1. When is the US Presidential Election Day 2012 ?
a) November 15
b) November 10
c) November 06
d) November 14
Answer: November 06
2. The Electoral College will formally elect President and Vice President of US on?
a) December 06, 2012
b) December 17, 2012
c) December 15, 2012
d) December 30, 2012
Answer: December 17, 2012
3. When will be the 113th congress sworn ?
a) December 14 , 2012
b) November 15 , 2012
c) January 16, 2013
d) January 3, 2013
Answer: January 3, 2013
4. Electoral Votes will formally be counted on ___________ before a joint session of Congress.
a) January 06, 2013
b) Janurary 10, 2013
c) December 06, 2012
d) December 30, 2012
Answer : January 6, 2013
5. Innauguration oath will be taken on _______ & the new presidential term will start this day?
a) January 13, 2013
b) January 06, 2013
c) January 20, 2013
d) January 15, 2013
Answer : January 20, 2013
6. When is the Innauguration Day of US Presidential Election?
a) January 14, 2013
b) January 07, 2013
c) January 21. 2013
d) January 16, 2013
Answer: January 21, 2013
7. Forward- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of?
a) Barack Obama
b) Mitt Romney
c) Ron Paul
d) Jill Stein
Answer: Barack Obama
8. Believe in America- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Mitt Romney
9. Restore America Now- 2012 U.S. Presidential slogan of ?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Ron Paul
10. The People's President- is the campaign slogan of?
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer:Gary Johnson
11. A Green New Deal for America- is the Official slogan of the ______________campaign.
a) Ron Paul
b) Jill Stein
c) Mitt Romney
d) Gary Johnson
Answer: Jill Stein
Showing posts with label CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012. Show all posts
Friday, November 9, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Council of Ministers
Serial Number | Portfolio | Name of Minister |
---|---|---|
1. | Prime Minister Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry of Planning Department of Atomic Energy Department of Space |
Dr. Manmohan Singh |
2. | Minister of Railways | Shri Pawan Kumar Bansal |
3. | Minister of Finance | Shri Palaniappan Chidambaram |
4. | Minister of Agriculture Minister of Food Processing Industries |
Shri Sharad Chandra Govindrao Pawar |
5. | Minister of Defence | Shri A.K. Antony |
6. | Minister of Home Affairs | Shri Sushil Kumar Sambhajirao Shinde |
7. | Minister of External Affairs | Shri Salman Khurshid |
8. | Minister of Science and Technology Minister of Earth Sciences |
Shri Jaipal Sudini Reddy |
9. | Minister of Health and Family Welfare | Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad |
10. | Minister of New and Renewable Energy | Dr. Farooq Abdullah |
11. | Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas | Dr.(Shri) M. Veerappa Moily |
12. | Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs | Shri Vayalar Ravi |
13. | Minister of Civil Aviation | Shri Ajit Singh |
14. | Minister of Labour and Employment | Shri Mallikarjun Kharge |
15. | Minister of Human Resource Development | Dr. M. Mangapati Pallam Raju |
16. | Minister of Communications and Information Technology | Shri Kapil Sibal |
17. | Minister of Commerce Industry and Minister of Textiles |
Shri Anand Sharma |
18. | Minister of Road Transport and Highways | Shri C. P. Joshi |
19. | Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation | Shri Ajay Maken |
20. | Minister of Culture | Smt. Chandresh Kumari Katoch |
21. | Minister of Shipping | Shri G.K. Vasan |
22. | Minister of Urban Development Minister of Parliamentary Affairs |
Shri Kamal Nath |
23. | Minister of Water Resources | Shri Harish Rawat |
24. | Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment | Kumari Selja |
25. | Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers | Shri M. K. Alagiri |
26. | Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises | Shri Praful Manoharbhai Patel |
27. | Minister of Coal | Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal |
28. | Minister of Law and Justice | Ashwani Kumar, Shri |
29. | Minister of Minority Affairs | Khan, Shri K. Rahman |
30. | Ministry of Mines | Shri Dinsha J. Patel |
31. | Minister of Tribal Affairs Minister of Panchayati Raj |
Shri V. Kishore Chandra Deo |
32. | Minister of Steel | Shri Beni Prasad Verma |
33. | Minister of Rural Development | Shri Jairam Ramesh |
Serial Number | Portfolio | Name of Minister |
---|---|---|
1. | Ministry of Women and Child Development | Smt. Krishna Tirath |
2. | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Shri Jitendra Singh |
3. | Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | Prof. Kuruppassery Varkey Thomas |
4. | Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation | Shri Srikant Kumar Jena |
5. | Ministry of Environment and Forests | Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan |
6. | Minister of Information and Broadcasting | Shri Manish Tewari |
7. | Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region | Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar |
8. | Minister of Tourism | Chiranjeevi, Dr. K. |
9. | Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation | Shri Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki |
10. | Minister of Power | Shri Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia |
11. | Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises | Shri K.H. Muniyappa |
12. | Minister of Corporate Affairs | Shri Sachin Pilot |
Serial Number | Portfolio | Name of Minister |
---|---|---|
1. | Ministry of External Affairs | Shri E. Ahamed |
2. | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Shri S. Gandhiselvan |
3. | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | Shri D. Napoleon |
4. | Ministry of Human Resource Development | Shri Jitin Prasada |
5. | Ministry of Human Resource Development | Dr. Shashi Tharoor |
6. | Ministry of Home Affairs | Shri Ramachandran Mullappally |
7. | Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Prime Minister Office |
Shri V. Narayanasamy |
8. | Ministry of Commerce and Industry | Smt. Daggubati Purandeswari |
9. | Ministry of Railways | Shri Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury |
10. | Ministry of Railways | Shri Kotla Jaya Surya Prakash Reddy |
11. | Ministry of Textiles | Smt. Lakshmi Panabaka |
12. | Ministry of Finance | Shri Namo Narain Meena |
13. | Ministry of Finance | Shri S.S. Palanimanickam |
14. | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Shri Sathyanarayana Sarvey |
15. | Ministry of External Affairs | Smt. Preneet Kaur |
16. | Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Food Processing Industries |
Dr. Charan Das Mahant |
17. | Ministry of Agriculture Ministry of Food Processing Industries |
Tariq Anwar, Shri |
18. | Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Smt. Ranee Narah |
19. | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment | Shri Porika Balram Naik |
20. | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare | Shri Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury |
21. | Ministry of Road Transport and Highways | Shri Tushar Amarsinh Chaudhary |
22. | Ministry of Communications and Information Technology | Shri Milind Murli Deora |
23. | Ministry of Communications and Information Technology | Dr. (Smt.) Kruparani Killi |
24. | Ministry of Coal | Shri Pratik Prakashbapu Patil |
25. | Ministry of Minority Affairs | Shri Ninong Ering |
26. | Ministry of Rural Development | Shri Pradeep Kumar Jain Aditya |
27. | Ministry of Home Affairs | Shri Ratanjit Pratap Narain Singh |
28. | Ministry of Planning Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs |
Shri Rajeev Shukla |
29. | Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers | Shri Srikant Kumar Jena |
30. | Minister of Urban Development | Smt. Deepa Dasmunsi |
31. | Minister of Labour and Employment | Shri Suresh Kodikunnil |
32. | Minister of New and Renewable Energy | Shri S. Jagathrakshakan |
33. | Minister of Civil Aviation | Shri K. C. Venugopal |
34. | Minister of Parliamentary Affairs | Shri Paban Singh Ghatowar |
35. | Ministry of Defence | Shri Jitendra Singh |
36. | Ministry of Defence | Shri Lalchand Kataria |
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
V Narayan Murthy honoured with 2012 Hoover Medal
V. Narayan Murthy was honoured with 2012 Hoover Medal at the Global
Humanitarian Technology Conference in Seattle in Washington on 22
October 2012. Murthy, who is the 70th recipient since the medal's
inception, was recognized for establishing a foundation that forges
outstanding improvements in healthcare, social rehabilitation, rural
uplift and education. Previous awardees include former US presidents
Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower and James Earl Carter.
Narayan Murthy co-founded Infosys limited in 1981. He contributed significantly in India's success in information technology outsourcing.
The Hoover Medal was established in 1930 to recognize great, unselfish, non-technical services by engineers to humanity. The Infosys Science Foundation was established in 2009 to promote science research in India.
The Hoover Medal is administered by a board representing five engineering organizations: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Narayan Murthy co-founded Infosys limited in 1981. He contributed significantly in India's success in information technology outsourcing.
The Hoover Medal was established in 1930 to recognize great, unselfish, non-technical services by engineers to humanity. The Infosys Science Foundation was established in 2009 to promote science research in India.
The Hoover Medal is administered by a board representing five engineering organizations: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
DAILY DOSE
Gov. of Bangladesh Awarded Babu Jagjivan Ram with Friends of Liberation War Honour
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of India, Babu Jagjivan Ram was awarded with the Friends of Liberation War Honour by the Government of Bangladesh for his contribution in the 1971 War.
He was given the honour by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and President of Bangladesh, Mohammad. Zillur Rahman.
The award was received by Babuji's grandson, Anshul Avijit at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Anshul Avijit, is a journalist and academician and also the son of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar.
Babu Jagjivan Ram as the Defence Minister and chief strategist of India in 1971, helped in liberation of Bangladesh. He assured that the war for liberation of Bangladesh ended in the remarkably short time of 13 days.
