bihar (1) Wfcst Bengal (2) Assam Line of Credit (4) Madhya Pradesh (3) Rajasthan (2) Memorandum of Understand• 24. Which state government in May (4) Uttar Pradesh ing on Establishment of Joint 2012 announced an increase ii 15. The Parliament in May 2012 Trade and Investment Forum the monthly honorarium for An ganwadi workers under tin In• passed the North-Eastern Areas (3) Memorandum of Understand• tegrated Child Developmen (Reorganisation) and Other Relat• ing on Establishment of Rice Scheme (ICDS) in the State? ed Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2012, Bio Park at the Department (1) Madhya Pradesh for setting up of High Courts in of Agricultural Research in (2) Uttar Pradesh (1) Meghalaya (2) Manipur Nay Pyi Taw (3) Rajasthan (4) Gujarat (3) Tripura (4) All of the above 25. The government of which sum (4) All of the above 20. The Union Cabinet on May 31, in May 2012 announced tha 16. The Parliament approved amend• 2012, approved the National Tele• Kanya Vidya Dhan scheme wouk ments to the Copyright Act that com Policy (NTP) 2012. Which of be restarted and steps would tx entitles artistes to lifelong royal• the following related statements taken for free education to girls ty on May 22, 2012. Which of is/are correct? in government colleges, medial the following related statements a. It.promises broadband for all and engineering colleges? is/are correct? with a minimum download speed (1) Uttar Pradesh a. The Bill declares authors owners of 2 megabits. (2) Madhya Pradesh of the copyright, which cannot be b. It expects to take India's rural assigned to producers, as was the (3) Chhattisgarh teledensity from 39 to 70% in the practice till now. (4) Himachala Pradesh next 5 years with the target that 26. Worried over low rate of coi ivic- b. It bans persons from bringing out every single Indian will have a tion in cases pertaining to aiioc cover versions of any literary, phone by 2020. ities against the scheduled caste dramatic or musical work for five Select the correct answer using and the scheduled tribe cornmii years from the first recording of the codes given below: nities, which State government in the original creation. (1) Both a and b May 2012 announced to open Select the correct answer using (2) Onlyb (3) Only a three exclusive courts to harnlH the codes given below: these cases? (4) Neither a nor b (1) Both a and b (1) Odisha (2) Neither a nor b STATES (2) Chhattisgarh (3) Jharkhaiul (3) Only a (4) Onlyb (4) Andhra Pradesh 17. The Lok Sabha in May 2012 21. Noam Chomsky, in May 2012, 27. Which state government, on May passed the Protection of Children joined a list of close to 250 Indi• 2, 2012, announced a Rs 10(1 from Sexual Offences Bill, 2011. an and foreign intellectuals in an crore scheme to upgrade the in Which of the following related open letter to Prime Minister frastructure in 93 government statements is/are correct? Manmohan Singh, protesting the arts and sciences colleges and (1) It will protect children below "brutal treatment meted out to constituent colleges of various 18 from sexual abuse Soni Sort" said to have been tor• universities? (2) It seeks to set up special tured by police on unproven al• (1) Karnataka (2) Kerala courts for speedy trial of cases legations that she was a Maoist. (3) Tamil Nadu against them and provide strin• With which state is Sort associ• (4) Andhra Pradesh gent punishment extending up ated? 28. The S. Balaraman Commitu-t- n to life term for offenders (1) Jharkhand (2) West Bengal May 2012, recommended to tht (3) The Bill is gender-neutral (3) Chhattisgaih (4) Odisha state government to take steps (4) All of the above 22. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra to ensure that none without tin 18. Which of the following state gov• Modi, on the foundation day of 'prescribed qualification was ernment, on May 25, 2012, im• the State on May 1, 2012, se• pointed as nurse by private sec posed a ban on the manufacture, lected which tribal-dominated tor hospitals. The committc waj set up by which state govemmen storage and sale of Gutkha, pan place for the official function to to look into the problems facet masala. and their variants in the celebrate the formation of the by nurses employed in the | n i State? State? vate sector? (1) Delhi (2) Kerala (1) Kheda (2) Rajkot (1) Puducherry (2) Kerala (3) Bihar (3) Dahod (4) Anand (3) Maharashtra (4) Goa (4) Andhra Pradesh 29. Which state government in May Pranahita-Chevella irrigation 44. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister 2012 announced plans to bring project that will serve both Prem Kumar Dhumal in May in a bill on reservation in govern• States? 2012 launched an ambitious new ment jobs for those belonging to (1) Karnataka (2) Tamil Nadu "Atal School Uniform Scheme" at Other Backward Classes (OBC)? (3) Maharashtra (4) Odisha Nahan in Sirmaur district. The (1) West Bengal 36. Which state Government on May Rs.64-erore scheme intends to (2) Andhra Pradesh 6, 2012, announced to spend Rs. provide free uniforms to all stu• (3) Uttar Pradesh 30 crore to provide tree textbooks dents in government schools from (4) Rajasthan to Scheduled Caste and Sched• Class 1 to twice a year. 30. The Centre, in May 2012, asked uled Tribe students in the Stat e? (1) Class VI (2) CI - . "it which state Government to con• 11) Haryana (3) Class X (4) CUSS At, tain its rising expenditure, espe• (2) Punjab 43. The Jaldapara Wildlife Sancti ..