He was among the remarkable figure that had helped in creation of the Joint Command of Bangladesh and the Indian forces for the final outrage which led to the victory.
An Insight into Political Career of Babu Jagjivan Ram
Babu Jagjivan Ram was born near Arrah in Bhojpur district of Bihar in 1908 and had joined the freedom struggle while student in BHU in Benares and at Calcutta University.
• He as a freedom fighter founded the All India Depressed Classes League.
• He was the youngest serving member of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Interim Government of 1946 as the Minister of Labour and had also hold a number of critical portfolios including Agriculture, Railways, Communications and Defence.
• He holds the record for having an uninterrupted Parliamentary career that spanned almost half a century – from 1936 as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly to 1986 as a member of the Eighth Lok Sabha.
He was given the honour by the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and President of Bangladesh, Mohammad. Zillur Rahman.
The award was received by Babuji's grandson, Anshul Avijit at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in Dhaka. Anshul Avijit, is a journalist and academician and also the son of Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar.
Babu Jagjivan Ram as the Defence Minister and chief strategist of India in 1971, helped in liberation of Bangladesh. He assured that the war for liberation of Bangladesh ended in the remarkably short time of 13 days.
He was among the remarkable figure that had helped in creation of the Joint Command of Bangladesh and the Indian forces for the final outrage which led to the victory.
An Insight into Political Career of Babu Jagjivan Ram
Babu Jagjivan Ram was born near Arrah in Bhojpur district of Bihar in 1908 and had joined the freedom struggle while student in BHU in Benares and at Calcutta University.
• He as a freedom fighter founded the All India Depressed Classes League.
• He was the youngest serving member of Jawaharlal Nehru’s Interim Government of 1946 as the Minister of Labour and had also hold a number of critical portfolios including Agriculture, Railways, Communications and Defence.
• He holds the record for having an uninterrupted Parliamentary career that spanned almost half a century – from 1936 as a member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly to 1986 as a member of the Eighth Lok Sabha.
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
DAILY DOSE
Sharmila Tagore gets honorary degree from Edinburgh University
Veteran actress Sharmila Tagore on 25 October 2012 was Awarded with an Honorary Doctorate of Arts for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema by the Edinburgh Napier University.
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University Dame Joan Stringer
called her as an excellent ambassador for the Indian Culture.
Sharmila Tagore whose films are appreciated and enjoyed all over the world is also a strong advocate of educational rights of Indian children. At present, she is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF that is working for literacy, maternal health and AIDS-related issues and is also an active spokesperson for Indian Children Child Rights and YOU (CRY).
The University stressed its strong links with India and Indian Culture and pointed out that to promote and establish a relationship with Indian culture, philosophy, education, art and literature it has created a Scottish Center for Tagore Studies (ScoTs), which highlights the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore the first Asian, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in the Year 1913. This study center is first of its kind in United Kingdom.
The 67 year old Indian actress announced that her recognition and honour from the University proves the role of Indian Cinema and its cultural influence across the world.
Career of Sharmila Tagore in the Indian Film Industry
Sharmila Tagore started her career as an actress in 1959 with Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Apur Sansar (The World of Apu). Some more films of Sharmila Tagore includes Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964, Evening in Paris in 1967, Aradhana in 1969 and Amar Prem in 1972, Safar in 1970, Daag in 1973, Maalik in 1972and many more. For Mausam,a film directed By Gulzar based on the novel named The Judas Tree by A.J. Conin, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1976 and received the Silver Lotus Award at the 23rd National Film Festival for this film.
Awards and Honours
• Filmfare Best Actress Award for Aradhana in 1969
• Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award for Safar in the year 1970
• National Film Award for Best Actress in 1976 for her role in the movie Mausam
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997
• Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2002
• National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Abar Aranye in the year 2004
• Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France in 2004
• In the year 2006 was nominated for Filmfare Best Actress Award in Viruddh- Family Comes First
• Lifetime Achievement National Award (Actress) in the year 2007 honoured by Journalist Association of India
• In 2011was awarded with Outstanding Achievement in Indian cinema at Floriana IIFA Awards, Toronto
Sharmila Tagore has also served the Central Board of Film Certification in India as its Chairperson.
Sharmila Tagore whose films are appreciated and enjoyed all over the world is also a strong advocate of educational rights of Indian children. At present, she is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF that is working for literacy, maternal health and AIDS-related issues and is also an active spokesperson for Indian Children Child Rights and YOU (CRY).
The University stressed its strong links with India and Indian Culture and pointed out that to promote and establish a relationship with Indian culture, philosophy, education, art and literature it has created a Scottish Center for Tagore Studies (ScoTs), which highlights the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore the first Asian, who won a Nobel Prize for Literature in the Year 1913. This study center is first of its kind in United Kingdom.
The 67 year old Indian actress announced that her recognition and honour from the University proves the role of Indian Cinema and its cultural influence across the world.