•«. cially on free power, to bring the (3) Rajasthan the second largest habitat for the "deteriorating" fiscal position on (4) Madhya Pradesh Asiatic one-horned rhinoceros in the track? 37. BHEL's Welding Research Insti• India, was in May 2012 notified (1) Haryana (2) Punjab tute (WRI) in Tiruchi, in May as a National Park. In which state (3) Rajasthan 2012, joined hands with Mum- is it located? (4) Madhya Pradesh bai-based Hindustan Construc• 31. A 12-day hostage crisis which tion Co Ltd. (HCC) for building (1) Odisha (2) West Bengal brought counter-insurgency op• India's longest railway bridge over (3) Assam (4) Tripura erations to a grinding hall, end• the Brahmaputra that would en• 44. Which state government in May ed after Maoists released Sukma hance connectivity between As• 2012 decided to give an allow Collector Alex Paul Menon in May sam and ance of Rs. 1,000 a month to 2012. Which state is in reference (1) Sikkim (2) Meghalaya unemployed persons in the 30 here? (3) Arunachal Pradesh 40 age group who have passed (1) Jharkhand (4) Tripura the Class X examination? (2) Chhattisgarh 38. The Samajwadi Party Government (1) Bihar (3) Odisha said in May 2012 that it was (2) Uttar Pradesh (4) Andhra Pradesh ready to extend all possible help (3) West Bengal 32. Which state government, on May to set up an All India Institute of (4) Madhya Pradesh 3, 2012, cleared hurdles over Medical Sciences at 45. Which state government in May land holdings for 289 projects (1) Amethi (2) Allahabad 2012 formally raised a force — including the Jindal Steelworks (3) RaeBareli (4) Similipal Tiger Protection Force (JSW) project which has been 39. Crops grown in the arid regions (STPF) — comprising 1 12 person• of Rajasthan were in May 2012 caught in a logjam since 2008? nel for the protection of dwindling announced to be promoted and (1) Odisha population of big cats in Similipal (2) Andhra Pradesh associated with new research Tiger Reserve? (3) West Bengal activities during the 12th Five . (1) Gujarat (2) Rajasthan (4) Jharkhand Year Plan. Which are those crops? (3) Odisha (4) West Bengal 33. Which State government an• (1) Bajra andjowar nounced plans to introduce boat (2) Moth and henna ambulances to serve the needy (3) Coriander and fenugreek INTERNATIONAL people living in remote areas in (4) All of the above 46. According to the annual Mothers' May 2012? 40. Which state government in May Index of Save the Children which (1) Goa (2) Tamil Nadu 2012 decided to qualify seven was released in May 2012, which more sports events for grace (3) Andhra Pradesh is the worst country on earth in marks in the selection of Class (4) Gujarat which to be a mother? 34. The Akhilesh Yadav.government III and IV employees for govern• (1) Kenya (2) Niger in Uttar Pradesh, on May 5, ment service through the Public 2012, decided to accept the April Service Commission? (3) Somalia (4) Afghanistan 27,2012, order of the Supreme (1) Kerala 47. Bangladesh in May 2012 criti- Court that declared as unconsti• (2) Goa cised remarks made by U.S. Sec• tutional Section 3 (7) of the Uttar (3) Maharashtra retary of State Hillary Clinton Pradesh Public Service (Reserva• (4) Himachala Pradesh about Grameen Bank, from where tion for SO ST and OBC) Act, 41. Which state government in May Nobel-laureate Muhammad Yunus (1) 1987 (2) 1991 2012 withdrew its order down• was removed in 2011 over alle• (3) 1994 (4) 1998 grading the post of the top law gations of flouting rules. Yunus 35. With which state government did officer of the State - Advocate- shared the Nobel Peace Prize in Andhra Pradesh sign an agree• General — to a post of a "con• which year with the Gratmeen ment in May 2012 to set up an tractual employee"? Bank? inter-State board for speedy ex• (1) Punjab (2) Haryana (i) 2001 (2) 2004 ecution of the Rs.40,300-crore (3) Delhi (4) Bihar (3) 2006 (4) 2008 48. Myanmar opposition leader Aung 52. Which of the following parties of time, uniformed officers while San Suu Kyi in May 2012 received Nepal, on May 15, 2012, decid• keeping their articles of faith? her first passport in 24 years ed to adopt a 'mixed' form of gov• (1) Seattle (2) Michigan ahead of a planned trip to Nor• ernment, create a bicameral cen• (3) Washington (4) Los Angeles way and Britain. She has not had tral Parliament, and have 11 58. The government in which of the. a passport since she returned to states in a future federal system? following European countries re• Myanmar in (1) Unified Communist Party of duced the salaries of the Presi (1) 1979 (2) 1982 Nepal (Maoist) and Nepali Con• dent, Prime Minister and the (3) 1988 (4) 1994 gress (NC) Cabinet by 30 per cent in May 49. The United Nations in May 2012 (2) Communist Party of Nepal 2012? adopted global guidelines to de• (Unified Marxist Leninist) (1) Germany (2) Spain fend the land rights of poor farm• (3) United Democratic Madhesi (3) France (4) Greece ers and recognise informal indig• Front (UDMF) 59. The war crimes trial of Ratko enous claims in a move hailed by (4) All of the above Mladic was abruptly halted on aid groups as a step against ex• 53. Britain's longest-ninning newspa• May 17, 2012, just a day alter ii ploitative "land grabbing." This per scandal was in May 2012 fi- opened, because of prosecutiui! document • nally headed for the courts as a "irregularities" in the high-profile a. Calls for private companies to be former chief executive of Rupert case. Mladic is a transparent and consult local Murdoch's News International (1) Croatian populations, as well as the rec• was charged with offences relat• (2) Bosnian Serb ognition of "customary tenure ing to the News of the World (3) Herzegovina Dictator systems" by indigenous popula• phone hacking allegations. Who (4) Former Serbian President tions. is she? 60. In startling findings released by b. Calls on governments to "safe• (1) MenaSuvari the United States Census Bureau guard legitimate tenure rights (2) Rebekah Brooks (CB) in May 2012, for the firsl against threats and infringe• (3) Alicia Burton time ever, white babies represent ments" and "provide effective and (4) Redcliff Brown ed only of all births in lh accessible means" to resolve ten• 54. Which of the following countries 12-rnonth period that ended in ure disputes. in May 2012 formally launched July 2011. Select the correct answer using the process for a closer political (1) 23.12 per cent the codes given below: integration of the six Gulf mon• (2) 39.8 per cent (1) Both a and b archies as a hedge against the (3) 49.6 per cent (2) Neither a nor b perceived threat from Iran? (4) 55.75 per cent (3) Only a (1) Saudi Arabia 61. An agreement was signed be• (4) Onlyb (2) Iraq tween India and Sri Lanka in May 50. The war crimes tribunal of Bang• (3) Jordan (4) Turkey 2012 for returning the Kapilavas- ladesh in May 2012 indicted 55. In which of the following cities tu relics (fragments of Buddha's Ghulam Azam, founder of did U.N. nuclear negotiators, bones) to Sri Lanka. The first di• Jamaat-E-Islami in former East seeking to probe Tehran's nucle• rector of the Archaeological Stir Pakistan, on charges of incite• ar programme for signs of secret ment, conspiracy, planning, mur• work on atomic-weapons tech• vey of India, who excavated the der, abetment and failure to pre• nology, hold talks with Iranian relics in the late 19th century vent crimes against humanity officials in May 2012? from ruins in Piprahwa. in during the country's liberation (1) Brussels (2) Geneva present day Bihar, was (1) Mortimer Wheeler war in (3) Vienna (4) Bonn (2) D.N. Sen (1) 1969 (2) 1971 56. A new Haitian government led by (3) 1974 (4) 1976 Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe (3) John Marshall 51. On which recent date were pro• officially began its duties on May (4) Alexander Cunningham tests held across Europe as anti- 16, 2012, capping a months-long 62. Tomislav Nikolic, a former ultra- capitalist "Occupy" campaigners political vacuum in the troubled nationalist ally of late Serbian took to the streets amid growing nation. In which year did a dev• strongman Slobodan Milosevic in anger over their governments' astating earthquake destroy large May 2012 beat incumbent Boris market-driven policies that have parts of Haiti? Tadic for Serbian presidency. It resulted in millions of job losses (1) 2006 (2) 2008 could slow down the Balkan and plunged the continent into (3) 2010 (4) 2011 country's attempts to join tin El its worst post-war economic cri• 57. Which of the following American and reconcile with wartime foes sis? cities recently made history in including the former province of (1) May 1, 2012 May 2012 when its police depart• Kosovo that declared indepcn (2) May 8, 2012 ment announced a decision to dence in (3) May 13, 2012 • explicitly and voluntarily allow (1) 2005 (2) 2007 Sikh-Americans to serve as full- (3) 2008 (4) 2009 63. Which country on May 20, 2012, a. All exporters were directed to re• and chicken eggs, were discrim• blocked the micro-blogging social patriate (nay, sell) forthwith half inatory? networking site Twitter for about their foreign exchange earnings. (1) China (2) Belgium 12 hours because it refused to b. An exchange earner would be el• (3) USA (4) Malaysia stop promoting an online compe• igible to retain only 50 per cent 74. As per the WPI data released in tition on Facebook to post imag• in non-interest-bearing EEFC ac• New Delhi on May 14, 2012. es of Prophet Mohammad? counts. headline inflation in April inched (1) United Arab Emirates Select the correct answer using up yet again from 6.89 per cent (2) Saudi Arabia the codes given below: in March, primarily owing to a (3) Pakistan (4) Iran (1) Both a and b spike in the prices of almost all 64. More than 50 world leaders gath• (2) Neither a nor b