Career of Sharmila Tagore in the Indian Film Industry
Sharmila Tagore started her career as an actress in 1959 with Satyajit Ray's Bengali film Apur Sansar (The World of Apu). Some more films of Sharmila Tagore includes Kashmir Ki Kali in 1964, Evening in Paris in 1967, Aradhana in 1969 and Amar Prem in 1972, Safar in 1970, Daag in 1973, Maalik in 1972and many more. For Mausam,a film directed By Gulzar based on the novel named The Judas Tree by A.J. Conin, she won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1976 and received the Silver Lotus Award at the 23rd National Film Festival for this film.
Awards and Honours
• Filmfare Best Actress Award for Aradhana in 1969
• Nominated, Filmfare Best Actress Award for Safar in the year 1970
• National Film Award for Best Actress in 1976 for her role in the movie Mausam
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997
• Star Screen Lifetime Achievement Award in the year 2002
• National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for Abar Aranye in the year 2004
• Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters of France in 2004
• In the year 2006 was nominated for Filmfare Best Actress Award in Viruddh- Family Comes First
• Lifetime Achievement National Award (Actress) in the year 2007 honoured by Journalist Association of India
• In 2011was awarded with Outstanding Achievement in Indian cinema at Floriana IIFA Awards, Toronto
Sharmila Tagore has also served the Central Board of Film Certification in India as its Chairperson.
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Sachin Tendulkar to be awarded Order of Australia membership
Sachin Tendulkar is set to another feather to his already crowded cap as Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on October 16 announced that the iconic Indian cricketer will be conferred the membership of the Order of Australia, an honour “rarely” awarded to non-Australians.
Sachin Tendulkar will become only the second Indian after former Attorney General Soli Sorabjee to get the honour. Mr. Sorabjee was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) “for service to Australia-India bilateral legal relations” in 2006.
Tendulkar is not the first cricketer to be made an Order
of Australia AM as in 2009, West Indies legend Brian Lara was also made
an honorary member.
Another West Indies legend,
Clive Lloyd, is an Honorary Officer in the Order of Australia, having
been conferred the award way back in 1985.
The
right-handed Tendulkar, considered the finest batsman in contemporary
cricket, has 15,533 runs in 190 Tests besides a mammoth 18,426 runs in
463 ODIs.
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DAILY DOSE
Sunday, September 23, 2012
FDI in multi-brand retail and aviation
India opened its retail, aviation, broadcasting and power sectors to foreign supermarkets on September 14, a major economic reform that has been stalled for months by political gridlock and came as part of a package of measures aimed at reviving growth.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India's largely unorganised retail sector will help curb inflationary pressure by easing supply side constraints and revive economic growth, analysts said.
However, some experts have the opinion that it could hamper firms hoping to set up shop in the world's second-most populous country.
key aspects of the policy:
States to decide on implementation
Individual state governments will decide whether to allow foreign supermarket chains to enter. The Congress party-led government hopes this will take the sting out of opposition from regional parties who say the policy will destroy jobs.
Opponents of the reform include Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal and the most powerful ally in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.
FOR: Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in support of the UPA government’s move.
AGAINST: Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Odisha have formally stated their opposition.
Sourcing from small companies
Foreign retailers will have to source almost a third of their manufactured and processed goods from industries with a total plant and machinery investment of less than USD 1 million. Supermarket chains will certify compliance with this themselves.
The government will reserve the first right to procure food produce from farmers before companies do, in order to provide stocks for its food subsidy schemes for poor households.
Minimum investments
Foreign retailers will have to invest a minimum of USD 100 million, and put at least half of their total investment into so-called 'back-end' infrastructure, such as warehousing and cold storage facilities.
This requirement has to be met within three years of a retailer setting up shop.
The aim is to meet one of the key justifications for opening the supermarket sector to foreign players -- revamping the country's crumbling infrastructure and unclogging bottlenecks.
The bottlenecks fan inflation, which has proved a major headache for the government and the Reserve Bank of India.
Policymakers argue opening the sector will help ease prices for a country where hundreds of millions live in dire poverty.
Big cities
Foreign retailers will only be allowed to set up shop in cities with a population of more than 1 million. In states where there are no cities with such a big population, individual state governments can choose where to allow foreign chains to open.
Critics of the new retail policy, including from opposition parties and domestic traders, say opening the doors to the likes of Wal-Mart will wipe out the country's small, family-run neighbourhood stores and trigger mass unemployment.
By restricting foreign firms to cities, the government hopes the supermarkets will become accessible to the country's swelling middle class, while protecting the livelihoods of shopkeepers in smaller towns and rural areas.
Indian Economy: FACTBOX
According to the latest Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) data, the Indian economy grew at a sluggish 5.5 percent in the April-June 2012 period as compared to 8 percent in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
The GDP growth had slumped to a nine-year low of 5.3 percent in the quarter ended March.
The decision to push forward the reform process has come at a time when business sentiments have taken a beating, GDP growth is near decade low, inflation remained stubbornly high and the government was criticised for "policy paralysis".
India an ideal FDI destination
A recent UNCTAD survey projected India as the second most important FDI destination (after China) for transnational corporations during 2010–2012. India has seen an eightfold increase in its FDI in March 2012.
As per the data, the sectors which attracted higher inflows were services, telecommunication, construction activities and computer software and hardware.
Mauritius, Singapore, US and UK were among the leading sources of FDI for India.
According to Ernst and Young, foreign direct investment in India in 2010 was USD 44.8 billion, and in 2011 experienced an increase of 13 percent to USD 50.8 billion.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN INDIA
- 51 percent FDI in multi-brand retail
- FDI cap in broadcasting raised from 49 percent to 74 percent
- Sale of equities in four PSUs including Hindustan Copper Ltd (9.59 percent), Nalco (12.15 percent), Oil India Ltd (10 percent) and MMTC (9 percent)
- Foreign investment in power exchanges
- Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Daman & Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in support of the UPA government’s move
- Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Odisha have formally stated their opposition
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
ECONOMY
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Ninth World Hindi Conference held at Johannesburg
The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India with the
support of Hindi Shiksha Sangh, South Africa and other stakeholders is
organizing the Ninth World Hindi Conference [WHC] in Johannesburg, South
Africa from 22-24 September, 2012. The Conference will be held at Johannesburg, South Africa.
The tradition of the World Hindi Conferences began with the first conference
having been organized in Nagpur in the year 1975. Since then, these
conferences have achieved a global profile and momentum of their own. The
subsequent eight World Hindi Conferences were organized in different world
cities, namely, twice in Port Louis (Mauritius), twice in India, Port of
Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), London (UK), Paramaribo (Suriname) and New York
(USA). All these conferences have always attracted a galaxy of renowned
scholars and followers of Hindi. In keeping with this growing reach and
popularity of this event, the Government has decided to organize the next
conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, which would also be an apt
recognition of India’s historic, close and growing ties with the whole of
the African continent. South Africa also carries the profound memories of
Mahatma Gandhi’s association with that region.
The 9th World Hindi Conference would deliberate on a series of traditional
and contemporary themes related with both classical and modern aspects of
Hindi. The theme of the conference this year will be “Bhasha ki Asmita
Aur Hindi Ka Vaishvik Sandarbh”. The conference would also have nine
academic sessions on such subjects as Mahatma Gandhi’s linguistic vision;
Hindi and modern technology; role of Indian epics in propagation of Hindi;
contribution of foreign scholars in dissemination of Hindi; Mass media and
Hindi, etc.
The last eight World Hindi Conferences have been held at the
following places:
First WHC - Nagpur [India] : 10-12 January, 1975
Second WHC - Mauritius : 28-30 August, 1976
Third WHC - New Delhi [India] : 28-30 October, 1983
Fourth WHC - Mauritius : 2-4 December, 1993
Fifth WHC - Port of Spain [Trinidad & Tobago] : 4-8 April, 1996
Sixth WHC - London [UK] : 14-18 September, 1999
Seventh WHC - Paramaribo [Suriname] : 6-9 June, 2003
Eighth WHC - New York [USA] : 13-15 July, 2007
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Thursday, September 6, 2012
Kaushik Basu appointed as World Bank Chief Economist
On
5 September 2012, The World Bank appointed Kaushik Basu, as its chief
economist and senior vice president. Basu, an Indian national and a
Cornell University professor most recently served as chief economic
adviser of the India's Union Ministry of Finance. He has to take over as the chief economist at the World Bank on October 1.
Kaushik Basu, 60, holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and has also founded the Centre for Development Economics at the Delhi School of Economics in 1992 is also a founding member of the Madras School of Economics.
He had his wide contributions in the field span development economics, welfare economics, industrial organisation and public economics
He has earlier served as chairman of Cornell's economics department and was a director of its Center for Analytic Economics. He was awarded with one of the country's highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan in May 2008.
In his two-and-a-half-year stay in the Union finance ministry, Basu gave some constructive thoughts on food coupons and innovative ways to tackle corruption among other advices.
Kaushik Basu, 60, holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and has also founded the Centre for Development Economics at the Delhi School of Economics in 1992 is also a founding member of the Madras School of Economics.
He had his wide contributions in the field span development economics, welfare economics, industrial organisation and public economics
He has earlier served as chairman of Cornell's economics department and was a director of its Center for Analytic Economics. He was awarded with one of the country's highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan in May 2008.