edibles. What was the Inflation ered in which of the following (3) Onlyb (4) Only a rate? places in May 2012 for one of the biggest NATO summits in history 69. According to provisional figures (1) 6.12 per cent aiming to hammer out a unified released in New Delhi in May (2) 6.89 per cent exit strategy from Afghanistan 2012, in an indication of tough (3) 7.23 per cent after a decade of war? times ahead, the Indian exports (4) 7.67 per cent (1) Detroit (2) Chicago were hit by the poor global eco• 75. Moody's, in May 2012, downgrad• (3) Brussels (4) Frankfurt nomic conditions, registering a ed which of the following top pri• growth of what per cent in April 65. The Cabinet of which country in vate sector banks on growing con 2012? May 2012 endorsed the draft of cems over India's sovereign debt (1) 2.4 per cent (2) 2.8 per cent The Hindu Marriage Registration ratings and low level of cross-bor• Act-2012 and approved an (3) 3.2 per cent (4) 4.1 per cent der diversification of their opera• amendment of the Vested Prop• 70. The 'Economic and social survey tions? erties Return Act (Amendment) of Asia and the Pacific 2012', the (l)ICICIBank (2) HDFC Bank 2011? flagship publication of the Unit• (3) Axis Bank (1) Pakistan (2) Sri Lanka ed Nations Economic and Social (4) All of the above (3) Bangladesh (4) Nepal Commission for Asia and the Pa• cific (ESCAP), released in May 76. The Chairman of Insurance Reg• ECONOMY & BUSINESS 2012, projected a faster GDP ulatory and Development Author• (gross domestic product) growth ity (IRDA) released a white paper 66. In the first-of-its-kind Transna- on financial inclusion prepared tionality Index (TNI) released in rate for India at about what per by Ernst & Young at the national May 2012 which was prepared cent this fiscal? conference on "Financial Inclu• by the Indian School of Business (1) 5.9 per cent (2) 6.6 per cent sion: integrating insurance into (ISB) in association with its Bra• (3) 7.5 per cent (4) 8.1 per cent total package" in in zilian counterpart Fundacao Dom 71. The IIP data released by the Cen• May 2012. Who is he? Cabral, which of the following fig• tral Statistics Office (CSO) in New ured among the top five transna• Delhi on May 11, 2012, revealed (1) H. OmShankar tional companies (TNCs)? that for the first time in five (2) J. HariNarayan (1) Reliance Industries months, industrial production (3) L.M. Mehrotra (2) Tata Group and Hindalco contracted in March, 2012. What (4) P.N. Roongta (3) Infosys and Wipro was the growth rate? 77. Which of the following firms in (4) All of the above (1) 2.9 per cent (2) 3.2 per cent May 2012, served notices on In• 67. Reliance Industries (RIL) on May (3) 3.5 per cent (4) 3.8 per cent dia for breach of Bilateral Invest• 9, 2012, signed a $ 2 billion 72. The Steel Authority of India Lim• ment Protection Agreement equivalent loan with nine banks ited (SAIL) in May 2012 inked a (BIPA)? covered by Euler Hermes Deut- schland AG. (Euler Hermes) Ber• major agreement with the govern• (1) Devas Employees and Telenor lin, Germany which will be pri• ment of which country for the (2) Vodafone marily used to finance goods and allocation of coking coal mines, (3) Loop Telecom and Sistema services procured from German exploring opportunity for setting (4) All of the above suppliers as part of RIL's petro• up mineral processing units for 78. In a bid to beef up regional co• chemicals expansion projects at iron ore and coal, besides steel operation in economic and finan• making units there? (1) Jamnagarand Hazira cial spheres, the Reserve Bank (2) Silvassa (3) Dahej (1) Nigeria (2) Egypt of India (RBI), on May 16, 2012. (4) All of the above (3) Mongolia (4) Taiwan decided to set up a swap facility 68. Reflecting its serious concern for 73. Which country in May 2012 ap• for SAARC (South-Asian Associa the falling rupee, the Reserve proached the World Trade Orga• tion for Regional Co-operation Bank of India (RBI) on May 10, nization (WTO), seeking a dispute member-nations. The corpus ol 2012, stepped in yet again with settlement panel to decide claims this facility is fresh measures to shore up the that Indian restrictions on im• (1) $1 billion (2) $2 billion Indian currency. The measures ports of various its agricultural (3) $5 billion (4) $10 billion are products, including poultry meat 79. After having to abandon its oil and (1) BhartiAirtel (2) Vodafone (1) Agriculture (2) Services gas assets quest in Vietnam off (3) Idea Cellular (4) Reliance (3) Manufacturing the South China Sea, the Minis• 85. The government in May 2012 (4) All of the above try of External Affairs (MEA) in accepted 69 recommendations of 90. India and which country, on May May 2012 asked ONGC Videsh which of the following committees 31, 2012, announced the sign Limited (OVL) not to go ahead to ensure transparency in alloca• ingof a Tax Information Exchange with its acquisition of hydrocar• tion and pricing of natural re• Agreement to promote economic bon assets located in deep water sources such as land, coal, pe• cooperation and joint investment in troleum and natural gas? between the two countries aimed (1) Falkland Islands (1) AshokChawla at boosting bilateral trade that stands at $1.7 billion? (2) Azores Islands (2) Manoj Shrivastava (3) Canary Islands (3) AnilAgarwal (1) Malaysia (2) Bahrain (3) Oman (4) Qatar (4) BayofFundy (4) Suraj Bhasin 80. The Union Cabinet, on May 17, 86. Concerned over rising bad loans, 2012, approved the signing of the Finance M,inister Pranab Mukher- SPORTS agreement for buying gas from jee on May 28, 2012, asked 91. In the men's event of the 16th which country through the $7.6 banks to take steps to manage Asian Team squash champion• billion TAPI pipeline? their non-performing assets ship, held in Kuwait in May 2012. (1) Pakistan (2) Afghanistan (NPAs), which stood at about what which of the following team de• (3) Turkmenistan per cent of the assets in 2011 - feated India to clinch the crown (4) Uzbekistan 12? ing title? 81. As per the CPI (consumer price (1) 1.9 per cent (2) 2.6 per cent (1) Sri Lanka (2) Pakistan index) data released on May 18, (3) 3.3 per cent (4) 4.1 per cent (3) Indonesia (4) China 2012, retail inflation breached 87. The government, on May 29, 92. The Indian men's recurve team, the double-digit mark at 10.32 2012, threw open the stock mar• consisting of Rahul Banerjee, per cent in April, primarily owing kets to direct investment by all Tarundeep Rai and Jayanta Ta- to a surge in prices of residents of the Gulf and EU na• lukdar, lost to which team 222 (1) Vegetable tions. What were the aims behind 211 in the final of the World Cup (2) Milk and edible oils this step? archery Stage 2 meet at Antalya (3) Protein-based items a. To shore up the inflow of foreign in May 2012? (4) All of the above funds (1) Great Britain (2) Australia 82. The Reserve Bank of India, on b. Stem the steady depreciation of (3) Ukraine (4) Russia May 18, 2012, asked banks to the rupee against the dollar 93. Which team, on May 6, 2012 reduce exposure to non-banking Select the correct answer using won the Italian League title for finance companies (NBFCs), the codes given below: the 28th time following a 2-0 win which give loan against the pre• at Cagliari as nearest rival AC cious metal, at the earliest and (1) Only a (2) Onlyb Milan crashed 4-2 in its city der bring it under the prescribed limit (3) Both a and b by against Inter? within six months. Banks are re• (4) Neither a nor b (1) Rome quired to bring down their expo• 88. According to a Finance Ministry (2) Boca Juniors sure ceiling to such NBFCs from statement on May 29, 2012, Mau• 10 per cent to what per cent of ritius-based AIF III Sub Pvt. Ltd. (3) Juventus (4) Sicily its capital funds? had been permitted to induct for• 94. Germany, the Olympic Champi on, humbled the World Champi• (1) 7.5 per cent (2) 8.1 per cent eign investment worth Rs. 1,000 on, 5-2 to take the gold medal (3) 9.0 per cent (4) 6.5 per cent crore into the units of a 'Fund' for men in the VISA international 83. I»hc Reserve Bank of India (RBI) constituted as a Trust'. This was hockey tournament at the Olym capped the position limit for based on the recommendations pic Park in London on May 6, banks in the exchanges for trad• of the Foreign Investment Promo• 2012. Which team is the world ing Currency Futures and Op• tion Board (FIPB), headed by Eco• champion? tions at $ 100 million or what per nomic Affairs Secretary (1) The Netherlands cent of the outstanding open in• (1) AnupBaghel (2) AjaiSolanki (2) Australia terest, whichever is lower? (3) R. Gopalan (3) Great Britain (1) 15 per cent (2) 12 per cent (4) DinkarSahay (4) Spain (3) 10 per cent (4) 8 per cent 89. As per data released in New Del• 95. Who among the following, on May 84. Which company, on May 24, hi on May 31, 2012, India's GDP 7, 2012, won the 2012 World 2012, announced a Rs.922 crore (gross domestic product) growth snooker championship beating Ali ($165 million) deal with Qual- slumped to a nine-year low of 5.3 Carter 18-11 in the final at the comm Asia Pacific, a move that per cent during the fourth quar• Crucible Theatre in Sheffield? will help the telecom operator ter (January-March) of 2011-12. (1) Ronnie O'SuAlivan establish a stronghold in the fast- Which sector was the culprit be• (2) Christopher Neill growing high speed internet ser• hind this dismal growth? vices? (3) Stuart Claire (4) Peter Swann 96. The 11th National junior Federa• (1) Manchester City (1) May 21, 2012 tion Cup athletics championships (2) Arsenal (2) May 25, 2012 got off to a flying start in Pune (3) Chelsea (3) May 17, 2012 on May 8, 2012, with Kuldeep (4) Ashton (4) May 31, 2012 Singh setting a new meet record 102. Which won the 108. Joshna Chinappa, on May 26. in the boys 10,000m race walk• Asian continental champi• 2012, bagged her maiden WIS- ing. Which state does he come onship in May 2012 despite los• PA crown - sixth overall - in Chen- from? ing to A.R. Saleh Salem of UAE nai scripting a 9-11, 11-4, 11-8, (1) Delhi (2) Punjab in the final round that concluded 12-10 win over England's veter• (3) Haryana in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam? an