In his two-and-a-half-year stay in the Union finance ministry, Basu gave some constructive thoughts on food coupons and innovative ways to tackle corruption among other advices.
Labels:
CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
DAILY DOSE
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
CURRENT AFFAIRS PRACTICE MCQs
1. India and Pakistan have agreed to increase their bilateral trade from existing USD 2 billion to ____________ dollars by 2014.
a) USD 4 billion
b) USD 6 billion
c) USD 7 billion
d) USD 8 billion
e) None of the above
2. Prithvi-II, India’s medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads in a range of up to ________.
a) 300 km
b) 350 km
c) 400 km
d) 450 km
e) None of the above
3. Which is the amount of subsidy provided by the governemnt on 14.2-kg LPG cylinder?
a) Rs. 22.58 /-per cylinder
b) Rs. 21.62 /-per cylinder
c) Rs. 24.54 /-per cylinder
d) Rs. 28.38 /-per cylinder
e) None of the
4. The rate of duty on import of crude oils is:
a) 1%
b) 2%
c) 3%
d) 5%
e) zero percent
5. Which one of following is the maximum speed limit (km/h) for cars over Yamuna Expressway highway?
a) 100
b) 110
c) 115
d) 120
e) None of the above
6. In a bid to normalize the trade relations between India and Pakistan, the Indian banking regulator RBI gave its nod to which of the followings bank(s) to set up their branches in Pakistan?
1. Bank of India
2. Punjab National Bank
3. State Bank of India
a) Only 1
b) Only 2
c) Only 3
d) Both 1 & 2
e) Both 1 & 3
7. Presently, which bank is the largest issuer of credit cards in the country?
a) SBI
b) PNB
c) IDBI
d) HDFC
e) ICICI
a) USD 4 billion
b) USD 6 billion
c) USD 7 billion
d) USD 8 billion
e) None of the above
2. Prithvi-II, India’s medium range surface-to-surface ballistic missile is capable of carrying nuclear warheads in a range of up to ________.
a) 300 km
b) 350 km
c) 400 km
d) 450 km
e) None of the above
3. Which is the amount of subsidy provided by the governemnt on 14.2-kg LPG cylinder?
a) Rs. 22.58 /-per cylinder
b) Rs. 21.62 /-per cylinder
c) Rs. 24.54 /-per cylinder
d) Rs. 28.38 /-per cylinder
e) None of the
4. The rate of duty on import of crude oils is:
a) 1%
b) 2%
c) 3%
d) 5%
e) zero percent
5. Which one of following is the maximum speed limit (km/h) for cars over Yamuna Expressway highway?
a) 100
b) 110
c) 115
d) 120
e) None of the above
6. In a bid to normalize the trade relations between India and Pakistan, the Indian banking regulator RBI gave its nod to which of the followings bank(s) to set up their branches in Pakistan?
1. Bank of India
2. Punjab National Bank
3. State Bank of India
a) Only 1
b) Only 2
c) Only 3
d) Both 1 & 2
e) Both 1 & 3
7. Presently, which bank is the largest issuer of credit cards in the country?
a) SBI
b) PNB
c) IDBI
d) HDFC
e) ICICI
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Girisha bags silver at Paralympic Games
Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda gave India its first
medal at the Paralympic Games after bagging silver in the men’s high
jump F42 event in London. The 24-year-old from
Karnataka, who has an impairment in his left leg, sailed over a height
of 1.74m using scissors technique in the final of the event to finish
second in the presence of an 80,000 capacity crowd.
Iliesa Delana of Fiji won the gold, while Lukasz Mamczarz of Poland settled for bronze. Although Delana finished on the same height of 1.74m as Girisha and Mamczarz but won gold on the basis of taking less jumps.
India at Paralympics
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960 Rome | did not participate | |||||
1964 Tokyo | did not participate | |||||
1968 Tel Aviv | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1972 Heidelberg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
1976 Toronto | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1980 Arnhem | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1984 Stoke Mandeville/New York | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
1988 Seoul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1992 Barcelona | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
1996 Atlanta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2000 Sydney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2004 Athens | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
2008 Beijing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
2012 London | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
Total | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
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DAILY DOSE
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
APPOINTMENTS IN INDIA 2012
- Parvin Sinclair appointed as Director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on Jan 2, 2012.
- Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar appointed as President, Indian Economic Association.
- Samir K. Brahmachari reappointed as Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He got extension for a period of two years.
- Arvind Gupta appointed as Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA).
- Vice Admiral M.P. Muralidharan appointed as Director General, Indian Coast Guard in Jan 2012. Earlier served as the first Commandant fo the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala.
- M. Rafeeque Ahmed appointed as President, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) in Jan 2012, he is chairman of the Farida Group; was FIEO President from 2002 to 2004
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CURRENT AFFAIRS MCQs
1. Pranab Mukherjee has been recently elected as the ____ th President of India?
A) 12th
B) 13th
C) 15th
D) 14th
Answer- B) 13th
2. Which Indian Bank has taken step to form India’s first Mortgage guarantee entity just like other developed countries?
A) SBI
B) National Housing Bank
C) LIC Housing
D) HDFC
Answer- B) National Housing Bank
3. Which only Indian President won the Presidential Election without any contest?
A) APJ Abdul Kalam
B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
C) Rajendra Prasad
D) Pratibha Patil
Answer- B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
4. Eminent Freedom Fighter and social activist Captain Lakshmi Sehgal passed away in Kanpur on 23 July 2012. She was one of the most important members of S C Bose’s Indian National Army. She contested Presidential election in 2002 against whom?
A) APJ Abdul Kalam
B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
C) Rajendra Prasad
D) Pratibha Patil
Answer- A) APJ Abdul Kalam
5. Which Country is the largest producer of Cocoa, which is mainly used for Chocolate?
A) Ghana
B) Ivory Coast
C) Kenya
D) Zimbabwe
Answer- B) Ivory Coast
6. Leader of National Advisory Council, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UPA government’s manifesto, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP)?
A) Sonia Gandhi
B) Kausik Basu
C) Pranab Mukherjee
D) Manmohan Singh
Answer- A) Sonia Gandhi
7. Who has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Egypt?
A) Hosni Mubarak
B) Hisham Kandil
C) Mohamed Morsi
D) None of these
Answer- B) Hisham Kandil
8. International donor conference on Afghanistan was held recently to donate funding for Afghanistan development. It was held in?
A) Kabul
B) Tokyo
C) Hong Kong
D) Singapore
Answer- B) Tokyo
9. Which country will host the 4th Champions League T20 in October this year?
A) India
B) Australia
C) South Africa
D) England
Answer- C) South Africa
10. QFI (Qualified Foreign Investment) is regulated in India by?
A) RBI
B) Financial Action Task Force
C) SEBI
D) IRDA
Answer- B) Financial Action Task Force
A) 12th
B) 13th
C) 15th
D) 14th
Answer- B) 13th
2. Which Indian Bank has taken step to form India’s first Mortgage guarantee entity just like other developed countries?
A) SBI
B) National Housing Bank
C) LIC Housing
D) HDFC
Answer- B) National Housing Bank
3. Which only Indian President won the Presidential Election without any contest?
A) APJ Abdul Kalam
B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
C) Rajendra Prasad
D) Pratibha Patil
Answer- B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
4. Eminent Freedom Fighter and social activist Captain Lakshmi Sehgal passed away in Kanpur on 23 July 2012. She was one of the most important members of S C Bose’s Indian National Army. She contested Presidential election in 2002 against whom?
A) APJ Abdul Kalam
B) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy
C) Rajendra Prasad
D) Pratibha Patil
Answer- A) APJ Abdul Kalam
5. Which Country is the largest producer of Cocoa, which is mainly used for Chocolate?
A) Ghana
B) Ivory Coast
C) Kenya
D) Zimbabwe
Answer- B) Ivory Coast
6. Leader of National Advisory Council, responsible for monitoring the implementation of the UPA government’s manifesto, the Common Minimum Programme (CMP)?
A) Sonia Gandhi
B) Kausik Basu
C) Pranab Mukherjee
D) Manmohan Singh
Answer- A) Sonia Gandhi
7. Who has been elected as the new Prime Minister of Egypt?
A) Hosni Mubarak
B) Hisham Kandil
C) Mohamed Morsi
D) None of these
Answer- B) Hisham Kandil
8. International donor conference on Afghanistan was held recently to donate funding for Afghanistan development. It was held in?
A) Kabul
B) Tokyo
C) Hong Kong
D) Singapore
Answer- B) Tokyo
9. Which country will host the 4th Champions League T20 in October this year?
A) India
B) Australia
C) South Africa
D) England
Answer- C) South Africa
10. QFI (Qualified Foreign Investment) is regulated in India by?
A) RBI
B) Financial Action Task Force
C) SEBI
D) IRDA
Answer- B) Financial Action Task Force
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CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Aamir Khan on Time magazine cover
Superstar Aamir Khan, fresh from the success of his debut TV show
‘Satyamev Jayate’, has been featured on the cover of Time magazine.
Aamir Khan features on the cover of the Asia edition of the magazine,
which will be out next week. With a close-up picture of his face, the
title for the cover reads: “Khan’s Quest” – He is breaking the Bollywood
mold by tackling India’s social evils. Can an actor change a nation?”
The 47-year-old actor’s show, which wrapped up on August 15, highlighted
social evils like female foeticide, sexual abuse and domestic violence.