squash player in the final of (4) Uttar Pradesh (1) Parimarjan Negi the Open 810,000 wom• 97. On which recent date in 2012 (2) AbhijitGhoshal en's squash tournament. Whom was the Olympic flame lit in An• (3) SureshThakur did she beat? cient Olympia in Greece, in a (4) Pankaj Mehta (1) Sarah Jane Perry solemn ceremony filled with mys• 103. Pei-Chi Lee in May 2012 defeat• (2) Alvira Dickens tery and tradition that signals the ed Natasha Palha 6-4, 6-2 in the (3) Susan Black final countdown to the start of final of the Ten Sports Si0,000 (4) Patricia Pearl the 2012 summer Games in Lon• ITF women's tennis tournament 109. Fourth-seeded Indo-American don? at the DLTA Complex in New pair of and , in (1) May 1, 2012 Delhi. Which country is he from? May 2012, won the Brussels (2) May 10, 2012 (1) Hong Kong Open defeating third-seeded Al- (3) May 31, 2012 (2) Chinese Taipei fcja Rosolska (Poland) and Jie (4) June 1, 2012 (3) Taiwan (4) China Zheng (China) 6-3, 6-2. 98. The U.S. got the better of sprint 104. Which country, in May 2012, (1) Bethanie Mattek-Sands rival Jamaica in the season-open• won the Asian junior hockey (2) AnoukAmie ing Diamond League athletics championship for the first time (3) Sylvia Dawson meeting in Qatar on May 11, in 20 years when it defeated Pa• (4) Jennifer Dakota 2012, with 100 metres victories kistan 2-1? 110. Which Australian Formula One for Justin Gatlin and (1) India (2) South Korea Motorist, on May 27, 2012, con• (1) Raymond Hess (3) Malaysia (4) Japan tributed to Formula One history (2) Allyson Felix 105. Which five-time world champion when he steered his Red Bull to (3) Jack Brendon (51 kg) added another feather to victory at the Monaco Grand (4) Mac Marshall her already crowded cap in May Prix? 99. Defending Champion Chhattis• 2012 by becoming the only Indi• (1) Lewis Hamilton garh successfully defended its an woman boxer to qualify for the (2) Mark Webber title on May 12, 2012, as it over• London Olympics despite being (3) Sebastian Vettel came in a thrilling girls' fi• on the sidelines after losing in (4) Felipe Massa nal of the 39th edition of sub- the quarterfinals of the World junior National basketball tour• Championships in Qinhuangdao? PERSONS, PLACES & nament in Verna in South Goa. (1) M.C. Mary Kom AWARDS (1) Madhya Pradesh (2) A.P.Thangal (2) Tamil Nadu (3) Kerala (3) Mary J. Jose 111. Who is the blind Chinese activist (4) Maharashtra (4) Shital P. Bhagat who began a new life in the U.S. 100. Who among the following, on May 106. Who among the following, on May on May 19. 2012, drawing a line 12, 2012, bettered the 12-year- 20, 2012, retained Rome Inter• under a month-long diplomatic old National record in shot put national title with a 4-6, 6-4, 7- saga that embarrassed Beijing with a throw of 20.69 metres at 6(5) victory over Na Li in a match and tested ties between the world a meet at Szombathely, Hunga- dominated by wild swings of mo• superpowers? (1) Jim Li ry? mentum? (2) Chen Guangcheng (1) AdityaVikram (1) KimClijsters (3) Chung Tang (2) Manjit Singh (2) Serena Williams (4) Ming Ping Lu (3) Om Prakash Singh (3) Maria Sharapova 112. Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb, who (4) Vigyan Bharti (4) KristinaMel with his two brothers, defined 101. Which of the following teams was, 107. On which recent date did FIFA the disco wave and was regard on May 13, 2012, crowned Pre• adopt a first wave of statutory ed as one of the major figures in mier League champion after an reforms centred on ethics, as well the history of British music, died incredible fightback which saw as the creation of its first execu• in London in May 2012. Which it score twice in injury time to tive committee post for women's of the following related state• beat QPR 3-2 and seal the title football, to combat claims of cor• ments is/are correct? on goal difference? ruption and double-dealing? 123. Which Indian cricketing great, on a. The Bee Gees song catalogue in• (1) Mark Zuckerberg May 2, 2012, inaugurated a mil . cluded such hits as Massachu• (2) Boris Ackerman seum 'Blades of Glory', create! setts, I've Gotta Get A Message (3) Simon Clarke by cricket enthusiast Rohan Pali To You, Lonely Days, How Can (4) Edwin Montfort in Pune? You Mend A Broken Heart, How 118. Which India-born was in May Deep Is Your Love and Stayin' 2012 announced to succeed Th• (1) M.S. Dhoni Alive. omas Mirow as the President of (2) Rahul Dravid b. The Gibb brothers were induct• the European Bank for Recon• (3) SachinTendulkar ed into both the Rock and Roll struction and Development (4) Sunil Gavaskar Hall of Fame and the Songwrit• (EBRD)? 124. Which English umpiring grea ers Hall of Fame. (1) Suma Chakrabarti was presented with an honour a Select the correct answer using (2) SmitaBora Buckingham Palace in May 201'. the codes given below: (3) Meera Singh in recognition of his outstandini (1) Only a (4) Anjali Majumdar sporting career and charity work! (2) Onlyb 119. Steel Authority of India Limited (1) Alan Shepherd (3) Both a and b (SAIL), on May 25, 2012, signed (2) Harold "Dickie" Bird (4) Neither a nor b a joint venture agreement with (3) Ryan Randall 113. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, a former Burn Standard Company Limit• (4) Mervin Marr Libyan intelligence officer and the ed (BSCL), for setting up a wag• 125. Veteran actor of Bengali cinem; only person convicted of the Lock on components manufacturing Soumitra Chatterjee was in Ma| erbie bombing which killed 270 facility at Jellingham in which dis• 2012 honoured with the presti people, died at his home in Tri• trict of West Bengal? gious Dadasaheb Phalke Awan poli in May 2012. With which (1) Nadia (2) Purulia by Vice-President Hamid Ansati year is the Lockerbie bombing as• (3) Purba Medinipur at the 59th National Awards fop sociated? (4) Durgapur (1) 1981 (2) 1983 2011 at Vigyan Bhavan in New 120. Marking the ascendance of an• (3) 1988 (4) 1992 Delhi. The Government has del other Indian in the global finan• 114. The trial of a former Goldman cided to host the award ceremop cial system, which well known Sachs director began in New York ny on which date every year? I investment banker took over the in May 2012 in the most high (1) May 3 (2) May 1 1 reins of German banking giant profile case of insider trading in (3) May 1 (4) May 31 Deutsche Bank as co-CEO on U.S. history. Who is he? June 1,2012? 126. The Rajya Sabha member fronf (1) Rajat Gupta Goa, was in May 2012 appoinlii' (1) AnshuJain (2) Avinash Saxena Chairman of the Standing Corn! (2) ShobhitGoyal (3) John Matthew mittee of Parliament on Personf (3) Ashwini Mohan (4) Kanishka Mehta nel Public Grievances, Law anil (4) KunalShekhar 115. Which city in May 2012 set a new Justice by Rajya Sabha Chainnatf 121. The government, on May 30, record with Princess Tower, Hamid Ansari. Who is he? 2012, announced the constitution which the Guinness World (1) Vinod Mankad of a committee under the chair• Records website claimed to be the manship of Chairman, Prime Min• (2) Ashish Rane world's tallest residential build• ister's Economic Advisory Coun• (3) Shantaram Naik ing? cil, to review the existing produc• (4) Durgadas Sampat (1) Sharjah (2) Dubai tion sharing contracts (PSCs) in 127. Miss India World who receive! (3) Montreal (4) Manila light of the recent spat between the Kalpana Chawla Excellent:! 116. Indian-American students in May Reliance Industries Ltd. (R1L) and Award from the late astronaut': 2012 swept the prestigious Na• the Petroleum Ministry. Who is . father Banarsi Lai Chawla at a tional Geographic Bee, bagging he? function in New Delhi on May 5 the top four positions of the 2012 (1) Montek Singh Ahluwalia 2012, is tough national competition, where (2) C. Rangarajan (1) Pranjal Shukre U.S. President Barack Obama (3) KiranJagtap (2) MinalDahiya played a quizmaster. Who bagged (4) Dinesh Kaushik the first position? (3) VanyaMishra 122. Mahindra Satyam, in May 2012, (1) Rahul Nagvekar (4) Arti Manocha announced its decision of setting (2) Mohnish Mahajan 128. A major university centre dedi up an exclusive delivery centre (3) Piyush Gupta cated to the life and works of for Aerospace and Defence in (4) Abhijit Patel RabindranathTagore was opened Toulouse in France. This is the 117. Setting the stage for the much- in which of the following cities in company's second such invest• awaited trading of Facebook, its May 2012 to mark his 150th birth ment in Europe after its dedicat• founder and CEO rang the open• anniversary? ed Aerospace Centre in ing bell at the NASDAQ stock ex• (1) Oslo (2) Edinburgh (1) Hamburg (2) Zurich change on May 18, 2012. Who is (3) Munich (4) Haifa he? (3) Vienna (4) Cannes 129. Oscar-winning musician A. R. was in May 2012 honoured with (1) Rohtak (2) Ambala Rahman was in May 2012 con• an honorary degree of Doctor of (3) Hisar (4) Bawana ferred with his first American Sciences by the University of 140. Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Honorary Doctorate by the Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Who is Space Centre (VSSC) P.S. Veer- (1) Harvard University he? araghavan, in May 2012, an (2) Michigan University (1) MotiLalMadan nounced in Thrissur that Ceo- (3) Miami University (2) Durga Prasad Bainsla Synchronous Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk-III) will be (4) University of Nebraska (3) SudhirSirohl launched by the Indian Space 130. Senior parliamentarian and (4) Ramesh Panigrahi Research Organisation (ISRO) in former Governor of Uttarakhand 135. The Centre in May 2012 set up a (1) 2013 (2) 2014 who, on May 12, 2012, took the panel headed by the former UGC (3) 2016 (4) 2018 oath as Governor of Rajasthan in chairman, to review the NCERTs Jaipur, is Political Science textbooks for 141. Pakistan, on May 10, 2012, an• nounced the successful training (1) Margaret Alva schools. Who is he? launch of Hatf III (Ghaznavi). a (2) Karn Singh (1) D.K.Jain (2) S.K.Thorat short-range ballistic missile capa• (3) Gopal Gandhi (3) P.K. Bais ble of carrying both nuclear and (4) S.N. Chauhan (4) Jagdish Mukhi conventional warheads across 131. Who among the