Other Indian actors to feature on the cover of the magazine are Parveen Babi and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
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DAILY DOSE
Saturday, September 1, 2012
World’s Highest Railway Bridge Over Chenab River
The Railway bridge being constructed over the Chenab River
in Jammu & Kashmir is planned to have a height of 359 meters from river bed
level which, as per available information, is the highest railway bridge in the
world.
The railway bridge over river Chenab is a part of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla new line project which, on
completion, is expected to connect Anantnag, Pulwama, Sopian, Badgam, Srinagar and Baramulla districts of Jammu & Kashmir State
to the Railway network.
Special quality structural steel is being used in the
construction of the bridge involving very high degree of precision and latest
welding technology. Special painting
scheme is being used for arch portion which is designed considering a number of
additional parameters such as fatigue, seismic effect, blast load, global
stability and composite action. Various latest
safety measures like measuring wind velocity, ground acceleration in case of
earthquake, temperature monitor etc. are also being planned.
The estimated cost of the bridge as per the contract
agreement of 2004 is Rs. 512.74 crore.
The bridge falls in the Katra-Banihal section
of the project which is targeted to be completed by December 2017.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012,
DAILY DOSE
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Cabinet nod for ban on child labour below 14
The Union Cabinet on August 28 approved a proposal for amending the Child
Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, to ban employment of
children aged up to 14 in any form of industry.
It will be an offence to employ such children not only in factories or
industries but also in homes or on farms, if their labour is meant to
serve any commercial interest.
The Ministry of Labour is likely to introduce the amendment bill in Parliament soon.
Quoting the National Sample Survey Organisation’s figures, official
sources said the amendment would benefit 46 lakh children, who have been
working in various industries now, and they can concentrate on
education.
The Cabinet also approved another amendment to define children aged
14-18 as “adolescents” and prohibit their employment in mines,
explosives industries, chemical and paint industries and other hazardous
establishments.
The government’s decision is in line with the convention of the
International Labour Organisation (ILO), which prohibits any form of
child labour until the age of 14.
Since the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or RTE
now stipulates compulsory and free education of children up to the age
of 14, the upper age limit in the Child Labour Act has been kept at 14.
The RTE, which makes education the fundamental right of a child, was
passed by Parliament on August 4, 2009. It sets forth the modalities of
free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14. The Act came into
effect on April 1, 2010.
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POLITY
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
PJ Kurien elected the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
PJ Kurien was unanimously elected the Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh moved the motion for the election of
Kurien.
Kurien has been the member of national parliament for the last three decades representing Idukki, and Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituencies. Since 2005 he is a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The Deputy Chairman is elected in the meeting of the Rajya Sabha as decided by Chairman of the Rajya Sabha from amongst the members of the Rajya Sabha. He is supposed to resign from his original party because as a Deputy Speaker, he has to remain impartial.
Deputy Chaiman of Rajya Sabha acts as the Presiding Officer in case of leave or absence of the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Vice-President of India.
Kurien has been the member of national parliament for the last three decades representing Idukki, and Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituencies. Since 2005 he is a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The Deputy Chairman is elected in the meeting of the Rajya Sabha as decided by Chairman of the Rajya Sabha from amongst the members of the Rajya Sabha. He is supposed to resign from his original party because as a Deputy Speaker, he has to remain impartial.
Deputy Chaiman of Rajya Sabha acts as the Presiding Officer in case of leave or absence of the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, the Vice-President of India.
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CURRENT AFFAIRS 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Miss China crowned Miss World 2012
China's Yu Wenxia has been crowned the 2012 Miss World.
This is the second time Miss China has been awarded the title. The last time was in 2007 when Zhang Zilin took the honor.
The first runner-up is Sophie Elizabeth Moulds of Wales and the second runner-up is Jessica Michelle Kahawaty of Australia.
The 23-year-old Yu is a music student who says she wants to become a music teacher.
This is the first time for the Inner Mongolian city of Ordos to host the international beauty pageant.
The city is one of the richest regions in China thanks to its abundant natural resources. It hopes the world event will raise its profile for economic development and tourism.
Sanya, another Chinese city, has hosted the contest several times.
India's Vanya Mishra made it to the top seven spot but failed to progress further. She, however, did bag the titles of Miss Social Media and Miss Beauty with a Purpose.
In the semi-finals, the contestants were asked to perform on the music of their country and Vanya chose to dance on "Dil cheez kya hai" from 1981 film "Umrao Jaan", which landed her a spot in the top seven finalists.
Rita Faria was the first Indian to bag the title in 1966, followed by Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000). China has already hosted the competition five times.
Miss World contest has several preliminary rounds, the winners of these major rounds of the pageant are:
1. Beach Fashion: Miss Wales
2. Talent Champion: Miss China
3. Top Model: Miss Sudan
4. Beauty with a Purpose: Miss India
5. Social Media Award: Miss India
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