following on May (1) 760 km (2) 1100 km 14, 2012, described India as the SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY (3) 290 km (4) 1500 km "ideal place" for religious co-ex• 136. A three-man team on 15 May 142. The Indian Space Research Or istence, as he received the pres• 2012 blasted off from Russia's ganisation (ISRO) on May 11, tigious £1.1 million Templeton Baikonur cosmodrome on board 20i2, put its cryogenic engine to Prize for his contribution to "af• a Russian-made Soyuz craft for a an acceptance test at a special firming life's spiritual dimension"? half-year stay at the Internation• facility at the Liquid Propulsion (1) Dalai lama Systems Centre at Mahendragiri al Space Station. This cosmo• in (2) Anna Hazare drome is in (1) Kerala (2) Tamil Nadu (3) BabaRamdev (1) French Guiana (3) Andhra Pradesh (4) Desmond Tutu (2) Ivory Coast (4) Odisha 132. The Board of Control for Cricket (3) Kazakhstan (4) Ukraine in India (BCCI) on May 15, 2012, 143. A giant radio telescope made up 137. Researchers in May 2012 an• suspended which of the follow• of thousands of separate dishes nounced to have identified the ing cricketers, in the erstwhile and intended to help scientists oldest-known musical instru• Indian Cricket League) from all answer fundamental questions ments in the world. The flutes, forms of the game till a special about the make-up of the uni made from bird bone and mam• panel completes a preliminary verse will be built, the interna• moth ivory, come from a cave in enquiry into alleged corrupt tional consortium overseeing the which of the following countries deals? project announced on May 25, which contains early evidence for 2012. Where will it be based? (l)T.P. Sudhindra (Deccan the occupation of Europe by mod• Chargers) and Mohnish (1) Australia ern humans - Homo sapiens? Mishra (Pune Warriors) (2) The Netherlands (1) Spain (2) South Africa (2) Shalabh Srivatsava and Amit (3) Germany (4) Chile (3) South Africa Yadav (both Kings XI Punjab) (4) Only 1 and 3 138. A team of scientists based at the (3) Abhinav Bali (Delhi Giants) 144. Researchers at the Utah Univer• Carnegie Institution for Science, sity claimed in May 2012 that s (4) All of the above based in Washington DC, in May "space drink" developed by NASA 133. Who among the following was 2012 announced to have found to protect astronauts from radia• sworn in as the fifth Governor of "reduced carbon" in ten meteor• tion can also reduce wrinkles and Uttarakhand by Uttarakhand ites and said it was created by reverse the telltale signs of aging High Court Chief Justice Barin volcanic activity on in just four months. The concoc• Ghosh at a simple ceremony in (1) Moon (2) Venus tion is.known as Raj Bhavan in Dehra Dun in May (3) Mars (4) Jupiter 2012? (1) AS3 (2) AS9 139. Scientists at Chaudhary Charan (1) AzizQureshi (3) AS10 (4) AS12 Singh Haryana Agricultural Uni• 145. Astronomers at the National Ob• (2) Mohammad Naseem Sheikh versity, in May 2012 announced servatory of Brazil in Rio de Jan• (3) Rajmohan Dey to have developed an improved eiro in May 2012 claimed to have variety of sesame (Til) with high- (4) Chetan Malaviya found evidence that suggest a 134. The chairman of the livestock yield potential and resistance planet four times the size of Earth sub-group of the Haryana Gov• against diseases. Where is this may be skirting the edges of the ernment's Farmers' Commission, university located? solar system beyond (1) Uranus (2) Saturn (3) Pluto (4) Neptune 146. Scientists in which of the follow• ing countries/regions in May 2012 announced to have discov• ered a gene that plays a key role in production of healthy sperm, a breakthrough they say could soon pave the way for develop• ing a new contraceptive pill for men? . « (1) Ireland (2) Scodand (3) Norway (4) Spain 147. India's first state-of-the-art seis• mic research and monitoring cen• tre was in May 2012 announced by the Union Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Scienc• es Vilasrao Deshmukh to come up at which place in Maharash• tra at a cost of around Rs.400 crores? (1) Ahmednagar (2) Nasik (3) Satara (4) Pune 148. Scientists tn which of the follow• ing countries in May 2012 an• nounced for the first time to have succeeded in taking skin cells from patients with heart failure and transforming them into healthy, beating heart tissue that coidd one day be used to treat the condition? (1) Australia (2) Canada (3) Israel (4) Japan 149. A private cargo rocket carrying only about 1,000 pounds of car• go, and nothing of great value, built by Space Exploration Tech• nologies Corp of Hawthorne, Cal• ifornia, headed to the Internation• al Space Station, blasted off ear• ly on May 22, 2012. This rocket is known as (1) Enigma (2) Mystery (3) SpaceX (4) Curiosity 150. The government of which coun• try launched an ambitious push to develop new treatments for Alzheimer's on May 15, 2012, with a first prevention study of high-risk patients and tests on an insulin NASA1 spray that showed promise in earlier studies? (1) Russia (2) USA (3) Australia (4) India