This document provides a summary of current events from India and around the world between November 2014 and January 2015. It includes the following key points: - Prime Minister Modi visited Myanmar, Australia, and Fiji in November 2014 to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties. He also attended ASEAN and East Asia summits in Myanmar. - India was placed 78th on talent competitiveness, 65th for travel/tourism, 85th for corruption, and 48th for internet utilization based on various global indexes. - US President Obama visited India as chief guest for Republic Day and the two countries agreed to strengthen civil nuclear cooperation. - International Yoga Day was established on June 21st each year after

2. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 1
GENERAL AWARENESS
MARCH 2015
Vol. 3, Issue 09
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
CONTENTS
CURRENT AFFAIRS
NOV 2014 TO JAN 2015
1-34
BULLET NEWS
AUGUST TO OCTOBER 2014
35-47
PEDAGOGY SPECIAL 48-60
SSC MODEL TEST PAPER 61-73
LATEST GK BULLETS 74-99
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (15.1.2015) 7.75%
REVERSE REPO RATE 6.75%
MARGINAL STANDING FACILITY
RATE
8.75%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 22%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 8.75%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.80% –
10.25 %
INDIA’S RANK IN
Talent Competitiveness 78th
Travel and Tourism Index 65th
Corruption Perceptions Index 85th
The Web Index 2014 48th
Global Terrorism Index 2014 6th
Global Slavery Index 2014 1st
Gender Gap Index 114th
Ease of Doing Business (World Bank) 142nd
Global Hunger Index 2013 55th
Global Competitiveness 71st
Human Development Index 135th
Global Innovation Index 76th
Economic Confidence Index 01st
Choice for FDI 143rd
Press Freedom Index 2014 78th
Social Progress Index 102nd
World Press Freedom Index 140th
Environment Performance Index 155th
NATIONAL NEWS
JANUARY 2015
Obama Charms India
 Barrack Obama became the first U.S. President to be the Chief Guest at the
Republic Day and the first U.S. President to visit India twice during his tenure.
 The two leaders agreed to operationalise the civil nuclear deal, resolving the key
hurdles pertaining to the liability of suppliers of nuclear reactors in the event of
an accident and the tracking of fuel supplied by the US.
 Obama announced new initiatives worth $ 4 billion aimed at boosting trade and
investment ties as well as jobs in India through a new Indian Diaspora
Investment Initiative.
 For the first time in the history of India’s Republic Day, all-women contingent
from the three defence forces-Army, Air Force and Navy, marched down in the
parade.
 India and the US signed MoUs for formulating action plans for development of
smart cities in Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam.
15 NRIS HONOURED AT PBD
15 persons were conferred with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award including Microsoft
CEO Satyanarayan Nadella and Guyana President Donald Rabindernauth Ramaotar at
the three day Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas, Jan 7 to 9, held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
COINS AND STAMPS RELEASED IN PBD
Coins and stamps showing in the same frame pictures of a young Mohandas
Karamchand Gandhi and another of his transformation into Mahatma Gandhi were
here released on Jan 8 at Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas to commemorate the centenary
year of his return to India from South Africa in 1915. The coins are in the
denomination of Rs 100 and Rs 10, while stamps are of the value of Rs. 25 & Rs. 5.
TIGERS’ POPULATION UP BY 38.4%
Across India, the mean figure for tiger
numbers increased from 1,706 in 2010 to
2,226 in 2014, registering an impressive
growth of 30.48 per cent. With 406 tigers,
Karnataka tops the list, followed by
Uttrakhand – 340 and Madhya Pradesh –
308.

3. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 2
INDIA TO HELP NEPAL FOR FIGHTING GOITRE
India will provide Rs 6.90 crore support to Nepal for fighting
against the Iodine Deficiency Disorder Control Programme
(IDDCP) for goitre control across the country. Goitre is an
enlarged thyroid gland found in neck.
ASIA’s BIGGEST LITERARY EVENT AT JAIPUR
ZEE Jaipur Literature
Festival, Asia’s biggest
literary event was held at
Jaipur from 21st
to 25th
Jan
2015. Over 2.45 lakh
persons took part in the
festival. More than 300
authors from over 50
countries attended the
festival.
DSC Prize for Literature:
The $50,000 prize won by
Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri for her book, The
Lowland.
Poet Arunadhathi Subramaniam was declared as the winner
of inaugural Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for
poetry for her work “When God is a Traveler”.
H S BRAHMA IS THE NEW CEC
Former bureaucrat Hari Shankar Brahma has been
appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner of India.
The present incumbent, V S Sampath turned 65 on Jan 15,
the upper age limit under the Constitution for holding the
post. Mr. Brahma too is completing 65 years on April 19.
CEC has a tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65
years, whichever is earlier. He is appointed by the
President, on recommendations of the Union Government.
He enjoys the same official status, salary and perks as
available to Judges of the Supreme Court and High court.
NATIONAL YOUTH FESTIVAL AT GUWAHATI
The 19th National Youth Festival began in Guwahati on Jan
8. The theme this year is, 'Youth for Clean, Green and
Progressive India'. A mascot performing Sattriya dance and
named as Baandhav has been designed for the festival.
INDIA 78TH
IN TERMS OF SKILLED LABOUR
In a list of 93 countries compiled by INSEAD business
school, India has been ranked 78th globally in terms of
talent competitiveness of its human capital, indicating acute
shortage of skilled workforce. Switzerland has topped the
list, followed by Singapore.
SUPREME COURT ENDS SRINI’s GAME
The Supreme Court has barred N Srinivasan, the
controversial businessman and cricket official, from
contesting the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
election until he gives up his commercial interest in the IPL
franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
 India will provide 60 million dollars Line of Credit to
Guyana for its road infrastructure projects. Guyana is a
small republic on northern border of Brazil.
 Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan came to
India on a weeklong visit.
 The 13th Pune International Film Festival has held at
Pune in Maharashtra from January 8 to 15. The theme
of the festival was “War against War".
 102nd
Indian Science Congress was held at Mumbai
University, Maharashtra.
 Two commemorative coins of Rs 100 and five were
released in the honour of Tata Group founder Jamsetji
Nusserwanji Tata's to mark his 175th birth anniversary.
 January 12 is observed as National Youth Day on the
birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher and
thinker Swami Vivekananda.
 India signed an agreement on transfer of prisoners who
are completing their sentence, with Hong Kong
 Germany has agreed to partner with India in developing
three smart cities. A six-member joint committee has
been set up to identify the cities in next three months.
 The first Border Haat (market) along Tripura-
Bangladesh frontier was opened at Srinagar (Tripura) -
Purba Madhugram (Feni, Bangladesh).
 Indian Railways to run an additional weekly trip of
Maitree Express train between Kolkata and Dhaka.
DECEMBER 2014
BHARAT RATNA FOR VAJPAYEE AND MALVIYA
Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Late Pandit
Madan Mohan Malaviya will be honoured with Bharat Ratna-
country's highest civilian award. The announcement was
made in a press communique issued by the Rashtrapati
Bhawan on Dec 24 on the recommendation of the Prime
Minister.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who was the
first Prime Minister from outside Congress to serve a full
five-year term from 1998 to 2004. A parliamentarian for
over four decades, Mr. Vajpayee was elected to the Lok
Sabha nine times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha. He
completed 90 years on 25th
December. He is the seventh
Prime Minister to receive the award.
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya was an Indian
educationist and politician well known for his role in Indian
freedom struggle. He was the President of the Indian
National Congress in 1909 and 1918. He is most
remembered as the founder of Banaras Hindu University,
the largest residential university in Asia. 25 Dec marks his
153rd
birthday. He is the 12th person to be named
posthumously for Bharat Ratna.
PUTIN OPENS ECONOMIC DOORS FOR INDIA
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi to
attend the 15th India-Russia annual summit on Dec 11.
 He addressed the World Diamond Congress held at
Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.
 Russian diamond mining giant ALROSA agreed to
supply diamonds worth $2.1 billion in the next three
years to 12 Indian companies.
 Russia's atomic firm Rosatom agreed to supply 12
nuclear energy reactors to India over next 20 years,

4. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 3
 Russian oil major Rosneft signed a 10-year crude
supply deal with India’s Essar Oil.
 The two countries agreed to enhance the bilateral trade
from current $10 billion to $30 billion by 2025.
 The two leaders unveiled the ‘Druzhba (friendship in
Russian)-Dosti' vision to strengthen the bilateral
partnership over the next decade
GANDHINAGAR TO HOST 13TH
PBD
13th
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas will be held from 7th to 9th
January at Gandhinagar in Gujarat. It will celebrate 100
years of Mahatama Gandhi's return from South Africa to
India on 9th
January, 1914. This year’s theme is ‘Apna
Bharat, Apna Gaurav’
INDIA 65TH
IN WORLD IN TOURISM
World Economic Forum (WEF) released the 2013 Travel &
Tourism Competitiveness Index. The index assesses 140
nations for their efforts made to develop the travel and
tourism sector. India has been placed at 65th position in
the index topped by Switzerland.
INDIA PLACED 85TH
IN CORRUPTION INDEX
As per the Corruption Perceptions Index – 2014 released by
the Transparency International, India stands at 85th
position among 175 countries, (scoring 38 marks) as against
94th last year. India shares its position with Sri Lanka.
Denmark retained its position as the least corrupt country
with a score of 92 while North Korea and Somalia shared
the last place, scoring just eight.
JUNE 21 IS INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY
On Dec 17, the UN General
Assembly (UNGA) adopted
a resolution to
declare June 21 as
International Yoga Day,
recognising the ancient
Indian science's "holistic
approach to health and
well-being." Indian Prime
Miniser Mr. Modi had made
the proposal during his address to the UNGA on 27th of
September this year.
Why June 21? It marks the beginning of summer solstice
in Northern Hemisphere and is the longest day of the year
receiving highest amount of solar energy.
28000 CRORE SUPPORT FOR NORTH EAST
Focusing on improving connectivity to the north-east,
Central govt plans to provide Rs 28,000 crore for laying new
railway lines in the region and develop the "untapped"
tourism potential of the area. Besides, Rs 5000 crore each
will be provided for extending 2G mobile coverage and for
improvement of power system in northeastern region.
INDIA TOPS IN OUTFLOW OF BLACK MONEY
As per the Global Financial Integrity, India figures among
the top three countries that witnessed highest outflow of
black money in 2012 with about 94.76 billion US dollars or
nearly 6 lakh crore rupees going out of the Country.
INDIA FARES 48TH
ON INTERNET UTILISATION
The Web Index 2014 released by World Wide Web
Foundation to measure the internet's contribution to social,
economic and political progress in the world has placed
Denmark on top followed by Finland and Norway.
India stands at 48th
rank.
 The birthday of the former Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee on the 25th of December will be observed as
National Good Governance Day.
 Mahaparinirwan Diwas observed on 6 December
2014, death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar.
 The Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings 2015 of
UK has placed Bangalore-based IISc at No. 25 in the
overall 100, topped by China's Peking University.
 India’s most prestigious Indian classical music function
– The Tansen Sangeet Samaroh held at Gwalior,
Madhya Pradesh.
 The first Arabic translation of the Indian Constitution
launched by the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt.
 Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid arrived in
Kolkata on a two-day visit to West Bengal.
NOVEMBER 2014
PM VISITS MYANMAR, AUSTRALIA AND FIJI
On Nov 11, Prime Minister Narendra Modi left India for a ten
day foreign visit, starting from Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar
where he attended the ASEAN-India Summit on 12th
Nov.
He attended the 7th
East Asian Summit there on Nov 13.
On the sidelines of the summits, he met Chinese Premier Li
Keqiang, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Russian Premier Dmitry
Medvedev, Thai PM Gen Prayut Chan-o-Cha.
He also met Myanmar’s opposition leader and Nobel
Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
ASEAN is a group of 10 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar,
Cambodia and Brunei with headquarters at Jakarta,
Indonesia.
Next ASEAN summit is to be held in Cambodia, March, 2015.
East Asia Summit is an extended version of ASEAN in
which eight more countries are members – India, China,
Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, USA and South
Korea.
NOV 14: Modi reached Brisbane, Australia to attend Heads
of Nations meet of G-20 nations on 15th
-16th
Nov.
NOV 17: Modi addressed Indian diaspora at Allphones
Arena, Sydney. Mr. Modi assured life time visa to PIO and
OCI card holders. PIO–Persons of Indian Origin
OCI–Overseas Citizens of India
NOV 18: Modi addressed the Australian Parliament at
Canberra, first Indian Prime Minister to do so. Later in day
he visited Melbourne where Australian PM hosted a dinner
for him at the 116 year old Melbourne Cricket Ground.
India and Australia signed five pacts on social security,
transfer of sentenced prisoners, combating narcotics trade,
tourism, and arts and culture.
Prime Minister: Tony Abbott Capital: Canberra
Monarch: Queen Elizabeth Nick name: Aussie, Oz

5. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 4
NOV 19: Modi arrives in Fiji. He addressed their Parliament,
becoming first foreign dignitary to do so. He announced a
$75 million line of credit for a power plant and upgrading
the sugar industry.
Fiji Prime Minister: Frank Bainimarama Capital: Suva
NOV 20: Mr. Modi flied back to India.
MODI WOOS SAARC NATIONS
The two-day 18th
South
Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) summit was
held at Kathmandu from
26th
Nov to 27th
Nov, with
an agenda to improve
connectivity among
member states for
boosting trade, collectively fighting the poverty and
illiteracy. The eight members signed the SAARC Framework
on Energy (Electricity) Cooperation to facilitate inter country
trading of electricity.
Theme: 'Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and
Prosperity'
New Chairman of SAARC: Mr. Sushil Koirala, Prime
Minister of Nepal
FIVE PROPOSALS BY INDIA AT SAARC:
1. SAARC Business traveller card for all member countries
2. Easy visa for medical treatment visits
3. Online courses and e library for South Asian students
4. To provide five – in – one vaccine for children and
support for polio free all countries
5. To provide funds for TB-HIV laboratory
The SAARC has eight members: Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
with permanent headquarters at Kathmandu, Nepal.
The 19th
SAARC summit will be held in 2016 in
Islamabad, Pakistan.
RUSSIAN DEPUTY PM VISITS INDIA
Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia visited
India to attend 20th session of the India-Russia Inter-
Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific,
Technological and Cultural Cooperation at New Delhi.
SAINTHOOD FOR TWO NATIVE INDIANS
In a canonisation ceremony presided over by Pope Francis
II in the Vatican on Nov 23, Sainthood was granted to two
Indians - Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara, popularly known
as Chavara Achen, and Sister Euphrasia, popularly known as
Evuprasiamma. Both of them hail from the Syro Malabar
Catholic Church, Kerala. The only other native Indian to get
sainthood - Sister Alphonsa (2008) is also from this church.
NGOs TO WORK AGAINST OPEN DEFECATION
Three global organisations on 24 November 2014 signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end open
defecation in India. The agreement is for three years.
These three organisations are the World Toilet Organisation
(WTO), WASTE and the Financial Inclusion Improves
Sanitation and Health (FINISH).
INDIA 6TH
WORST HIT BY TERRORISM
Institute for Economics and Peace, Sydney released Global
Terrorism Index 2014. The Index provides ranks for 162
countries in terms of impact of terrorism. Iraq continues to
be worst affected where 6362 lives were lost in 2013 due to
terrorism. India is 6th
worst affected nation.
INDIA TOPS IN HUMAN SLAVERY NUMBERS
With over 14.2 million in India being involved in forced
labour and being victims of trafficking-for sexual exploitation
and forced marriage, the country is home to the largest
number – about 40 per cent of the people trapped in
modern slavery. As per the Global Slavery Index 2014,
published by the Walk Free Foundation in Perth, Australia,
around 35.8 million people are enslaved across the world.
 President Pranab Mukherjee visited Bhutan on a
two-day visit - 7-8 Nov. He is the first Indian head of
state to visit to the country in 26 years.
 6th
World Ayurveda Congress held in New Delhi
from 6 to 9 November 2014. This year’s theme was
“Health Challenges and Ayurveda”.
 A latest UN report says that, India has the world’s
largest youth population with 356 million 10-24-year-
olds, followed by China.
 Public Service Broadcasting Day observed on 12th
Nov to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi's first and only
visit to All India Radio.
 Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd
(IREDA) and US Export-Import (Exim) Bank signed an
MoU for cooperation on clean energy investment.
 The 45th
International Film Festival of India
(IFFI) began in Goa on November 20. China is the
focus country of this festival.
 Children's Film Society of India organised the first
edition of the National Children's Film Festival from 14
to 16 Nov at New Delhi.
 The World Economic Forum (WEF) in partnership with
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) hosted the
India Economic Summit in New Delhi from Nov 4 to 6.
 Prasar Bharti announced to re-launch DD National with
new tagline Doordarshan National – Desh Ka Apna
Channel.
 India and Bhutan signed an MoU on 7th Nov. for the
establishment of Nalanda University in Bihar to develop
the institution as an international centre of excellence.
 Sushma Swaraj: External Affairs Minister visits Dubai
on Nov. 10.
 India and Republic of Korea signed a Memorandum of
Understanding to facilitate technical cooperation in
Railway sector between the two countries.
 First Commonwealth Science Congress was held in
Bengaluru on 25th
November.

6. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 5
NEWS FROM STATES
JANUARY 2015
PUNJAB BANS SALE OF LOOSE CIGARETTES
The Punjab state
has banned the
sale of loose
cigarettes (as
single sticks) and
loose tobacco,
becoming the first
State to do so.
Ban has been
issued as the sale
is in violation of
Section 7 of the COTPA (Cigarettes and Other Tobacco
Products, Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of
Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution
Act, 2003). Since loose cigarettes are affordable and do not
carry a pictorial or a written warning, these will not be
permitted to be sold.
J&K BEST IN e-INITIATIVE
Jammu and Kashmir has been selected, for the first time,
for National e-Governance Award 2014-15 for the best
district- level initiative in the country, for the project e-
Panchayat, launched in 2013-14
ASSAM ONLY PLACE TO GROW ‘PURPLE TEA’
According to a senior scientist and tea expert according to
Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, Assam can emerge
as the only place in the world after Kenya to become a
producer of health-rich medicinal purple tea. Currently,
Kenya is the only country that produces unique purple tea
which fetches three to four times the price of black tea.
 Amitabh Bachchan appointed as the brand
Ambassador for health sector in Andhra Pradesh.
 Hampi Utsav Jan 9 – 11, a mega cultural festival of
dance, drama, art and music held at Hampi, the
erstwhile seat of the Vijayanagar Empire in Karnataka.
 Governor’s rule imposed in J&K as political parties failed
to muster the requisite number in the 87-member
Assembly for staking claim to form the government.
 Voting for all 70 Delhi Assembly seats will be held on
February 7 and counting of votes will be done on
February 10
 Haryana has appointed yoga guru Ramdev as the
state's brand ambassador to promote yoga and
ayurveda in a big way.
DECEMBER 2014
WORLD’s LARGEST HUMAN FLAG
India set a new world record on Dec 7 for forming the
largest human flag, when over fifty thousand volunteers
formed the Indian Tricolour, at YMCA Grounds in Chennai,
beating the previous record held by the Sports Club of
Lahore where 28,957 people formed the flag of Pakistan.
DIAL 161 FOR 4000 SERVICES IN KARNATAKA
On Dec 8, Karnataka launched “Mobile one” e-governance
initiative to enable public to access 4000 government and a
few private services on their mobile phones just by dialing
161. They can pay electricity, water and BSNL telephone
bills through their phones. Farmers can know about
monsoon, market rates and subsidies. The young aspirants
can know about job offers in private sector.
 On Nov 29, Meghalaya got its first rail link when PM
Modi flagged off a train from Maligaon, Guwahati to
Mendipathar in Meghalaya, a distance of 131 kms.
 Andhra govt signed a MoU with Singapore for the
development of its new capital that is set to come up
near Vijawayada region.
 The New Year festival of Tibetans known as Losar
festival is celebrated mainly in Lahaul Distt. It denotes
the start of winter session in the valley.
 Maharashtra to observe the year 2015 as “Year of
Digitised and Time-Bound Services” to standardise,
simplify and deliver the services electronically.
 Arunachal Pradesh won the Krishi Karman Award for
the year 2013-14 for showing exemplary agri-
performance in 14 different categories.
 Manipur to set up a Cultural University to promote its
rich cultural heritage, like Russia’s Moscow State Art
and Cultural University.
 Militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland
(Songbijit) gunned down over 80 persons on Dec 23 in
Sonitpur and Kokrajhar districts of Assam.
NOVEMBER 2014
FIR KIOSKS SET UP AT BENGALURU
The Bengaluru City Police has set up a kiosk that lets
anyone file an FIR at any time, irrespective of where an
incident such as theft or accident may have occurred. The
kiosk, equipped with HD audio-video and a touch screen,
will enable citizens to speak to a police officer and also sign,
print and scan documents.
LUCKNOW - AGRA EXPRESSWAY
The proposed 302 km long
Lucknow - Agra Expressway in
UP would be the country’s
longest access controlled six
lane expressway. It would be
110 meters wide and would cut
down travel time from Lucknow to Agra from existing eight
hours to less than four hours.
 Madhya Pradesh has been chosen for union
government’s Best State Award for Empowerment of
Disabled for year 2014.
 The Karnataka Government aims at construction of 10
lakh toilets by 2018 and make the state completely free
from open defecation.
 Assam State Zoo in Guwahati has become the first zoo
in the world to house the critically endangered
pig Pygmy Hog.
 Kerala has decided to cull about 2,00,000 poultry birds
as a precautionary measure against the H5NI avian
influenza virus.

7. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 6
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
JANUARY 2015
SCHEME LAUNCHED TO SAVE GIRL CHILD
Prime Minister launched
the nationwide 'Beti
Bachao-Beti Padhao'
(save girl child, educate
her) campaign from
Panipat in Haryana on
Jan 22 to counter the
adverse sex ratio in the
country.
 Noted film actress
Madhuri Dixit was
roped in as the brand ambassador of the campaign.
 A special savings scheme by the name ‘Sukanya
Samriddhi Account’ was also launched to encourage
special savings for girl child.
SUKANYA SAMRIDDHI ACCOUNT
 Account can be opened in the name of a girl child of up
to 10-year-old.
 After attaining the age of 10 years, the account holder
can herself operate the account.
 Accounts can be opened in name of girl child in banks
and post offices,
 Interest payment at 9.1 per cent per annum.
 Deposits can be made for 14 years from the date of
opening of the account.
 Half of the fund can be withdrawn for her higher
education and marriage after she attains 18 years of
age.
 The scheme would mature on completion of 21 years
from the date of opening of the account.
 The account can be transferred anywhere in India
 Minimum deposit of Rs. 1000 and thereafter any
amount in multiple of Rs. 100 can be deposited.
 Amount deposited in the scheme is eligible for income
tax rebate.
 For one time, a girl child who has attained the age of
10 years prior to one year from the date of introduction
of this scheme is also eligible under the scheme.
 A maximum of Rs. 1,50,000 can be deposited in a
financial year.
 The account can be opened in any post office or
authorized branches of commercial banks across the
country by producing birth certificate of the girl child.
 To meet the requirement of higher education expenses
of the account holder girl child, partial withdrawal of 50
% of the balance would be allowed after the girl child
has attained the age of 18 years.
 The amount can be deposited in cash, cheque or
demand draft.
SCHEMES LAUNCHED FOR SC ENTREPRENEURS
In a bid to promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled
Castes (SCs), the Ministry of Social Justice and
Empowerment launched two schemes on Jan 16 as under:
1. Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes, with an
initial capital of Rs.200 crore to provide financial assistance
up to Rs.15 crore for up to six years to SC entrepreneurs.
IFCI Ltd. will act as Nodal Agency to operate this fund.
2. Green Business Scheme to provide loans up to Rs.1
lakh at concessional rate of interest to SCs for running e-
rickshaw, solar pumps and other solar energy-powered
implements.
NITI AAYOG IN, PLANNING COMMISSION OUT
On Jan 1, the government announced that the Planning
Commission has been restructured and rechristened as the
NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog. It
will be a multi-tiered structure headed by Prime Minister
with a governing council comprising of the chief ministers of
all states and lieutenant governors of union territories.
‘PRICE STABILISATION FUND’ LAUNCHED
Govt plans to set up a ‘Price
Stabilisation Fund’ (PSF), with a
corpus of Rs 500 crore, to
check price volatility through
procurement of selected
perishable horticulture produce,
maintenance of buffer stocks
and their regulated release into the market. To begin with,
interventions would be supported for onions and potatoes
only and other commodities may be added later on.
HRIDAY SCHEME LAUNCHED
The government has launched a Heritage City Development
and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) to preserve and
rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country. In the
initial phase, 12 heritage cities have been identified which
will be rejuvenated and developed.
ON-LINE TRACKING OF TOILET USAGE
Union Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation has
said that people would be
mobilised to check and verify
the use of toilets in the rural
areas and they can post
photos or upload data of non
use or misuse of toilets
through mobile phones,
tablets or I-Pads onto a website in real time.
Shortage of toilets costs the country more than $50 billion a
year, mostly through premature deaths and hygiene-related
diseases, according to a World Bank study.
NORMS RELAXED FOR SEZs
Aiming to revitalise SEZs, the government has permitted
dual-use of non-processing areas in special economic zones,
allowing developers to set up social infrastructure like
schools, hospitals and hotels which can be accessed by
people within and outside these conclaves.

8. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 7
N I T I A A Y O G
(National Institution for Transforming India)
The Planning Commission was set up by the government in
March 1950 with the declared objective to promote a rapid
rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient
exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing
production and offering opportunities to all for employment
in the service of the community.
However, from being a under-developed economy in 1947,
India has now emerged a powerful economic giant being
the third largest economy in the world on the basis of
Purchasing Power Parity. The government has felt the need
for a change in the organisational set up to take the
economy to a next level of development and meet the
aspirations of the people.
Shortcomings observed with the system of Planning
Commission
India is a multi cultural country with distinct languages,
faiths and cultural ecosystems. The government feels that
the time has come for a paradigm shift in the manner the
policies are planned and implemented; taking in to account
the view points of the states as the major stakeholder in the
process of planning. The earlier approach of one size fits all
came for a sharp criticism depriving the states of
formulating policies for their area based on local
requirements.
Further, the exercise in planning that was being
followed by the erstwhile Planning Commission hardly had
any relevance for the present day market economy. There
was conflict between the ‘planning framework’ and the role
of ‘market’. The role of public sector which were the prime
movers of economy in the initial stages of development
were now incapable of meeting the demands of the
emerging economy. With the public sector getting edged
out with the private capital playing a crucial role in the
development, the role of Planning Commission was more
‘obstructive’ than ‘objective’. The new body is expected to
assist in policy making to enable the private capital and the
entrepreneur to reach its full potential.
The NITI Aayog will reorient its policies keeping in view the
following challenges being faced by the Indian Economy:
1. Leveraging of India’s demographic dividend i.e. making
the best use of young population of the nation for
development and realisation of their potential through
education, skill development, elimination of gender bias,
and employment.
2. Rather than emphasising reduction of poverty, the new
mantra will be-Elimination of poverty, and the chance for
every Indian to live a life of dignity and self-respect.
3. Reddressal of inequalities based on gender bias, caste
and economic disparities.
4. Integrate villages institutionally into the development
process.
5. Policy support to more than 50 million small businesses,
which are a major source of employment creation.
6. Safeguarding of our environmental and ecological assets.
STRUCTURE OF NITI AAYOG
The NITI Aayog will comprise the following:
a. Chairperson: Prime Minister of India
b. Governing Council: Comprising the Chief Ministers of all
the States and Lt. Governors of Union Territories
c. Regional Councils: will be formed to address specific
issues and contingencies impacting more than one state or
a region.
d. Experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant
domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by the
Prime Minister
Full-time organizational framework will comprise of:
i. Chairperson: Prime Minster
ii. Vice Chairperson : To be appointed by the Prime Minister
iii. Members: Full-time
iv. Part-time members: Maximum of two from leading
universities research organizations and other relevant
institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part time members will
be on a rotational basis.
iv. Ex Officio members: Maximum of 4 members of the
Union Council of Ministers to be nominated by the Prime
Minister.
v. Chief Executive Officer: To be appointed by the Prime
Minister for a fixed tenure, in the rank of Secretary to the
Government of India.
vi. Secretariat as deemed necessary.
(Note: for actual office holders please see
APPOINTMENTS section on page 24)
Shortcomings foreseen in the process:
i. Will it continue to work in the same way as the previous
Planning Commission was working?
ii. Distribution of Funds: This body is unlikely to allocate
funds or devise five-year and annual plans as was being
done by the Planning Commission. There is also a question
mark on its other key role regarding allocation of resources
to state governments.
The earlier plan allocation to states was being done through
the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula. It will have to be worked out
under the new dispensation. The Gadgil-Mukherjee formula
has relevance because it ensured well-to-do states had to
spare resources and money for the less prosperous ones.
The success of this organisation will depend on the
following factors:
i. Trust and cooperation it receives here from the different
ministries and the departments, it will be working with.
ii. Cooperation it receives from the states
The first Aayog has onerous task of shaping the destiny of
the nation and making it an important new ‘institution’ in
the federal polity obligated with the objective of
transforming India from a developing economy to the next
level of development.

9. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 8
FACILITY TO LODGE FIR IN TRAIN
Under a new initiative by North Central Railway, rail
passengers will now be able to lodge an FIR in the train
itself. Earlier the passenger had to cut short his visit and
register the FIR at the nearest Government Railway Police
(GRP) station.
HELPLINE LAUNCHED
FOR DRUG ADDICTS
Union Ministry of Social Justice
and Empowerment has
launched a toll-free helpline
(1800-11-0031) to assist the
alcoholic and drug-dependent
persons. Initially, the helpline
will operate from 9:30 am to
6:00 pm from Monday to
Saturday and will be upgraded
later on to a 24x7 helpline.
GREEN INDIA MISSION LAUNCHED
Govt launched 'Green India Mission' for undertaking eco-
friendly development of the rural areas. To begin with 18
villages in Seraikela forest division in Jharkhand have been
selected.
DOMESTIC EFFICIENT LIGHTING PROGRAMME
Prime Minister launched a scheme for LED (light emitting
diodes) bulb distribution under Domestic Efficient Lighting
Programme (DELP) in Delhi on 5th
January. The LED bulbs
will be supplied at an initial payment of Rs 10 each and
recovery of Rs 10 each for 12 months from their electricity
bill. The programme shall be launched all over the country.
SPECIAL PHABLET LAUNCHED FOR FARMERS
ICRISAT launched a customised low-cost combination of
phone and tablet computer ‘greenphablet’ for small farmers.
The device is powered by GreenSIM and is dust- and
shatter-proof, readable under bright sunlight; operates from
-20°C to +60°C.
ICRISAT: International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics. HQ: Hyderbad, Telangana
‘HIMMAT’- MOBILE APP FOR WOMEN
India's first integrated mobile application for women safety
called ‘Himmat' was launched in Delhi on Jan 1. The app
can alert the police in the hour of need by either shaking
the phone or pressing the power button twice. It is directly
linked to the Police Control Room and allows police to locate
the victim, with updation every ten seconds.
CHANDIGARH COULD BE FIRST ‘SMART CITY’
Finance Minister has indicated that the first Indian smart
city to be created probably could be Chandigarh. Smart
cities would be built in a way so that they have
uninterrupted power, water, proper sanitation, efficient
management of solid waste, decongestion of roads, last
mile connectivity and effective use of ICT. Several countries
like Japan, Germany, Sweden, Singapore, Israel, UK, US,
Hong Kong and the Netherlands besides MNCs have shown
interest in building smart cities in India.
PRESIDENT APPROVES JUDICIAL COMMISSION
President gave his assent to the National Judicial
Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, nearly ending the
two-decade-old collegium system for appointment of judges
of the Supreme Court and 24 high courts.
The commission will be headed by the Chief Justice and will
have five other members - two senior-most judges of the
SC, the Law Minister and two eminent persons.
DBTL LAUNCHED IN 622 DISTRICTS
The Direct Benefit Transfer of
LPG (DBTL) scheme, now
called ‘Pratyaksh Hanstantarit
Labh’ (PAHAL), launched in
622 districts wef Jan 1, 2015.
Finally, the scheme will cover
over 15.3 crore consumers
across 676 districts of the
country.
INDIA’s 1st CNG TRAIN STARTS FROM REWARI
Country’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) - powered
train was flagged from Rewari, Haryana on Jan 13. The
dual-fuel CNG Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) will run
between Rewari and Rohtak everyday and would help in
reducing the operating cost of locomotives by over 50%.
 India’s first International Institute of Music will be set
up in Kerala by a trust headed by Sarod Maestro Ustad
Amjad Ali Khan and his family.
 Department of Disability Affairs has been renamed as
Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (Viklangjan Sashaktikaran Vibhag).
 President signed the Citizenship Ordinance to merge
Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizenship
of India (OCI) schemes and to grant life-long Indian
visa to PIOs.
DECEMBER 2014
NATIONAL MISSION FOR TEACHERS
Prime Minister launched a Rs 900-crore scheme "Pandit
Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and
Teaching" at Benaras Hindu University, Varanasi on Dec 25
aimed at creating an environment for producing high quality
teachers.
MISSION INDRADHANUSH FOR VACCINATION
Government has launched Mission Indradhanush to
cover all those children by 2020 who are either
unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against seven vaccine
preventable diseases - Diphtheria, Whooping Cough,
Tetanus, Polio, Tuberculosis, Measles and Hepatitis B.
GRAHAK SUVIDHA KENDRAS FOR CONSUMERS
Government has decided to set-up Grahak Suvidha Kendras
(Consumer care centres) to provide counseling to
consumers in redressal of their grievances and assist them
in registering their complaints in the appropriate consumer
forums. The Centres will also be authorized to take up
complaints with private companies and service providers on
behalf of the government.

10. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 9
ORDINANCE FOR 49% FDI IN INSURANCE
On Dec 24, Union Cabinet approved promulgation of the
ordinance on Insurance Bill to raise foreign investment cap
in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent. It re-
promulgated the ordinance to allow resumption of coal block
allocation. It also opened the medical devices sector to
foreign investment by allowing 100 per cent FDI in these.
GST - ONE NATION, ONE TAX, ONE MARKET
After many hiccups, a nationwide goods and service tax
(GST) seems to be inching towards becoming a reality
WHAT HAPPENED?
The Union Cabinet on Dec 17 cleared the Constitution
Amendment (122nd) Bill on Goods and Services Tax (GST),
and presented the bill in Lok sabha on Dec. 19.
WHAT NEXT?
 Parliament will have to pass it by a two-third majority
and at least half of state Assemblies
 It will likely take up the Bill in the Budget session that
begins in February 2015.
 Govt plans to roll out GST by April 1, 2016
WHAT WILL GST DO?
 It will offer a single-shot solution by subsuming a group
of local levies into one system
 State impose different taxes with varying rates on the
same products
 For instance, a car’s price will vary among states
because of different rates of taxes such as VAT, octroi
and road tax
 GST will remove all these, virtually making India a
single market
 Alcohol and tobacco will remain outside GST
 GST will empower states to collect service taxes
 States and the Centre will collect identical rates of taxes
 If 16% is the GST on a good across the country, the
states and the Centre will get 8% each by the name
CGST and SGST rates
TAX RATES
 The GST rates on goods have not been specified in the
Bill
 A GST council headed by the union finance minister and
represented by state FMs will decide on the rates
WHAT ABOUT ENTRY TAX?
 States will be allowed to collect an inter-state tax, for
upto 2 years, an additional tax of 1%
COMPENSATION?
States feared that GST’s implementation will rob them of
fiscal powers and erode revenues
 The Constitution Amendment Bill offers a compensation
package for 5 years
 In the first three years, the Centre will reimburse 100%
of the revenue loss, 75% in the 4th
year and 50% in the
fifth year
PETRO PRODUCTS
 Petro products will be within GST, but “zero-rated” to
begin with
 States and the Centre will continue to collect sales tax /
VAT as is the case now
COMMITTING SUICIDE IS NO MORE A CRIME
The government has decided to repeal Section 309 from the
Indian Penal Code, claiming support of 18 states and 4
Union Territories for decriminalizing attempt to commit
suicide. The step was taken on the recommendation of the
Law Commission of India.
Section 309 of IPC makes the act of suicide punishable with
jail term of up to one year and fine.
‘SUSHASAN EXPRESS’ TO HONOUR VAJPAYEE
To honour former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a
new train - The Sushaasan (good governance) Express
launched on Dec 25, from Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh), the
birth place of Mr. Vajpayee, to Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.
 Govt has decided to pay 8.75 per cent interest on
provident fund deposits of Employees Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO) for the year 2014-15.
 Justice G P Mathur committee set up to examine the
possibility of forming a Special Investigation Team for
re investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases.
NOVEMBER 2014
NEW SCHEMES ON NATIONAL EDUCATION DAY
National Education Day was observed on Nov 11 on the
125th birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad,
independent India’s first Education Minister. The HRD
Ministry launched new initiatives to promote the education
system of the country.
 Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan launched to enable higher
educational institutions like IITs and NITs to work with
the people of rural India by evolving appropriate
solutions for accelerating sustainable growth.
 ‘Know Your College’ portal launched to enable
students view details of courses, labs, faculty, library,
hostels available etc. of all the colleges, for selecting
the right college for their higher education.
 Skill Assessment Matrix for Vocational
Advancement of Youth (SAMVAY) launched to
facilitate students to switch between education and
jobs. It will help such students to resume studies who
left formal education for a job.
 Two scholarship schemes launched for technical
education, Saksham for specially-abled needy and
meritorious students and Pragati for girls pursuing
technical education at college level.
GOVT TO SET UP 'SWACHH BHARAT KOSH'
The government has launched a fund that will be utilised to
build toilets in schools, rural and urban areas to achieve the
objective of cleanliness across the country. The Kosh will be
set up by the Ministry of Finance and will be managed by a
Governing Council headed by Expenditure Secretary.
Gyanm Opens A Centre in
SRI GANGANAGAR
7 H BLOCK, NEAR DR. BHARAT MAYYER
Contact: 8560000589
Your Best Bet For Career Building

11. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 10
‘MANAS’ LAUNCHED FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT
Union Ministry of Minorities Affairs launched the Maulana
Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS) on 125th
birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to impart
training to youths in health and security sector.
NEW CITIZENSHIP NORMS FOR REFUGEES
Govt has relaxed Indian citizenship norms for Hindu and
Sikh refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Refugees,
who have entered India prior to 31 December 2009, can
now apply for the Indian citizenship.
BSNL LAUNCHES MOBILE SECURITY SERVICES
The BSNL has launched mobile security value added service
that will allow its customers to track location of their lost
mobile phones. Through this application, the user will also
be able to remotely lock device, erase data in the lost
mobile.
 Govt. launched National Bal Swachhta Mission as
part of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ in New Delhi on Nov 15
to improve over all cleanliness amongst school children.
 Udaan programme launched to assist girl students in
preparing them for the IIT-JEE while studying in classes
XI and XII.
 Govt approves "Integrated Power Development
Scheme" for strengthening of sub-transmission and
distribution network of electricity in the urban areas.
 India has launched the tourist visa on arrival facility
enabled by electronic travel authorization for 43
countries for boosting the tourist inflow.
 Govt has decided to lay an exclusive submarine cable
network for Andaman & Nicobar Islands from Chennai
to facilitate high speed internet/browsing in the islands.
 The Central Government has allocated five thousand
crore rupees under AYUSH Mission for promoting
traditional methods of treatment in the country.
 The Delhi Transport Corporation has started a Delhi-
Kathmandu bus service from Nov. 26.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
JANUARY 2015
INDIA SET TO GROW BETTER THAN CHINA
As per Global Economics Prospects Report published by the
World Bank, India is set to clock a 7% rise in GDP in 2017
compared with 6.9% for bigger rival China. “India will
recover to 6.4% in the current calendar year itself on the
back of higher export growth and bolstered investor
confidence with the election of a reform-minded
government at the Centre”, said the report.
INDIA TO GROW BY 6.5% - MORGAN STANLEY
A report by global financial giant Morgan Stanley says that
Indian economy is on its way to grow by 6.5 per cent as the
government's reforms agenda is on track and the pace is
accelerating too.
INDIAN ECONOMY SET TO GROW AT 6.4%
Speaking at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, World Bank
President Jim Yong Kim said that the Indian economy was
likely to grow at 6.4 per cent in the current year and
accelerate further in the next year in view of the economic
measures being taken by the present government.
 A report by the IMF says that India is expected to grow
at 6.3 per cent this year and 6.5 per cent in 2016 by
when it is likely to cross China's projected growth rate.
 A United Nations report says that India will see gradual
growth acceleration with its GDP expected to reach 5.9
per cent this year and 6.3 per cent in 2016.
 India's GDP growth has averaged 6.5 per cent over the
last 25 years, while in the last two years it averaged
4.9% alongside very high inflation till recently.
FISCAL DEFICIT TO BE CUT TO 3.6% OF GDP
The Expenditure Management Commission, headed by Bimal
Jalan, has recommended to the government that it should
cut fiscal deficit to 3.6 per cent of the GDP during 2015-16.
The recommendations are as per the provisions of the Fiscal
Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003.
FDI IN INDIA UP BY 14 PER CENT
As per the 'Global
Investment Trade
Monitor' report
released by United
Nations Conference
on Trade and
Development
(UNCTAD), India's
FDI increased by 26
per cent in 2014 to an estimated 35 billion US dollar with
maximum growth in the service sector, despite the decline
in global Foreign Direct Investment inflows.
TRADE DEFICIT SINKS BELOW $10 BILLION
India’s trade deficit declined to 10-month low of $9.4 billion
in December mainly on account of falling imports due to
slump in crude prices, though exports too have come down.
Imports declined by 4.8 per to $34.8 billion during Dec.
month while exports too fell by 3.8% to $25.4 bn.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES SWELL
India's foreign exchange reserves touched an all time high
of 322.135 billion US Dollars for the week ended January 16
due to strong FII inflows and reduction in import burden
due to a record fall in oil prices.
IIP JUMPS TO 5 MONTHS HIGH OF 3.8%
Industrial production as measured by the Index of Industrial
Production (IIP), grew at a 5-month high of 3.8% in
November due to improvement in manufacturing and mining
sectors and better off take of capital goods.

12. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 11
NEW CPI FOR BETTER PROJECTION
For presenting a more accurate and realistic price situation,
government plans to release by next month a new series of
Consumer Price Index (CPI) with 2012 as base year for
computing retail inflation rate. Figures for January 2015 will
be compiled on revised base and will be released on
February 12.
 Growth of 8 core sector industries rose to a 5 month
high of 6.7 per cent in November due to better output
in coal, refinery products, electricity and cement.
 As per a Labour Bureau survey, unemployment rate in
the country rose to 4.9 per cent in 2013-14, mainly on
account of increase in joblessness in rural areas.
DECEMBER 2014
GDP GROWTH LIKELY TO BE 5.5 %
According to the
Mid-year economic
analysis tabled in
Parliament by the
Finance Ministry,
the GDP growth in
the current fiscal is
expected to be
around 5.5 per cent as against 4.7 per cent last year on
back of improving macro-economic situation. The review
said that speedier environmental clearances, reforming land
and labour laws will also be critical for the growth of the
economy.
GDP GROWTH SLIPS TO 5.3 PER CENT
Data released by the Central Statistics Office on Nov 28
showed that the economy slowed in the quarter ending Sep
30, growing at 5.3 per cent as against 5.7 per cent in the
April-June quarter. Poor manufacturing performance which
nearly came to a grinding halt, growing just 0.1 per cent,
was the main factor for slow growth.
UN REPORT PUTS INDIA’S GROWTH AT 5.4 %
The UN World Economic Situation and Prospects 2015
report says that India is likely to make progress in
implementing economic policy reforms and help in providing
support to business and consumer confidence. India is
estimated to record a 5.4 percent economic growth this year
and may improve to 5.9 per cent next year and to 6.3 per
cent in 2016.
MOODY’S PROJECTS INDIA’S GROWTH @6%
Global rating agency Moody’s has projected that Indian
economy is expected to pick up pace in 2015 and grow in
the range of 5 to 6 per cent, helped by strong domestic
demand. The country, it said, has benefited from a strong
domestic demand base and diversified export markets that
give protection from the effects of a slowing Chinese
economy and muted growth in the Euro zone and Japan.
 The ADB says that India is on track to achieve 5.5%
growth rate in 2014-15 as declining oil prices present a
golden opportunity for many beneficial reforms.
NOVEMBER 2014
NCAER LOWERS GDP GROWTH RATE TO 5 %
Country’s economic think-tank-The National Council of
Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has lowered India's
GDP growth forecast to 5 per cent in 2014-15 on weak
economical fundamentals and uncertainties in growth
prospects. In its earlier projection it had suggested a
growth rate of 5.7 per cent in 2014-15.
OECD PUTS GROWTH RATE @ 5.4%
Paris-based think tank Organisation for Economic Co-
operation and Development, OECD has projected 5.4
percent growth for the Indian economy this year as global
recovery continues at a moderate pace.
INDIA MAY GROW BY 5.6% - FITCH
According to international rating agency Fitch, India's
economic growth is expected to pick up to 5.6 per cent in
the current fiscal on account of structural reforms being
rolled-out by the government.
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
JANUARY 2015
‘MAKE IN INDIA’ IS BIG HIT ONLINE
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion-led Make
In India (MII) initiative has become the largest and fastest
growing government initiative ever on digital platform.
Within three months of its launch, the initiative has already
touched over 2.1 Billion global impressions on social media
and reached an overall fan base of over 3 Million on its
Facebook page.
Make In India initiative focuses on attracting businesses to
invest and manufacture in India.
DUTY FREE IMPORTS FROM AFGHANISTAN
India has allowed duty free access to Afghanistan’s export
products in Indian markets under the Agreement of South
Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA). The export consignments will
be allowed through the Integrated Check Post at Attari in
Amritsar, Punjab.
INFOSYS TO INVEST $ 250 MILLION
Leading IT company - Infosys has assured Indian
government that they will spend USD 250 million to fund
innovations in software and services in India. The
assurance was made by company CEO Vishal Sikka during
his meeting with the Prime Minister.

13. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 12
IMPORT OF MOBILES RESTRICTED
Government has prohibited imports of all kind of mobile
handsets with fake or duplicate Unique Identity Numbers.
The decision will help the security agencies to track callers
using different SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards.
‘PK’ CREATES BOX OFFICE RECORDS
According to a report on
Boxofficeindia.com, the
film PK recorded a sale
of Rs. 500 crore gross
worldwide within two
weeks of its release,
there by becoming first
ever Indian movie to
have such huge
collection in this period.
OFFICE SPACE COST HIGHEST IN NEW DELHI
Connaught Place in the National Capital has become the
world’s sixth costliest office destination, with an annual
occupancy cost of around $ 160 per square feet, says a
report of global property consultant CBRE. (London is the
costliest, followed by Hong Kong and Beijing.)
NEW FERTILIZERS COMPANY FORMED
National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Engineers India Limited
(EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) on 14
January 2015 signed an agreement to form a Joint Venture
Company (JVC) Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals
Limited in Karimnagar district of Telengana.
NEW NAME FOR IRDA
Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority (IRDA) has been renamed as
‘Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India’ after the promulgation
of Insurance Laws (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2014.
 European Union has decided to lift a seven-month-long
ban on the import of mangoes from India.
 Sun Edison Inc, USA and India’s Adani Group will invest
Rs.25,000 crore in setting up one of the world’s largest
solar photovoltaic manufacturing facilities in Gujarat.
 ADB to give $ 75 million loan and $1.8 million grant to
Karnataka for Integrated Urban Water Management
Investment Program
 India and Israel have signed a joint agreement to
implement the third phase of the agriculture
cooperation project for next three years, 2015-18.
 To boost the jute sector, govt has approved mandatory
packaging of sugar and food grains in jute material to
minimum extent of up to 90 per cent of production.
 To meet the fiscal deficit, the government sold 10 per
cent stake in state owned Coal India Ltd to raise about
Rs 24,000 crore.
 Union Cabinet approved the hike of government stake
in Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd. to
51 percent from around 48 percent at present.
DECEMBER 2014
RURAL HOMES – LOW ASSETS, HIGH DEBTS
Findings of the 70th round of National Sample Survey's All
India Debt and Investment Survey show that households in
rural areas hold assets worth over Rs 10 lakh on average,
less than half the holdings by those in cities. Further, about
31 per cent of the rural households and 22 per cent of the
urban households reported debt (cash loan) outstanding as
on June 30, 2012. The average amount of debt (AOD) for a
rural household was Rs 32,522 and that for an urban
household was Rs 84,625.
FINANCE COMMISSION SUBMITS REPORT
The 14th Finance Commission, headed by former Reserve
Bank of India, RBI governor Y V Reddy, submitted its report
to the President's office on Dec 11. The panel has given its
views on the devolution of tax receipts from the Centre to
the states from 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2020.
WORLD BANK LOAN FOR EDFC
India has inked a US $1100 million IBRD Direct Lending pact
with the World Bank for phase two of the Eastern Dedicated
Freight Corridor (EDFC). EDFC is a 1849 kms long broad
gauge railway freight corridor, starting from Ludhaina in
Punjab to Dankuni near Kolkata in West Bengal.
IFRS TO BE APPLICABLE FROM APRIL 1, 2015
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has advised that the new
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) shall be
applicable for large companies that can voluntarily start
adopting them in the next fiscal year starting April 1, 2015,
after which the rules will become compulsory.
GOVT GETS 1715 CRORE FROM SAIL
Union government mopped up around 1715 crore rupees
with the sale of 5 percent stake in SAIL at a floor price of 83
rupees per share, increasing the public share to 25 per cent.
As per the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules of SEBI,
minimum public shareholding in listed state-owned firms
should be 25 percent and this must be achieved by 21
August 2017.
CREDIT GUARANTEE FUND FOR FACTORING
The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal for setting up of a
500 crore rupees Credit Guarantee Fund for Factoring for
MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises).
Factoring is a financing arrangement for suppliers by
making pre-payments against invoices. It facilitates
collection of receivables and provides liquidity to MSMEs
 Government has asked PSUs to ensure that they
procure 20% of their requirements from the products
manufactured by MSMEs,, wef April 01, 2015.
 Snapdeal.com has announced the launch of ‘Agri Store’,
offering online products like seeds, fertilizer and
irrigation tools, among others, to farmers.
 World Bank will lend Rs 475 crore ($75 million) to the
Andhra Pradesh Government for implementing a rural
growth project.

14. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 13
 Government has fixed an export target of $340 billion
for the current fiscal. Actual exports last year were
$312.6 billion.
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will extend $200
million loan to Punjab to improve the state's fiscal
situation.
 India Germany sign loan pact for euro 625 million for
the Green Energy Corridors project under the Indo-
German bilateral development cooperation.
 The World Bank has approved $130 million credit for
the Nepal Grid Solar and Energy Efficiency Project to
minimize energy shortages in Nepal.
NOVEMBER 2014
KISAN VIKAS PATRA RE-LAUNCHED
The Government re-launched Kisan Vikas Patra scheme on
Nov 18 to encourage the habit of small savings among the
citizens. The KVPs will be available in denominations of Rs.
1000, 5000, 10,000 and 50,000 with no upper limit for
investment and the invested amount will become double in
100 months. KVP investors are exempted from KYC norms.
MSP FOR RABI CROPS FOR 2014-15 SEASON
CROP Rs./Qtl CROP Rs./Qtl
Wheat 1450 Gram 3175
Barley 1150 Rapeseed/ Musturd 3100
Masur dal 3075 Safflower 3050
FDI NORMS RELAXED FOR CONSTRUCTION
The Union Government has decided on 29th
October, to
relax FDI norms in the construction sector, allowing 100 per
cent of foreign funds in building projects.
 The minimum floor area requirement has been reduced
to 20,000 sq mts from the earlier 50,000 sq mts.
 The minimum capital requirement has been cut down
to $5 million from earlier $10 million.
BSE MARKET CAP HITS 100 TRILLION MARK
The market capitaliastion of all listed companies on the
Bombay Stock Exchange, Asia's oldest stock exchange, hit a
record Rs 100 trillion (lakh crore) mark on Nov 28.
This is good news for investors because the doubling of
market cap in five years has also led to doubling of
investors' wealth during the period.
NEW SEBI NORMS ON ‘INSIDER TRAINING’
SEBI has approved new insider trading rules to replace the
two-decade old law seen as inadequate to curb trading
violations. The term “insider” will now include persons
connected on the basis of being in any contractual, fiduciary
or employment relationship that allows such people access
to unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI).
SHELL INDIA WINS 18,000 CRORE TAX CASE
The Bombay High Court quashed the IT department’s Rs
18,000-crore rupees tax order against oil major Shell India.
Shell India had issued 870 million shares to its parent
company Shell Gas BV, Netherlands in March 2009 at Rs 10
per share. However, the Income Tax department contended
that the shares were grossly undervalued and it valued
them at Rs 180 per share. The difference was added to the
income of the company.
BIS MARK FOR 15 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS
To curb the inflow of sub-standard items in the country, the
government has come out with a notification which lays
down the mandatory standards (BIS marks) for 15
electronic products, including mobile phones, power banks
and LED lamps.
TIEA SIGNED WITH St. KITTS & NEVIS
To help in its efforts to crack down on suspected black
money stashed abroad, India signed Tax Information
Exchange Agreement – TIEA with Saint Kitts & Nevis, a two-
island Carribean country, perceived as a safe haven for
offshore funds.
 Exporters and SEZ units asked to realise and repatriate
overseas sales proceeds in nine months, as against 12-
month earlier, from the date of shipment.
 Suzlon Energy installed the world’s tallest 120 meters
high hybrid wind generator turbine in Asia’s biggest
wind energy park in Kutch, Gujarat.
 India signs a USD 200 million loan agreement with the
World Bank to finance the setting up of technology
centres to help MSMEs enhance their productivity.
 Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $350-
million loan assistance for upgradation of district roads
in Madhya Pradesh.
BANKING & FINANCE
JANUARY 2015
RBI LOWERS REPO RATE TO 7.75%
The Reserve Bank of India on 15th
January, 2015 cut down
repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.75 percent from 8 percent,
with immediate effect, yielding to growing signs of slowing
inflation and a flagging recovery. RBI has announced this
rate cut ahead of its next monetary policy on February 3.
Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands
adjusted to 6.75 per cent, and the marginal standing facility
(MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.75 per cent with
immediate effect. This cut in repo rate is likely to reduce
interest rate on various bank loans.
NEW GUIDELINES FOR BASE RATE
The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to notify the
Base Rate, or the minimum lending rate, at least once in
every three months, based on the cost of funds; a move
seen as a demand on bankers to pass on the changes in the
policy rate to borrowers. At present, the review of the Base
Rate does not have a fixed schedule. Further, banks have
been allowed to review the Base Rate methodology after
three years instead of the current periodicity of five years.

15. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 14
PMJDY CREATES WORLD RECORD
Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
has emerged as the
largest financial inclusion
initiative in the world
with 11.5 crore bank
accounts opened under
the scheme and has
entered the Guinness
Book of World Records.
The scheme covered
99.74 per cent of the
households that were
outside the banking system.
‘GYAN SANGAM’ – BANKERS’ SUMMIT AT PUNE
India's top PSU bankers and select policy makers gathered
in Pune for a two-day (Jan 2-3) retreat - 'Gyan Sangam’ for
a brainstorming session to give a facelift to PSU banks.
Bankers made presentations on their agenda for reforms
with the focus on promotion of financial inclusion.
RBI CLARIFIES ON SMALL BANKS
The Reserve Bank has clarified that business houses with
assets above Rs 1,000 crore and having finance companies
will not be eligible to apply for a small bank license.
Further, if the existing non-banking finance companies apply
for the small bank, they will have to fold their operations
into the small bank.
SMALL RRBs EXEMPTED FROM FATCA
The Reserve Bank has advised that Regional Rural Banks
with assets less than $175 million need not register with the
US Internal Revenue System under FATCA- Foreign Account
Tax Compliance Act.
FATCA is a US law whereby foreign financial institutions
across the world have to report to the US IRS of any
transaction of clients who could be subjected to American
tax laws.
RBI TO SHARE INFO WITH US FEDRAL
The RBI has signed an information sharing agreement with
US banking regulators for better coordination in supervising
financial institutions. RBI concluded an agreement on
Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory
Information with the Board of Governors of the Federal
Reserve System, Office of the Comptroller of Currency and
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, all from USA.
RBI TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH BRAZIL
The Reserve Bank of India has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on “Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange
of Supervisory Information” with Banco Central do Brasil,
central bank of Brazil.
BANKS ALLOWED AS INSURANCE BROKERS
Seeking to increase insurance penetration in the country,
the Reserve Bank of India has allowed banks to act as
brokers for insurers, set up their own subsidiaries and also
undertake referral services for multiple companies.
TRANSPARENCY IN LOANS
RBI has asked banks to display on their website the total
fees and charges applicable on various types of loans and
should be disclosed to individual borrower also at the time
of processing of loan.
NABARD JOINS HANDS WITH IIM, A’BAD
Nabard has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of
Management, Ahmedabad, to set up a Chair to encourage
research in climate change, rural livelihood and financial
inclusion, among others. The chair is expected to offer
inputs on issues confronting agriculture marketing and
suggest innovative models to make farming a more
profitable proposition for the country's farmers.
ICICI BANK LAUNCHES CONTACTLESS CARDS
ICICI Bank has launched the country’s first contactless debit
and credit cards that use the near-field communication
(NFC) technology, enabling customer to make payments by
just waving the card near merchant terminals instead of
swiping the same. The new technology provides customers
improved convenience of speed and security as the card
remains with customer.
KOTAK LAUNCHES JIFI SAVER ACCOUNT
Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched Jifi Saver, a social
savings bank account which can be seamlessly managed via
Twitter and Facebook, offering almost all the features of a
regular savings account.
NEW KYC NORMS FOR NBFCs
Keeping in view the practical difficulties faced in frequent
renewal of KYC norms, RBI has notified relaxed KYC time
norms as under:
• For high-risk accounts – at least every 2 years
• For medium risk accounts - at least every 8 years
• For low risk accounts – at least every 10 years
Earlier, NBFCs were required to renew KYC norms every two
years for high and medium risk accounts and every five
years for low risk accounts.
ATMs ALLOWED TO POST OFFICEES
The government has allowed certain eligible branches of
Post Offices to issue ATM cards for their Savings bank
accounts and also to issue account statements instead of
giving out passbooks.
BANK LOANS / DEPOSITS MOVE UP
Latest RBI data shows that the outstanding bank loans rose
by 10.7 per cent to 63.91 trillion rupees in the two weeks up
to January 9, compared to previous years during the same
period, deposits grew by 11.9 per cent to Rs.84.16 trillion.
GYANM COLLEGE OF COMPETITIONS
Opens a Centre in
BATHINDA
GALI NO. 1 A, AJIT ROAD
07696225975
Your Best Friend for Career Building

16. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 15
 Yes Bank signed an agreement with U.S. govt’s
Overseas Private Investment Corporation for $220
million loan for on-lending to micro, small and medium
enterprises.
 Reserve Bank and the European Central Bank (ECB)
have signed a memorandum of understanding for
cooperation in the area of central banking.
 RBI has allowed Indians to carry high value notes of Rs
500 /1000 while travelling to Nepal and Bhutan with a
cap of Rs 25,000 on the total amount.
 Government has decided to separate the post of
Chairman and Managing Director and Chief Executive
Officer, CEO in public sector banks.
DECEMBER 2014
CHARTER OF CUSTOMER RIGHTS
The Reserve Bank released a charter of customer rights on
Dec.3 that lays down five basic rights that bank customers
enjoy. This will also simplify the process for common man
as now he can simply flash this charter and demand that
the rights be met.
Here are the rights of customers as notified by the RBI.
 Right to Fair Treatment: No discrimination on basis
of gender, age, religion, caste and physical ability
 Right to Transparency, Fair and Honest
Dealing: Contracts or agreements between financial
service provider and customer should be transparent
and easy to understand
 Right to Suitability: Products offered should be
appropriate to the needs of the customer
 Right to Privacy: Customers' personal information to
be kept confidential. No unwarranted communication,
electronic or otherwise, to be sent
 Right to Grievance Redressal and Compen-
sation: Banks accountable for products offered
(including third party products like insurance, mutual
funds) and to facilitate easy grievance redressal.
RBI DEFINES ‘NON COOPERATIVE BORROWER’
The Reserve Bank of India on Dec 22 issued a new set of
norms defining non-cooperative borrowers (NCB). A NCB is
one “ who does not engage constructively with his lender
by defaulting in timely repayment of dues while having
ability to pay, thwarting lenders' efforts for recovery of their
dues by not providing necessary information sought,
denying access to assets financed or collateral securities,
obstructing sale of securities".
RRB AUTHORISED CAPITAL HIKED TO 2000 CR
A bill to raise the authorised capital of Regional Rural Banks
(RRBs) to Rs 2,000 crore (from Rs 5 crore at present) and
enable them to mop up funds from the capital market was
passed by the Lok Sabha on Dec 22.
However, government participation combined with
sponsoring bank’s share will not be allowed to come below
51 per cent.
PMJDY ACCOUNTS ARE FOR ALL
Government has clarified that persons already having bank
account need not open a fresh one to avail benefits of
the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). They will have
to apply for a RuPay card in the existing account to get
benefit of accidental insurance and other benefits.
BANKS ALLOWED TO HAVE PUBLIC ISSUE
The Union Cabinet allowed state-run banks to raise equity
capital from the market subject to the condition that
government stake should not fall below 52%. The proposal
is part of the government plan to cut banks' dependence on
the budget for capital.
INTEREST SUBVENTION ON FARM LOANS
Government has approved the continuation of interest
subvention for short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh to
farmers. This means that banks will charge only 7 per cent
per annum. Further, additional interest subvention of 3 per
cent per annum will be given to those farmers who repay on
time that is within one year of disbursement of their short-
term crop loans.
RTGS TIMINGS INCREASED
To promote electronic payments, the Reserve Bank of India
has increased the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS)
business hours to 12 hours from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays
and from 8 am to 3.30 pm on Saturday. The new timings
will come into effect from 29 December, 2014.
SBI LAUNCHES TWO NEW INDICES
The State Bank of India has launched two indices namely
the SBI Monthly Composite Index and the SBI Yearly
Composite Index that will primarily track manufacturing
activity and offer forward-looking economic trends. The
index will help policy makers and market participants to
identify turning points in the manufacturing cycles in
advance and adjust their investment plans or strategy.
NORMS RELAXED FOR PPIs
RBI has doubled the limit for pre-paid payment instruments
(PPI) to Rs 1 lakh from Rs 50,000 at present. Further, the
maximum validity of gift cards has been enhanced from one
year to three years. The move would help in achieving the
objective of limiting cash transactions in the system.
RBI STARTS BHARAT BILL PAYMENT SYSTEM
The Reserve Bank has released the final guidelines for the
Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), which will help
consumers pay multiple bills like electricity, telephone and
school fees at a single point of transaction. The National
Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has been appointed as
the nodal body for the system.

17. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 16
HDFC BANK LAUNCHES MOBILE BANKING
HDFC Bank launched in Varanasi, UP, its mobile banking
initiative - 'Bank Aap Ki Muththi Mein' that works on both
smartphones as well as the basic phones that support
Internet browsing, to offer round-the-clock banking facility.
INDIANS NOT KEEN TO OPERATE ACCOUNTS
According to a nation-wide survey on financial behaviour,
India has the highest account dormancy rate even more
than countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria,
Pakistan and Bangladesh. Only 48 per cent of Indian adults
have bank accounts and nearly half of them lie dormant,
says a report.
 The deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes,
including 500 and 1,000 rupees, has been extended by
six months till June 30, 2015.
 Yes Bank has raised $200 million loan from Asian
Development Bank for onward lending to small farm
households and rural women self help groups (SHGs).
 RBI has imposed penalty of Rs. 5 million and 2.5
million, respectively, on ICICI bank and Bank of Baroda
for violation of KYC norms.
 Money supply rose by Rs 31,400 crore to Rs 101,950
crore ($1.61 trillion) in the fortnight to December 12,
growing by 10.2 per cent on year on year basis.
NOVEMBER 2014
GUIDELINES FOR PAYMENT/ SMALL BANKS
The Reserve Bank on Nov 27 released the guidelines for
‘payment banks’ and ‘small banks’.
Payments banks can receive deposits and remittances,
but cannot lend; focusing on migrant labour and low income
households.
Small banks will lend to “unserved and under-served
sections”, including small business units, small and marginal
farmers, and micro and small industries.
PAYMENTS BANKS SMALL FINANCE BANKS
OBJECTIVE
Provide small savings
accounts and payments /
remittance services to
migrant labour workforce
and low-income households
Financial inclusion and
supply of credit to small
business units and farmers
through high-technology and
low-cost operations
ELIGIBLE PROMOTERS
Individuals or professionals
with necessary experience
and eligibility, existing
NBFCs, corporate banking
correspondents, mobile
companies, supermarket
chains, real estate co-ops
and corporate entities
Resident individuals or
professionals with 10 years
of experience in banking and
finance, companies and
societies owned and
controlled by residents,
existing NBFSc, microfinance
institutions and local area
banks owned and controlled
by residents
SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES
Accept deposits but
customer balance should not
exceed Rs. 1 lakh
Basic services of accepting
deposits and lending
Cannot give loans, Can issue
debit card, not credit cards
No restriction on the area of
operations
Can distribute non-risk
simple financial products
such as mutual funds and
insurance products
At least 50% of its loan
portfolio should constitute
loans and advances of up to
Rs. 25 lakh
NRIs will not be allowed to
open accounts
Capital Requirement and Promoter’s contribution
Minimum paid-up equity capital of Rs. 100 crore / initially
40%; to be gradually brought down to 26% within 12 years
from date of commencement
10 CR ACCOUNTS UNDER PMJDY BY 26-01-15
Govt has revised the target for opening of accounts under
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, PMJDY, to 10 crore
accounts by 26th January, 2015. The earlier target was
pegged at 7.5 crore accounts.
NEW RULES FOR MINIMUM BALANCE
The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to inform their
customers about fall in the minimum balance well in
advance, and said that penal charges should be levied only
to the extent of shortfall in such balances by way of a
percentage of the shortfall. The guidelines will come into
effect from April 1st
, 2015.
ING VYSYA MERGES WITH KOTAK MAHINDRA
In an all stock amalgamation, ING Vysya Bank decided to
merge itself with Kotak Mahindra Bank, creating the fourth
largest private sector bank in the country. After the merger,
all Vysya Bank branches and employees will become Kotak
branches and employees.
NEW NOF NORMS FOR NBFCs
RBI has notified new norms for NBFCs that manage funds
worth Rs 500 crore and accept public deposits. The net own
funds – NOF requirements for NBFCs has been raised from
Rs.25 lakh at present to Rs.1 crore by March, 2016, and to
further to Rs.2 crore by 2017.
KERALA & GOA ACHIEVE PMJDY TARGETS
Kerala and Goa have become the first states in the country
to have bank accounts for all households in the state under
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY). Further, the Union
Territories of Chandigarh, Puducherry and Lakshadweep
have also aceived the target.
SMS ALERTS FOR CHEQUE TRANSACTIONS
RBI has made it mandatory for banks to send SMS alerts to
both payer and drawer in cheque transactions as soon as
the cheque is received for clearing. This has been done to
curb the cheque-related fraud cases.
RBI BANS FOREIGN FUNDING
Reserve Bank has banned domestic firms from raising
foreign funds above the permitted levels and from
extending guarantees for them to meet domestic funding
needs. Violators will face penal action under the Foreign
Exchange Management Act -FEMA.

18. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 17

19. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 18
SEBI ALLOWS SHARIA FUNDS
The SEBI has allowed the State Bank of India and three
mutual funds to launch Sharia funds. Sharia-compliant funds
invest in companies that follow Islamic rules.
Charging and receiving interest is considered usury and is
not allowed under Islamic law known as Sharia. India's
stock exchanges have between 600 and 700 companies that
are Sharia-compliant.
BANKS ASKED TO FINANCE JLGs
RBI has asked banks to give liberal loans to landless farmers
to meet the govt’s target of financing five lakh Joint Liability
Groups- JLGs in 2014-15. The banks would also have to
provide regular progress reports to NABARD in this regard.
 The foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) has
allowed HDFC Bank to increase foreign investment in
the bank to 74 per cent.
 Country's oldest and largest foreign bank, Standard
Chartered Bank, opened its 100th branch in Nakatia,
Bareily (UP)
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
JANUARY 2015
LCA TEJAS INDUCTED IN AIR FORCE
The first of the indigenously-built Light Combat Aircraft, LCA
Tejas was handed over to the Indian Air Force on Jan 17 at
the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru. The
project was sanctioned 32 years ago in 1983 to replace the
ageing MiG-21s in Indian Air Force's combat fleet but has
missed several deadlines due to several reasons. The
project costed exchequer over Rs 17,000 crores. HAL plans
to make 20 aircrafts by 2017-2018, to make the first
squadron of the aircraft.
DRDO TAPS GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Country’s first geothermal heating plant was launched
successfully by the Snow and Avalanche Studies
Establishment of DRDO at its Manali (HP) campus. The
plant taps the heat differential above and below the Earth’s
surface to achieve the desired temperature. It is a
renewable, non-polluting and constant source of energy.
FIRST DISTT WITH BROAD BAND NETWORK
On Jan 12, Idukki district in Kerala became the first district
in the country to have all its gram panchayats connected
through National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN) - hi-
speed rural broadband network
MICROSOFT LAUNCHES CORTANA FOR PCs
Global IT giant Microsoft has announced that its new
operating system - Windows 10 will also bring its voice-
controlled assistant Cortana to PCs. Till now, Cortana was
available in Windows Phone handsets only.
Global IT giant - Apple Inc recorded highest quarterly profit
of $18 billion in quarter ending December 2014. It was the
largest profit ever made by a public company in the
corporate history worldwide.
INDIA TO JOIN NEUTRINO CLUB
India is on way to join the global high-end scientific
Neutrino Club as the govt has approved a project for
experiments in high energy physics. The project to be set
up near Pottipuram village Theni districts of Tamil Nadu will
have a world-class underground laboratory to study
fundamental issues in science.
MOST POWERFUL ANTIBIOTIC DISCOVERED
Scientists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic –
Teixobactin which can kill an array of germs without the
bugs easily becoming resistant to it, a potential weapon
against a range of diseases. The discovery is a rare—and
much-needed—breakthrough after almost thirty years in the
quest for new antibiotics to overcome the problem
of growing resistance to existing drugs.
NEW VACCINE FOR BLUE TONGUE DISEASE
Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), the wholly-owned
subsidiary of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB),
Hyderabad, has launched a vaccine ‘Raksha-Blu’ for
countering fir the first time the viral blue tongue disease
among sheep, goats, camels and cattle.
 The year 2014 was the hottest on record, with global
average temperature increasing about 0.8 degrees
Celsius since 1880, according to US scientists.
 India’s Mars Orbiter programme team has won the
2015 Space Pioneer Award from the US based National
Space Society (NSS).
DECEMBER 2014
 DRDO has successfully tested Panchi, wheeled version
of the unmanned aerial vehicle Nishant. It can take off
from and land on small airstrips.
 India tested successfully its nuclear-capable strategic
ballistic missile Agni-IV, with a strike range of 4,000
km, from a test range off the Odisha coast.
 For the first time, India exported a war ship to a foreign
country. The ship is CGS Barracuda offshore patrol
vessel, purchased by Mauritius.
 India has tested a 1,000 kg indigenously-developed
glide bomb, which successfully hit a target 100 kms
away, off the Odisha coast.
 The indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, INS
Arihant, for the first time sailed out for sea-trials on Dec
16, from its base at Visakhapatnam.
 INS Circars, the oldest naval establishment on the
Eastern seaboard in Visakhapatnam celebrated its
Platinum Jubilee on Dec 12.

20. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 19
 Sikorsky of the United States has been selected for
supply of 16 multirole helicopters for the Indian Navy in
a contract worth Rs. 6,000 crore.
 Russia successfully test fired its Angara-A5 rocket
from Plesetsk in northern Russia on 23 December.
 NATO forces formally ended their role in Afghanistan,
after 13 years of conflict that left the country in the grip
of worsening insurgent violence.
GSLV MARK III LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY
On Dec 18, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
launched from Sriharikota its heaviest rocket till date - the
630-tonne three-stage rocket GSLV Mark III which is
capable of carrying satellites weighing up to four tonne. It
carried CARE (Crew module Atmospheric Re-entry
Experiment) as its payload which is an Indian-made
unmanned crew module. This marks the beginning of what
could be India's initiation into the ambitious human space
flight programme.
ISRO LAUNCHES GSAT 16
India’s communication satellite GSAT 16 was launched
successfully from Kourou in French Guiana on Dec. 7. The
satellite was placed in the geostationary orbit of about
36000 kms. It has 48 transponders that will be used for
television, telephone and internet applications.
INDIA PARTY TO WORLDs LARGEST TELESCOPE
India has joined the elite group of countries including United
States, China and Japan to build the largest telescope in the
world. The next-generation 30-meter telescope, which is
being built at Mount Mauna Kea on an island in Hawaii at a
height of 4,050 meter, is expected to give a major boost to
the field of astrophysics and understanding different facets
of the Universe.
STEEP RISE IN CARBON EMISSIONS
Global carbon-dioxide emissions from burning of fossil fuels
and production of cement reached a high of 35.3 billion
tonnes in 2013. China, the United States and the European
Union remain the top three emitters of carbon dioxide,
accounting for 29, 15 and 11 per cent, respectively, of the
world’s total.
KEPLER DISCOVERS ‘SUPER EARTH’
NASA’s planet-hunting spacecraft – Kepler has discovered a
‘super-Earth’ located 180 light-years from Earth - HIP
116454b, which is 2.5 times the diameter of Earth and
follows a close, nine-day orbit around a star that is smaller
and cooler than our Sun, making the planet too hot for life
as we know it.
CURIOSITY DISCOVERS METHANE ON MARS
Nasa's Curiosity rover has detected methane on Mars, a gas
that could hint at past or present life on the planet.
Presence of Methane on the Red Planet is bit strange
because here on Earth, 95 per cent of the gas comes from
microbial organisms.
JAPAN LAUNCHES ASTEROID EXPLORER
On Dec 03, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
launched its second-generation asteroid explorer Hayabusa
2 from Tanegashima Space Center. It will explore one of
the C-type asteroids called 1999 JU3 in space, retrieve
materials and bring them to Earth.
NASA LAUNCHES RETURNABLE SPACECRAFT
On December 5, NASA launched Orion spacecraft atop a
Delta IV Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral for a four-hour
test flight, after which it safely splashed down in to Pacific
Ocean. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will
carry the crew to space, may be as far as Mars, provide
emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the
space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space
return velocities.
WORLD’s MOST ABUNDANT MINERAL FOUND
American geologists have named the earth’s most abundant
mineral as ‘Bridgmanite’. It makes up about 70 percent of
the earth’s lower mantle and 38 percent of the total volume
of the earth. It is made up of high-density magnesium iron
silicate. The lower mantle, which starts at 670 km under
the crust, is difficult to access for samples.
 The International Ocean Discovery Program has
analysed life in the deepest ever marine drilling
expedition- microbes living 2,400 meters beneath the
seabed off Japan.
 International journal Science has declared the European
space mission spacecraft Rosetta as the most important
scientific Breakthrough of the Year 2014.
NOVEMBER 2014
PRITHVI-II/DHANUSH TESTED SUCCESSFULLY
The Strategic Forces Command of the Army test-fired the
Prithvi-II missile on 14th
Nov from the Integrated Test
Range at Chandipur, Odisha. Naval version of this missile –
Dhanush was also tested. Having a range of 350 kms, this
was the first missile developed by the DRDO, inducted in
Indian army in 2003.
ISRAEL TESTS LR-SAM FOR INDIA
The long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-SAM) system with
a range of 70 kms, being developed jointly by DRDO and
Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI), was tested successfully
for the first time in Israel on 10th
Nov. It is capable of
tracking and destroying incoming hostile aircrafts, drones
and missiles.
ARMY WINS ‘CAMBRIAN PATROL’ IN UK
The Indian Army’s team of eight Garhwalis won the rigorous
endurance competition – Cambrain Patrol held in Wales, UK.
It was forty-eight hours without rest patrol across marshy
lands, swamps and rivers in biting cold, conducted from
October 23-25 where 119 international teams participated.

21. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 20
 DRDO successfully test-fired on Nov 9 its nuclear
capable ballistic missile – Agni-II having a strike range
of 2,000 km and beyond.
 Tejas (PV-6): India’s first indigenous Light Combat
Aircraft’s two-seater trainer jet version made its maiden
flight on Nov 8.
 Indian Air force tested its medium range surface-to-air
anti-aircraft missile Akash with a strike range of 25 km.
 In a freak accident, a Torpedo Recovery Vessel of
Indian Navy sunk off the Visakhapatnam coast during a
naval exercise due to a probable split in its base.
 Mithra Shakthi: Three week Joint military exercise
between Indian and Sri Lankan military forces in Sri
Lanka in Nov 2014
 Hand in Hand 2014: 4th
Joint anti terrorism military
exercise by Indian and Chinese forces held in Pune at
Aundh Military Station from Nov – 17.
FIRST EVER MAN MADE LANDING ON COMET
Rosetta – the spacecraft of European Space Agency secured
a place in history on 12th
Nov when it succeeded in landing
its mechanical device called the Philae probe on a comet
named- 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko, some 500 million
kms away from Earth.
Comets hold vital clues about the original materials that
went into building the solar system more than 4.5 billion
years ago. If the mission is successful, it will provide an
opportunity to sample and study a comet directly.
ALTERNATIVE TO ANTIBIOTIC DEVELOPED
Scientists for the first time have developed antibiotic-free
drug named Staphefekt as an alternative to antibiotics to
fight against the antibiotics-resistant superbugs such as
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
 India’s Mars mission Mangalyaan, developed by ISRO,
has been listed among the 25 best innovations of 2014
by the Time magazine.
 A study by the Internet & Mobile Association of India
shows that Mumbai has the largest number -(16.4
million, of internet users in India, followed by Delhi.
INTERNATIONAL
JANUARY 2015
MILITANTS ATTACK FRENCH OFFICE: KILL 12
Three alleged ISIS militants shot dead at least 12 persons,
including two police officers on Jan 7 at the Paris offices of
the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, for publishing cartoons
lampooning Muslim leaders and the Prophet Mohammad.
The attackers included two brothers — Cherif Kouachi (32)
and Said Kouachi (34) who were later killed an encounter.
Millions of people around the world expressed their
solidarity with the slain French journalists by using the hash
tag #Je Suis Charlie which means I am Charlie (on Twitter.)
U.N CALLS FOR CEASEFIRE IN YEMEN
UN Security Council has called for lasting ceasefire and
dialogue to end the political and security crisis in Yemen.
Recently, the Houthi rebels seized the Presidential palace in
the capital Sanaa. They are opposed to Yemen’s division in
six regions and want that the country should be divided into
only two regions.
President Mansour Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahah and
his cabinet resigned as the President agreed to the demands
of the rebels.
WEF MEET HELD AT DAVOS
The World Economic Forum's five-day annual jamboree of
the global elite started on Jan 20 at Davos, Switzerland.
More than 2,500 political and business leaders, including
Union Ministers Arun Jaitley, Piyush Goyal and more than
100 industry leaders from India attended the summit.
1% OWN MORE THAN REST OF THE WORLD
A study by Oxfam shows that the wealthiest 1% will soon
own more than the rest of the world's population by 2016.
Currently, 85 billionaires have the same wealth as the
bottom half of the world’s population.
DEADLIEST EVER MASSACRE BY BOKO HARAM
Boko Haram, extremists
opposed to western-
style education and
secular governance in
Nigeria, carried out a
multi-day attack in the
northeast of Nigeria,
focusing on the town of
Baga, killing over 2,000 persons and compelling several
thousand more to flee from their houses. The militants
razed an estimated 16 towns around Baga.

22. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 21
EL CAPITAN ROCK CONQUERED IN USA
Two Americans - Kevin Jorgerson and Tommy Cladwell have
become first persons to conquer the 914 meters high,
almost vertical granite rock - El Capitan in Yosemite National
Park, California, USA, with only harnesses and ropes to stop
them falling. They reached the top on Jan 15, in about 20
days and slept in tents suspended from the mountain face.
BRITAIN LAUNCHES ‘GREAT COLLABORATIONS’
Encouraged by the India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, the
United Kingdom announced 'Great Collaborations’ - a
campaign to forge collaborations with Indian
companies. The campaign aims to cover areas that benefit
both the countries across a range of sectors such as energy,
healthcare, advanced manufacturing, financial service and
infrastructure.
WORLD’S LARGEST LED LIGHTING
A dazzling show of New Year’s Eve gala using 70,000 LED
bulbs around the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa in
Dubai broke the Guinness World Record of the ‘Largest LED-
Illuminated Facade’. The illumination around Burj Khalifa
spanned 32,467 square metres.
DUBAI MAKES A 5.5 KM, 256 KG GOLD CHAIN
Dubai has set yet another Guinness World Record with the
world’s longest hand-made 22 carat gold chain measuring
5.522 kilometres, weighing 256 kg. Named The Dubai
Celebration Chain, it has been made to mark the 20th
anniversary of the Dubai Shopping Festival
 AirlineRatings.com, safety and product rating website,
has announced Quantas, the national airline of Australia
as the safest airline for 2015, from the 449 airlines.
 Australia has launched an Online Visa Pilot Programme
to make it easier for Indian business and tourism
visitors to apply online visa for travelling Australia.
 The biggest cultural festival of the Mahayana sect of
Buddhism in Nepal - Tamu Lhochhar, observed to
mark the New Year, celebrated in Kathmandu.
 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who will be 89 in April this
year, is now the world's oldest monarch following the
death of King Abdullah (90) of Saudi Arabia.
 Lithuania becomes 19th
country to adopt Euro as its
currency wef Jan 1, 2015.
DECEMBER 2014
US SIGNS ARMS TRADE TREATY
A treaty laying down international rules for the $85 billion
global arms trade came into force from Dec 24, after being
signed by the USA - world's largest arms producer and
exporter. The treaty aims at cutting off weapons supplies to
human rights violators worldwide.
USA BREAKS ICE WITH CUBA
In a historic decision, USA has announced a series of steps
aimed at normalising relations with communist-ruled Cuba
with which it had severed diplomatic ties decades ago. The
steps being taken include instructions to re-establish the US
Embassy in Cuba’s capital Havana, relaxing of trade & travel
restrictions; review of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism.
TALIBAN COMMIT GRUESOME MASSACRE
At least 132 students and nine staff members were killed on
Dec 16 after Tehrik-e-Taliban gunmen broke into a school in
the Pakistani city of Peshawar and opened fire in the
bloodiest massacre the country has seen for years.
END OF ‘OCCUPY CENTRAL’ DEMONSTRATIONS
Hong Kong police forcefully ended the more than two month
old street demonstration - Occupy Central. For over two
months, thousands of protesters had been demanding open
nominations in the next election for chief executive in 2017.
RUSSIA SUFFERS ECONOMIC SET BACK
Russia's economy is in deep trouble. Crippled by sanctions
and stung by slumping oil prices, the nation's currency has
lost half its value against the US dollar since June. Because
of the volatility of the rouble, many foreign businesses are
finding it impossible to operate in Russia.
WEB INDEX PUTS INDIA BEHIND CHINA
India ranks behind China and other BRICS nations in a
comprehensive index aimed at measuring the Internet’s
contribution to social, economic and political progress.
Though China is notorious for its great Internet firewall, the
nation is far ahead of India when it comes to translating the
power of the Internet into economic potential, says the Web
Index released by the World Wide Web Foundation
WORLD ECONOMY SET TO GROW BY 3.1%
According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects
2015 report by UNO, the global economy will grow by more
than 3 percent in 2015 and 2016. However the growth will
be uneven in some regions. The UN is forecasting 3.1
percent economic growth in 2015 and 3.3% growth in 2016.
TIME ‘PERSON OF THE YEAR’–EBOLA FIGHTERS
The countless doctors,
nurses and caregivers at
the forefront of battling
one of the worst ever
outbreaks of the deadly
Ebola virus, have been
collectively named as
Time magazine's 2014
'Person of the Year'.
World Health Organi-
sation has said that of
over 18000 reported
cases of Ebola since
December, 2013, nearly
6,400 people have died
by Dec 10 with Siera
Leone being worst hit
country.
2014 WORST YEAR FOR CHILDREN
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that
2014 has been “devastating” for some 15 million children
caught up in violent conflicts around the world in places like
the Central African Republic, Iraq, South Sudan, Syria,
Ukraine and occupied Palestine.

23. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 22
UNFCCC MEET HELD AT LIMA
The world’s nations gathered in Lima, capital of Peru on Dec
1 for the 12-day ‘ Lima Climate Change Conference’ under
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) to push for a deal to roll back carbon emissions
threatening future generations.
On Dec 14, negotiators adopted a compromise draft for
national pledges to cut global carbon emissions, to be
adopted at December 2015 convention in Paris. The deal —
dubbed the Lima Call for Climate Action — paves the way
for what is envisioned as the historic agreement in
environmental history.
This is the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties and
the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as
the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
 World AIDS Day observed on December 01. The
theme for this year is, 'Focus, Partner, Achieve: An
AIDS-free Generation'.
HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection
AIDS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome;
(advanced stage of HIV infection)
 Singapore launched a new National Day song in Tamil
to celebrate its 50 years of independence. Tamil is 4th
official language of Singapore.
 United Nations General Assembly on 5 December 2014
declared 2015 as the International Year of Soils
 Bhutan became 181st
member of Multilateral Invest-
ment Guarantee Agency– a branch of the World Bank
Group.
 An Airbus A320-200 of Air Asia flight QZ8501 with 162
persons aboard disappeared on Dec 28 on way from
Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore.
 Ukraine has decided to join North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation (NATO), signaling its movement away
from Russia, towards western powers.
 Latvia will hold the Presidency of the Council of the
European Union in the first half of 2015. The
Presidency changes every six months.
 An Italian Ship - Norman Atlantic, carrying 478
passengers caught fire in mid sea, near Italian port
Ancona. Rescue teams could save 471passengers.
 Malaysia’s worst flooding in decades forced some
1,18,000 people to flee to safer places. Kelantan, in
north east Malaysia, was worst-affected area.
 A 444.5-kg British man, believed to be the fattest in the
world, has died from pneumonia following a lengthy
battle with his weight.
NOVEMBER 2014
WTO APPROVES TFA AND INDIA’s STAND
Ending months-long deadlock, the WTO has approved a
trade facilitation agreement (TFA) while agreeing to India's
demand for continuing the peace clause till a permanent
solution is found to the food stockpiling issue, crucial for
continuing food security scheme. The decision was taken at
Geneva meet of WTO's General Council on Nov 27.
WTO also accepted India's demand for extending the peace
clause till a permanent solution is found for its food
stockpiling issue.
Under the peace clause, a WTO member gets immunity
against penalty for breaching the food subsidy cap. As per
the WTO norms, a developing nation can provide food
subsidy of upto 10 percent of the total farm output.
WORLD BANK REPORT ON GLOBAL WARMING
The World Bank on 23 November
2014 released a report on the
impact of global warming titled
“Turn Down the Heat: Confronting
the New Climate Normal.” The
report focuses on the specific
regional impacts of warming.
WORLD LONGEST TRAIN JOURNEY
An 82-wagon cargo train started on Nov 25 from the
Chinese city of Yiwu for Madrid, Spain on the world’s longest
rail journey, covering 10,000 kms, following the ancient Silk
Route. It will cover five other countries — Russia, Belarus,
Poland, Germany and France — before completing its
mammoth 21-day journey in the Spanish capital.
UN RESOLUTION ON CHILD MARRIAGES
The United Nations has adopted the first-ever resolution
calling on governments to stop child marriages. About 15
million girls worldwide become child brides each year and
more than 700 mn women are married before the age–18.
IMMIGRATION REFORMS IN USA
In a landmark decision that could benefit around 2.5 lakh
Indians seeking the Green Card, US President has
announced sweeping immigration reforms that will save
almost five million illegal immigrants from deportation,
particularly those who hold H-1B visa.
OVER $9 BN PLEDGED FOR CLIMATE FUND
Thirty nations meet on 20th
Nov in Berlin has pledged $9.3
billion for a fund to help developing countries cut emissions
and prepare for climate change to avoid global warming.
The South Korea-based Green Climate Fund (GCF) aims to
help developing nations invest in clean energy and green
technology and build up defences against rising seas and
worsening storms, floods and droughts.
UN WORLD TOILET DAY – NOV 19
The United Nations has dedicated November 19th for
promoting World Toilet Day to bring into limelight the plight
of all those people who do not have access to a toilet -
despite this being their basic right. The theme for this year's
UN World Toilet Day is "Equality, Dignity and the Link
Between Gender-Based Violence and Sanitation".

24. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 23
G20 TO ACT ON TAX THEFT /CLIMATE CHANGE
Leaders from the G20 group of nations resolved to boost
flagging global growth, tackle climate change and crack
down on tax avoidance. The group leaders promised to
modernise global tax rules and begin automatic exchange of
tax information by 2018-end. USA committed $3 billion to
the Green Climate Fund. Japan also pledged $1.5 Billion for
the same.
Turkey will host 2015 G20 summit and the 2016 summit will
be hosted by China.
US AGREES TO INDIAN FOOD STOCKING
India has reached an agreement with the United States on
public stockpiling of food in terms of Bali Package, paving
the way for the implementation of a global Trade Facilitation
Agreement that has been stalled for months.
India had asked WTO to amend the norms for calculating
agri subsidies so that the country could continue to procure
foodgrains from farmers at minimum support price and sell
them to poor at cheaper rates without violating the WTO
norms.
CHINA USA AGREE TO CUT EMISSIONS
China and the United States have agreed on a timetable to
limit emission of greenhouse gases — ending a 20-year
discord between them on how to combat climate change.
The U.S. agreed to reduce by 2025 its emission of
greenhouse gases by 26 per cent to 28 per cent below its
2005 level. China agreed to raise the share of non-fossil
fuels to 20 per cent by 2030. The two countries are the
largest producers of CO2 gasses in the world.
IMF DECLARES CHINA AS NO 1 ECONOMY
As per recent reports from IMF, in October 2014, China
overtook the US to become the world’s largest economy in
terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). China’s GDP stood
at $ 17.6 trillion, 16.48 percent of the World GDP, followed
by USA at $ 17.4 trillion. India stood at the third place with
$ 7.3 trillion size.
‘VAPE’ IS THE WORD OF 2014
'Vape' - the act of smoking from an electronic cigarette -
has been chosen by Oxford Dictionaries as its international
word of the year for 2014 after use of the term more than
doubled over the last year.
 Thousands of Greeks took to the streets of Athens to
hold a nationwide strike to protest against the
government’s austerity drive involving job cuts.
 Japan's economy shrank for the second consecutive
quarter, marking a technical recession in the world's
third largest economy.
 Sweden has become the first European Union (EU)
country to officially recognise the State of Palestine.
 WHO released first ever ‘Guidelines for Indoor Air
Quality - Household Fuel Combustion’ to promote use of
clean fuels at household level.
 22nd
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit
was held in Beijing, China from 9th
November 2014 to
11th
November 2014.
 Czech Republic celebrated the 25th
anniversary of the
launch of the Velvet Revolution that toppled
communism and led to dawn of democracy in 1989.
 General council meeting of WTO held at GENEVA on
27th
November, 2014
 International Buddhist Conference held in Lumbini,
Nepal, Nov 15-16.
PERSONS IN NEWS
JANUARY 2015
POOJA THAKUR: A Wing Commander from Indian Air
Force became the first woman to lead the ceremonial tri-
service guard of honour inspected by U.S. President Barack
Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Jan. 25, 2015.
VIKRAM CHANDRA: Indian origin Novelist was named
among the finalists for prestigious National Book Critics
Circle (NBCC) Awards of USA for his non-fiction work Geek
Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the Code of Beauty.
MS. LEELA SAMSON: She resigned as Chairperson of
Central Board of Film Certification, CBFC to protest the
clearance of the controversial film Messenger of God by the
Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
BHAKTI SHARMA: India's 24 year old open water
swimmer has set a world record by swimming 2.25 kms in
52 minutes in one degree temperature in the Antarctic
Ocean. She is the first Asian girl and youngest in the world
to have achieved this feat.
AVINASH CHANDER: Secretary, Defence Research and
Development cum Director General, DRDO and Scientific
Advisor to the Defence Minister was in news as he was
removed by the govt., 15 months before his contract was to
end.
NARENDRA MODI, REKHA: Our Prime Minister and
veteran bollywood actress, both were crowned ‘hottest
vegetarian celebrities’ by animal rights organisation PETA
India for making plant-based foods more popular than ever
in 2014.
YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA: Former Premier of Thailand
was impeached on Jan 23 for corruption charges. Country’s
first woman Premier and the sister of former leader Thaksin
Shinawatra, suffers an automatic five-year ban from politics.
DECEMBER 2014
DR. K. RADHAKRISHNAN: Chairman of the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) has been selected as one of
the top ten scientists in 2014 chosen by the prestigious
science journal of UK-Nature.
PRIME MINISTER MODI: has been rated as the world’s
top policy maker, according to a new report of Harvard’s
prestigious Kennedy School of Government.

25. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 24
PAWAN CHAMLING: Sikkim Chief Minister, on 12
December 2014 became longest serving Chief Minister of
India as he completed his 20 years in the office. The record
for longest tenure as Chief Minister is held by Jyoti Basu, CM
of West Bengal for 23 years, 4 months.
TASHI MALIK AND NUNGSHI MALIK: The twin sisters
from Dehradun scaled Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest
mountain at 4,892 metres to become the world’s first twins
and siblings to climb the highest peaks on the seven
continents.
SARITA DEVI: The International Boxing Association (AIBA)
banned Indian boxer for one year for refusing to accept the
Asian Games bronze medal.
VIVEK MURTHY: The 37 year old Indian origin doctor has
been confirmed as the youngest ever Surgeon General of
the United States
MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA: Sri Lanka President visited India
to offer prayers at the famous hill temple of Lord
Venkateswara in Andhra Pradesh
NOVEMBER 2014
NARENDRA MODI: joined the Forbes list of the world's
most powerful people at 15th rank. The list is topped by
the Russian President Vladimir Putin, followed by Barack
Obama. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani
scored 36th
rank.
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA: The Chairperson of
country's largest bank- SBI, was named as the most-
powerful business woman in India by Fortune Magazine.
She was followed by ICICI Bank's Chanda Kochhar and
Shikha Sharma of Axis Bank.
E. SREEDHARAN: Ministry of Railways has appointed
Father of Delhi Metro – ‘Metroman’ head of the committee
to suggest a "proper system and procedure to ensure
proper accountability and transparency" at General Manager
level and other functionaries level for taking all commercial
decisions.
GEN. DALBIR SINGH SUHAG: Indian Army Chief was
conferred the title of honorary rank of General of Nepal
Army by the Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav.
FARHAN AKHTAR: Bollywood actor-director became the
first man in the history of “UN Women” to be appointed as
its Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia. He will advocate for
gender equality and women's empowerment.
REUBEN PAUL: An eight-year old Indian-origin child
prodigy was in news as he delivered the keynote address at
the Ground Zero Summit on cyber security held in New
Delhi.
NIKKI HALEY: Governor of South Caorlina state, USA, the
youngest of current US Governors (42) was in news as she
visited Punjab and promised South Carolina’s support to
Punjab in setting up aerospace, pharma, tourism and agro-
processing industries.
MALALA YOUSAFZAI: Pakistani teenage rights activist and
Nobel Peace Prize winner was in news for donating $50,000
to help rebuild UN schools in Gaza that have been damaged
during the recent fight with Israel.
CHUCK HAGEL: U.S. Defense Secretary was in news as he
resigned from his post.
BARACK OBAMA: US President will be the Chief Guest at
India's 2015 Republic Day celebrations. This will be the first
time a US President will attend the function.
VLADIMIR PUTIN: Russian President was in news as he
walked out of the G20 summit in Australia, after he faced
scorn and scepticism from Western leaders over Russia’s
interference in Ukraine.
ROBERT O’NEILL: An ex-Navy SEAL was in news as he
has been unmasked as the man who pumped three shots to
the head of elusive Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden during
a top-secret raid on May 2, 2011 at his hideout in
Abbottabad, Pakistan.
SAIRA BLAIR: Eighteen-year-old girl from West Virginia
University was in news as she secured a landslide victory by
securing 63 percent votes for a seat in the state legislature
house of West Virginia, USA, becoming the youngest person
ever to achieve this feat.
A P P O I N T M E N T S
JANUARY 2015
APPOINTMENTS IN NITI AAYOG
The following appointments have been made by the Prime
Minister to the various positions in the Aayog
Chairman: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Vice-Chairman: Arvind Panagariya (Economist)
CEO: Sindhushree Khullar
Full Time Members:
Bibek Debroy, Economist
Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Former Secretary Defence R&D
Ex-officio members:
Rajnath Singh, Union Minister
Arun Jaitley, Union Minister
Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister
Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister
Special Invitees:
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister
Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister
Smt. Smriti Irani, Union Minister
PAHLAJ NIHALANI: Chairman, Central Board of Film
Certification, CBFC. He is a noted film producer from
Mumbai.
A S KIRAN KUMAR: Chairman of Indian Space Research
Organisation- ISRO and Secretary of the Department of
Space, Govt of India
AZIZ QURESHI: Governor of Mizoram (transferred from
Uttrakhand).

26. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 25
K K PAUL: Governor of Uttarakhand (shifted from
Meghalaya), with additional charge of Manipur
K N TRIPATHI: Governor of West Bengal will take
additional charge as the Governor of Meghalaya
KALYAN SINGH: Governor of Himachal Pradesh
(Additional Charge); He is Governor of Rajasthan
KAPTAN SINGH SOLANKI: Governor of Punjab
(Additional Charge); He is Governor of Haryana
S. JAISHANKAR: Union Foreign Secretary
MALINI PARTHASARATHY: veteran journalist appointed
the Editor of The Hindu, the first woman editor of the
century-old newspaper
H S BRAHMA: Chief Election Commissioner
ATUL KHARE: Under-Secretary-General, Department of
Field Support (DFS) in UNO
R KOTEESWARAN: MD & CEO, Indian Overseas Bank
ANIMESH CHAUHAN: MD & CEO, Oriental Bank of
Commerce
KISHORE KUMAR SANSI: MD & CEO, Vijaya Bank
P SRINIVAS: MD & CEO, United Bank of India
LEE WAN KOO: New Prime Minister of South Korea
SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD: New king of Saudi
Arabia
ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Prime Minister of Greece, from the anti-
austerity Syriza party
KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIC: First women President
of Croatia
MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA: 6th
President of Sri Lanka,
from Sri Lanka Freedom Party - SLFP
MODIBO KEITA: Prime Minister of Mali, a West African
country
DECEMBER 2014
RAGHUBAR DAS (BJP): New Chief Minister of Jharkhand
JYOTSNA SURI: President of the Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
RAJINDER KHANNA: Chief of Research & Analysis Wing
(R&AW),
PRAKASH MISHRA: Director General of Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF).
DINESHWAR SHARMA: Director, Intelligence Bureau
ANIL Kr. SINHA: Director, Central Bureau of Investigation
KLAUS IOHANNIS: President of Romania
BEJI CAID ESSEBSI: President of Tunisia
ANEROOD JUGNAUTH: Prime Minister of Mauritius
TABARE VAZQUEZ: President of Uruguay
SHINZO ABE: Re elected as Prime Minister of Japan
ASHTON CARTER: US Defence Secretary
NOVEMBER 2014
LIST OF CABINET MINISTERS AS ON 30.11.2014
Person Name Position
1 NARENDRA MODI
Head of the
Government
Prime Minister, Personnel, Public Grievances
and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy;
Department of Space; all important policy issues
and all other portfolios not allocated to any
Minister
2 Rajnath Singh Home Affairs
3 Sushma Swaraj External Affairs, Overseas Indian Affairs
4 Arun Jaitley Finance, Corporate Affairs, Information &
Broadcasting
5 Manohar Parrikar Defence
6 Radha Mohan Singh Agriculture
7 J.P. Nadda Health and Family Welfare
8 M. Venkaiah Naidu Urban Development, Housing and Urban
Poverty Alleviation, Parliamentary Affairs
9 Nitin Jairam Gadkari Road Transport and Highways, Shipping
10 Suresh Prabhu Railways
11 Uma Bharati Water Resources, River Development and
Ganga Rejuvenation
12 Dr. Najma A.
Heptulla
Minority Affairs
13 Chaudhary Birender
Singh
Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Drinking
Water and Sanitation
14 Ramvilas Paswan Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
15 Kalraj Mishra Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
16 Maneka Sanjay
Gandhi
Women and Child Development
17 Ananthkumar Chemicals and Fertilizers
18 Ravi Shankar Prasad Communications and Information Technology
19 AG Raju Pusapati Civil Aviation
20 Anant Geete Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
21 Harsimrat Kaur
Badal
Food Processing Industries
22 Narendra Singh
Tomar
Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment
23 Jual Oram Tribal Affairs
24 Sadananda Gowda Law and Justice
25 Thaawar Chand
Gehlot
Social Justice and Empowerment
26 Smriti Zubin Irani Human Resource Development
27 Dr. Harsh Vardhan Science & Technology / Earth Science

27. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 26
DEEPAK GUPTA: Chairman of Union Public Service
Commission (UPSC)
JUSTICE C K PRASAD: Chairman, Press Council of India
HASMUKH ADHIA: Union Financial Services Secretary
G S SANDHU: Chairman of National Chemical Weapon
Convention.
LAXMIKANT PARSEKAR: Chief Minister, Goa
ANITA KAPUR:Chairperson, Central Board of Direct Taxes.
KLAUS WARREN LOHANNIS: President of Romania, first
non Romanian (German) to become President
AWARDS & HONOURS
JANUARY 2015
PADMA AWARDS 2015 ANNOUNCED
Padma Awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan
and Padma Shri are given by Govt. of India for exceptional
and distinguished service in any field excluding service
rendered by Government servants. They are announced
every year on the eve of Republic Day, i.e. 25th
January.
Maximum number does not exceed 120, excluding award for
foreigners and posthumous awards. They do not carry any
cash award.
PADMA VIBHUSHAN – 2015 (9)
S.
No.
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/Domicile
1. Lal Krishna Advani Public Affairs
– Politician
Gujarat
2. Amitabh Bachchan Art - Cinema Maharashtra
3. Prakash Singh Badal Public Affairs Punjab
4. Dr. D V Heggade Social Work Karnataka
5. Dilip Kumar Art - Cinema Maharashtra
6. Jagadguru
Ramanandacharya
Swami
Rambhadracharya
Others -
Hindu Scholar
Uttar Pradesh
7. M. R. Srinivasan Science and
Engineering -
Nuclear
Scientist
Tamil Nadu
8. K. K. Venugopal Public Affairs -
Constitutional
Lawyer
Delhi
9. Karim Al Hussaini
Aga Khan
Trade and
Industry
France/UK
PADMA BHUSHAN 2015 (19)
S.
No
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/
Domicil
e
1. Shri Jahnu Barua Art – Films Assam
2. Dr. Subhash C.
Kashyap
Public Affairs -
Constitutional Expert
Delhi
3. Harish Salve Public Affairs –
Advocate
Delhi
4. Rajat Sharma Media (India TV) Delhi
5. Manjul Bhargava
(NRI/PIO)
Science & Engg,
Mathematician
USA
6. Bill Gates Social Work USA
7. Melinda Gates Social Work USA
PADMA SHRI – 2015 (75)
S.
No.
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/Domicile
1. Mithali Raj Sports –
Cricket
Telengana
2. P.V. Sindhu Sports –
Badminton
Telengana
3. Sanjay Leela
Bhansali
Art – Films Maharashtra
4. Prasoon Joshi Art – Films Maharashtra
5. Tarak Mehta Art – TV Gujarat
6. Jean-Claude
Carriere
Literature and
Education
France
7. Late Pran Kumar
Sharma alias Pran
Art –
Cartoonist
Delhi
ASHOK CHAKRA: The highest peacetime military honour
awardaed posthumously to Major Mukund Varadarajan and
Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, the two Army personnel who laid
down their lives combating militants in Kashmir Valley.
DSC Prize for Literature: The $50,000 prize won by
Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri for her book, The
Lowland at the Jaipur Literature Festival
Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for poetry won by
Arunadhathi Subramaniam for her work When God is a
Traveller, at the Jaipur Literature Festival
SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON of the Year Award 2015:
Amitabh Bachchan, conferred by the Internet and Mobile
Association of India
"GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR": Raghuram Rajan, Governor,
RBI was selected by the British magazine ‘Central Banking’
for this award at the global level.
‘AWARD FOR THE BEST BANK’: bagged by the Canara
Bank at the "MSME Banking Excellence Awards-2014" at
Bengaluru.

28. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 27
72ND
GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS 2015
Announced at Beverly Hills, California, USA
Best Motion Picture-Drama: Boyhood
Best Director: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
MISS UNIVERSE 2015: Paulina Vega of Columbia at
Miami, USA.
Martin Luther King Jr. Award: Frank Islam, an eminent
Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist for his
contribution to the promotion of the civil rights in USA.
Giraffe Hero Award 2015: Renowned Indian RTI activist
Subhash Chandra Agrawal was conferred with the by a US-
based NGO The Giraffe Heroes Project.
FIFA Ballon d'Or Award- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo of
Portugal, earning the title of world's best football player for
the third time.
DECEMBER 2014
THE GOLDEN PEACOCK: Award for the best film at the
45th International Film Festival of India, Goa won by the
Russian film ‘Leviathan’ directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev.
The award carries a cash prize of 40 lakh rupees.
Wong Kar Wai: The Chinese filmmaker was conferred the
lifetime achievement award at IFFI.
Swiss Ambassador's Award: Azim Premji, Chairman of
Wipro for inspirational and socially responsible leadership.
Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards for 2010-
11 given at Delhi for outstanding performance in exports.
Canara Bank won the Niryat Bandhu Silver Trophy, Banks
Yash Chopra Memorial Award: Amitabh Bachchan
Miss Universal Peace & Humanity 2014: Ruhi Singh of
India at Beirut, Lebanon.
Miss Intercontinental 2014: Wang Patraporn, from
Thailand at Magdeburg, Germany.
Miss World 2014: Rolene Strauss, from South Africa at
London
Olof Palme Human Rights Prize: Xu Youyu, Chinese
pro-democracy activist. It is an annual prize worth USD
75,000 granted by the Swedish labour movement.
Confucius Peace Prize: Fidel Castro, Former Cuban
leader. It is known as China's version of the Nobel Prize.
Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry 2014: Noted Pakistan-
born poetess Imtiaz Dharker for her poetry collection ‘Over
the Moon’. This award is given by British Queen.
Turner Prize: Duncan Campbell, film artist from UK for a
video that reflects on African art. It is a popular UK prize
for art work.
NOVEMBER 2014
INDIRA GANDHI PRIZE for Peace, Disarmament and
Development for 2014: Indian Space Research
Organisation – ISRO for its contribution in strengthening
international cooperation in peaceful use of outer space.
GANDHIAN PHILOSOPHY and Public Service
Broadcasting Award 2014: Won by Radio Kashmir,
Jammu for its programme Jeevan Rekha.
CENTENARY AWARD for Indian Film Personality of
the Year: Rajinikanth, super star of south cinema was
conferred this honour at the 45th International Film Festival
of India, in Goa.
Sumitra Charat Ram Award 2014: Pandit Jasraj, veteran
classical vocalist for Lifetime Achievement.
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S PEACE PRIZE: Neha
Gupta (18), an Indian-American from Philadelphia, won the
prestigious prize for her work to help orphans in India and
other vulnerable children. She became the first ever
American to be awarded the prize in The Hague,
Netherlands.
IIM- JRD TATA AWARD for Excellence in Corporate
leadership: C S Verma, Chairman, SAIL
THE IPI INDIA AWARD for Excellence in Journalism,
2014, awarded jointly to Hindustan Times and The Week for
“outstanding journalistic work” during 2013.
IPI – International Press Institute, Vienna (Austria)
WORLD’S CHILDREN PRIZE: Malala Yousafzai in Sweden
THE GRAND CORDON of the Order of the Paulownia
Flowers: One of Japan’s top national awards, conferred on
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his contribution
to Indo-Japan ties. He is first Indian to receive this honour.
SYDNEY PEACE PRIZE 2014: Julian Burnside, Human
rights advocate and barrister from Australia.
SAKHAROV PRIZE for Human Rights: Denis Mukwege
from Congo for treating victims of gang rape
BOOKS & AUTHORS
JANUARY 2015
'Neither a Hawk nor a Dove' by Khurshid M Kasuri,
Pakistan's Ex-Foreign Minister
The Red Sari by Javier Moro; the book is the story of Sonia
Gandhi, originally written in Spanish.
The Indian Parliament – A Critical Appraisal: Sudha
Pai and Avinash Kumar
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
At Home in India: The Muslim Saga by Salman Khurshid
The Tunnel of Time by R. K. Laxman (autobiography)

29. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 28
DECEMBER 2014
Vande Bharatam by Pandit Prabodh Kumar Mishra.
How Modi Won It by Harish Khare
The Last Illusion by Porochista Khakpour
Adultery by Paulo Coelho
Life is What You Make it by Preeti Shenoy
In God’s Hands by Desmond Tutu Templeton prize winner
Family Life by Akhil Sharma. The book has been selected
by The New York Times Book Review as one of the ten Best
Books of 2014.
Born Again on the Mountain by Arunima Sinha, the first
Indian female amputee to climb Mount Everest.
2014: The Election That Changed India by Rajdeep
Sardesai
Next China-India War - World's First Water War –
2029 by Gen. Sundarajan Padmanabhan, former Indian
Army Chief
NOVEMBER 2014
Your Dreams are Mine Now by Ravinder Singh
7 Secretes of the Goddess by Dev Dutt Pattnaik
The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years by
Pranab Mukherjee, President of India
The Scatter Here is Too Great by Bilal Tanweer of
Lahore won the 2014 Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize.
Truth Always Prevails by Sadruddin Hashwani
The Rich by John Kampfner
OBITUARY
JANUARY 2015
R K LAXMAN: Full name
Rasipuram Krishnaswamy
Iyer Laxman, legendary
cartoonist, creator of the
iconic "The Common Man"
published regularly for
several years in The Times
of India, Padma Vibhushan
awardee, died at the age
of 94 years.
He was also honoured with
the Magsaysay Award.
Capturing the entire gamut
of idiosyncrasies of Indian
politicians in an innocuous
newspaper box with his cartoons, he immortalised the
passive, hapless common man with an uncanny perception
and sarcasm in a daily commentary on his life that brought
smiles to millions for over five decades.
He wrote his autobiography titled ‘The Tunnel of Time’.
B G VERGHESE: Eminent journalist, a Ramon Magsaysay
award winner and former editor of the Hindustan Times and
The Indian Express
RAJNI KOTHARI: Noted political scientist, founder of The
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
JASWANT SINGH RAJPUT : Two-time gold medal
winning hockey Olympian
SUBASH GHISING: Former chief of Gorkha National
Liberation Front, who gave birth to the Gorkhaland
movement
SAIYID HAMID: Noted Muslim academician, educationist,
reformist and author. He was Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard
University, ex-Chancellor Jamia Millia Islamia and former
Vice Chancellor Aligarh Muslim University
ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ: King of Saudi Arabia
DECEMBER 2014
K. BALACHANDER: Eminent South Indian filmmaker and
Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner from Chennai. He wrote,
directed and produced more than 100 films in Tamil,
Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He was the man behind the
success of superstars Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan.
V.R. KRISHNA IYER: Legendary jurist, a Supreme Court
judge, and post-retirement, a human rights activist, known
for his landmark judgments and for the environmental
struggles.
DEVEN VERMA: Bollywood comedy actor, winner of
Filmfare Best Comedian Award for his roles in films Chori
Mera Kaam, Chor Ke Ghar Chor and Angoor.
A R ANTULAY: Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and
former Union Minister, veteran Congress leader
CHUNIBHAI VAIDYA: A veteran Gandhian and freedom
fighter from Ahmadabad, Gujarat.
JARBOM GAMLIN: Former C M of Arunachal Pradesh
JOE COCKER: Legendary rock singer from Colorado, USA
DAVID JOHN RYALL: Veteran British actor
NOVEMBER 2014
RAVI CHOPRA: Veteran film director from Bollywood,
famous for his tele serial – Mahabharat and movie –
Baghban.
SADASHIV AMRAPURKAR: Mumbai Cinema actor, winner
of two Filmfare awards.
MURLI DEORA: Eminent Congress leader from
Maharashtra and former Union Petroleum Minister
SITARA DEVI: Eminent Kathak danseuse, Padma sri
awardee. Kathak is a prominent classical dance form of
Uttar Pradesh.

30. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 29
P D JAMES: Noted English crime thriller novelist from UK.
Popular as “Queen of Crime” and known for the fictitious
character of poet-cum-detective - Adam Dalgliesh created
by her.
PHILLIP HUGHES: Australian star batsman was in news
as he suffered a fatal hit on his neck by a short-pitched
bouncer thrown by Sean Abbott, in a domestic match in
Sydney, leading to his death after three days, on Nov 27.
KEN TAKAKURA: Noted Japanese film actor
WARREN ANDERSON: Former Union Carbide chief,
wanted in India in connection with the 1984 Bhopal gas
tragedy, died at 92 in New York – Sep 29.
PLACES IN NEWS
JANUARY 2015
PERIYAR TIGER RESERVE: Sanctuary in Kerala won the
National Tiger Conservation Authority award for
encouraging local public participation in managing the
reserve.
MALIHABAD: Area of Lucknow was in news as around 50
lives were lost there due to a hooch tragedy that occurred in
its nearby villages. Hooch is a type of local liquor, usually of
inferior quality.
BAGA: A town in north east Nigeria was in news as the
Islamic militant group Boko Haram executed over 2000
persons there and in adjoining villages.
CHENYI SQUARE: Place in Shanghai's Huangpu district
was in news as a stampede broke out there during New
Year celebrations, killing over 35 persons and injuring some
40 persons.
DECEMBER 2014
CHINTAGUFA, SUKMA: Place was in news as Naxalites
killed 14 CRPF personnel, including two officers, and injured
an equal number in the second attack on the force in 10
days in the same area in the Naxal hotbed of Sukma district
in Chhattisgarh.
TYPHOON HAGUPIT: hit the eastern Philippines creating
misery for millions following a barrage of deadly disasters.
NOVEMBER 2014
JAYAPUR: A village near Varanasi was in news as it was
adopted for development by the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi under ‘Sansad Gram Yojna’.
HAMPI: Place in Karnataka was in news as some 20
drawings of the Harappan (Sindhu) era in Gondi dialect
were discovered there at a nearby hilltop.
PENDARI: A village on the outskirts of Bilaspur,
Chhattisgarh was in news as over 14 women died due to
faulty sterlisation operations performed on them at a
government medical camp organised there.
LIPULEKH PASS: The mountain pass in Dharchula,
Uttrakhand was in news as border trade worth over Rs 3
crore took place between India and China this year through
this pass.
WAGAH: The small town on Indo-Pak border, famous for
its ceremonial beating retreat, was in news as a horrific
suicide attack took place there on Nov 2, killing over 61
persons and injuring another around 100 persons, who had
come there for attending the flag lowering ceremony.
FERGUSON: A small town in Missouri State of USA was in
news as it suffered violent racial riots. The riots sparked
after a grand jury cleared a white police officer in the fatal
August 9 shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Protests
were also staged in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Los
Angeles, Oakland, California, and Washington DC.
BERLIN WALL: Massive public celebrations were held in
Germany to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 to stop people
fleeing the communist East. Its fall in 1989 became a
powerful symbol of the end of the Cold War.
CATALONIA: A small but prosperous region in north
eastern Spain was in news as it voted in a symbolic ballot
on Nov 9 on the issue – “whether to break away from Spain
or not” to emerge as an independent state.
WORLD TRADE CENTER, NY: The 104-story, $3.9 billion
skyscraper at Manhattan, New York, the tallest in America,
was inaugurated on Nov 03, almost thirteen years after the
9/11 terrorist attack that destroyed the original towers.
SPORTS WORLD
JANUARY 2015
AWARD MONEY RAISED FOR SPORTS MEDALS
The Sports Ministry revised its ‘Scheme of Special Awards’ to
medal winners in international events by increasing the
award money in Olympic and Paralympics Games (summer
and winter) from Rs 50 lakh to 75 lakh for gold, Rs 30 lakh
to 50 lakh for silver and Rs 20 lakh to 30 lakh for bronze.
Sania Mirza along with her American partner Bethanie
Mattek-Sands won doubles title at the Sydney International
Tennis Tournament.
Anirban Lahiri, Indian professional golfer voted as the
2014 Players’ Player of the year in Asian Tour.
National Billiards Championship: Pankaj Advani won
the national title in Kolkata beating Dhruv Sitwala. Arantxa
Sanchis won the women’s title.
Senior National Snooker Championship: Pankaj Advani
won the title defeating Varun Madan at Kolkata. Amee
Kamani won the women’s title.
Youth National Weightlifting Championship: Jimjang
Deru of Arunachal Pradesh created national record by lifting
238 kilograms under the 56 kilograms category in Yamuna
Nagar, Haryana.

31. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 30
Bengaluru FC won the Federation Cup football title at
Margao, Goa, beating Dempo Sports Club
76th Table Tennis National Championship: Petroleum
Sports Promotion Board team won both - men's and
women's titles at Puducherry.
The 79th Senior National Badminton Championship
held in Vijayawada from January 29 to February 5.
The 35th National Games to be held in Kerala
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland won the ATP
Chennai Open Tennis Singles title beating Aljaz Bedene
of Slovenia in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni Indian cricket captain has decided
to retire from Test cricket, citing strain of playing all
formats. He would prefer to concentrate on ODI and T20
formats.
India will host the 2016 Twenty 20 World Cup from 11th
of March to 3rd of April 2016.
Stephen Constantine appointed head coach of Indian
men's football team.
O P JAISHA: Indian runner broke the 19-year-old national
record of women marathon at the 12th Standard Chartered
Mumbai Marathon in Mumbai, clocking a time of 2:37:29.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has won the FIFA Ballon
d'Or award for 2014, earning the title of world's best
football player for a third time.
Brett Lee: Australian cricketer, rated as third fastest bowler
in world, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket
after a 20-year career.
AB de Villiers, South Africa's cricket captain hit the fastest
century in one-day internationals cricket history, 31 balls to
100 against the West Indies in Johannesburg, South Africa.
He scored 149 runs off 44 balls (16x6 and 9x4)
Roger Federer of Switzerland reached the 1,000 ATP Tour
wins milestone as he won the Brisbane International title on
Jan 11, defeating Canada's Milos Raonic at Brisbane,
Australia. He becomes the third man, after Jimmy Connors
(1253) and Ivan Lendl (1071), to secure 1,000 ATP wins.
ATP: Association of Tennis Professionals
Sean Abbott, the Australian bowler has been named
Australia's young cricketer of the year, winning the Sir
Bradman Award. He is the same bowler whose delivery led
to the death of Phillip Hughes.
DECEMBER 2014
Blind Cricket World Cup: India lifted the Cup on Dec 7
after defeating Pakistan in Cape Town, South Africa.
P V Sindhu: Won the Macau Grand Prix Gold trophy at
Macau, China, beating Kim Hyo Min of Korea
Viswanathan Anand won his maiden London Classic title
after defeating British Grandmaster Michael Adams
Ankita Raina won ITF singles tennis title defeating British
Katy Dunne in Pune, Mahrashtra. She is the first Indian to
win this title in past 14 years.
M S Dhoni broke the world record for most number of
stumpings in international cricket after he claimed his 134th
victim – Mitchell Johnson of Australia at Melbourne,
Australia.
Baichung Bhutia: Former Indian football captain conferred
with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Hall of Fame
Award in Manila, Philippines.
Sachin Tendulkar has been named as the brand
ambassador for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Arjun Atwal has won the Inaugural edition of Dubai Open
Golf Championship.
Pragyan Ojha, The left-arm spinner has been banned by
BCCI from bowling in competitive matches as his bowling
action was found illegal, flexing elbow beyond 15 degrees.
India beats Turkey to win the World Youth Under-16
Chess Olympiad at Gyor in Hungary.
17th Asian Luge Championships: Shiva Keshavan won
Silver Medal at the Spiral Olympic Sliding Centre in Nagano,
Japan.
Indian Super League football tournament: Atletico de
Kolkata won the championship beating Kerala Blasters.
Champions Trophy: Germany beats Pakistan to win the
hockey trophy at Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Deodhar Trophy: East zone beats West zone to lift cricket
trophy in Mumbai.
58th National Shooting Championships held in Pune,
Maharashtra
‘VINICIUS’ & ‘TOM’ – MASCOTS FOR RIO OLYMPICS
Brazil has declared ‘Vinicius’ as the mascot for the Rio 2016
Olympics to be held at Rio de Janeiro. Vinicius is a yellow
feline animal similar to cat and represents Brazil’s rich fauna
and wildlife.
The mascot for 2016 Paralympics Games is Tom, a blue and
green figure with leaves that cover its head and presents
country’s diverse and rich flora.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) has declared
following as the “Player of the Year 2014”
Men’s: Novak Djokovic from Serbia
Women’s: Serena Williams from USA
Opening ceremony for the International Cricket Council
(ICC) World Cup 2015 shall be held at Melbourne, Australia
on Feb 14, 2015.
Hillel Oscar: An international umpire and former captain of
Israel's national cricket team died on Nov 30 after being hit
in the jaw by a ball at Ashdod, Israel.

32. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 31
NOVEMBER 2014
ROHIT SHARMA made history by scoring the highest
individual score of 264 runs (173b, 33x4, 9x6) in the world
history of ODIs, playing against Sri Lanka in Kolkata’s Eden
Garden Stadium on Nov 13.
 He became the only batsman in world to score two
double centuries in ODI format.
 His previous best of 209 was against Australia in 2013
in Bengaluru.
 He also created a world record for most fours-33 in a
single innings.
M S Dhoni was named as the captain of ICC ODI Team of
the Year 2014.
C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2014:
Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar. The Award is given
by BCCI.
Polly Umrigar Award 2013-14: Pacer Bhuvneshwar
Kumar for being India’s best international cricketer of the
year, given by BCCI.
ICC’s LG People's Choice Award 2014: Indian fast
bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar
VIRAT KOHLI: Star batsman became the quickest
cricketer to reach 6,000 runs in ODIs, beating legendary
West Indian Vivian Richards’ record. He scored this feat
during India’s third ODI against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad.
ABHINAV BINDRA: India’s ace shooter became the first
Indian to be elected as Chairman of International Shooting
Sport Federation's (ISSF) Athletes Committee.
Sachin Tendulkar was inducted into the Bradman Hall of
Fame on 5th October at the Sydney Cricket Ground,
Australia.
Ms Deborah, a tribal girl from Andaman and Nicobar
Islands has created history in National Level by winning four
Gold Medals in the Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship
2014 held at New Delhi.
54th National Open Athletics Championships held at
New Delhi. Tintu Luka was adjudged the best female
athlete and Ankit Sharma was named the best male
athlete.
South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's
Championship: India wins beating Nepal in Islamabad,
Pakistan.
Indian cricket team won 5-match ODI series in a whitewash
against Sri Lanka, winning all the five matches.
Saina Nehwal and K Srikanth clinched the women's and
men's singles title (Badminton) of the China Open Super
Series Premier in Fuzhou, China, on 15th
Nov.
Duleep Trophy: Central Zone lifts the cricket cup after
beating South Zone at New Delhi.
43rd
Handball National Championship (women’s):
Punjab beats Haryana to win the tournament at Mastuana
Sahib, Punjab.
127th
Durand Cup: Salgaocar FC won the prestigious
Football championship in Goa, defeating Pune FC.
World Kabaddi League: United Singhs won the finals
beating Khalsa Warriors at Mohali, Punjab.
68th
Sr. National Aquatic Championship held at Kolkata.
Terry Walsh quits as the Head Coach of the National
Hockey team.
Mitchell Johnson: Australia’s fast bowler won the
International Cricket Council's (ICC) Sir Garfield Sobers
trophy for the Cricketer of the Year award for 2014.
AB de Villiers: South Africa’s batsman was voted the ODI
player of 2014.
Sarah Taylor: England’s wicketkeeper was named
women’s player of 2014.
Lionel Messi: FC Barcelona superstar became the all-time
highest scorer in La Liga history by scoring 253 goals,
playing against Sevilla in Spain.
Lewis Hamilton of UK won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as
well as the Formula 1 racing championship title of the year
becoming the first British double world champion since
Jackie Stewart in 1971.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway has retained his World Chess
Championship title defeating five-time champion
Viswanathan Anand in the 11th
game at Sochi, Russia on
Nov 23.
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) won the Barclays ATP World Tour
Finals on Nov 16 at London.
Switzerland won their first ever Davis Cup Tennis title at
Lille, France, beating France.
World Women's Boxing Championships held in Jiju,
South Korea. S Sarjubala and Saweety won the silver
medals for India.
World Tour Golf Championship held at Jumeirah Golf
states in Dubai is won by Henrik Stenson from Sweden.
2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships to be
hosted by Doha, Qatar. 2015 and 2017 games will be
hosted by Beijing and London, respectively.
Africa Cup of Nations 2015 - The 16 nation Football
tournament will be hosted by Equatorial Guinea.
Seaways IBSF World Snooker Championship held at
Bengaluru.
Lee Chong Wei: World number one in Badminton has
been suspended by The Badminton World Federation due to
an apparent anti-doping regulation violation.
INDIAN HIGHLIGHTS
Yogeshwar Dutt ended a 28-year gold drought for India in
wrestling after winning Gold by beating Zalimkhan Yusupov
of Tajikistan in men’s 65kg freestyle category.
Jitu Rai, shooter won India's 1st gold in the 50m event.

33. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 32
MC Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to
clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games after beating
Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova in the flyweight (48-
51kg) category.
India won the Hockey gold medal beating Pakistan
Indian Kabaddi Teams, both men and women, beat
Iran’s teams to win the Gold.
Varsha Gautam and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan made
history by becoming the first Indian women to win a sailing
medal – Bronze in Dinghy event at the Asian Games.
Khushbir Kaur won the country’s first-ever silver in the
women’s 20 kms race walk in Asiad.
With an aim to increase India`s medal tally in 2016 and
2020 Olympics, the Sports Ministry has decided to start a
"Target Olympic Podium Scheme"
The Indian Super League (ISL) heralded a new dawn for
football in India on 12 October, at the Salt Lake Stadium in
Kolkata.
Sharath Gayakwad, the para-swimmer made history at
the Asian Para-Games in Incheon, South Korea, by winning
six medals
Anirban Lahiri won the Venetian Macau Open Golf Cup.
Pankaj Advani won World Billiards Point Format
Championship at Leeds, United Kingdom, beating
Peter Gilchrist of Singapore. He also won the World title in
time format beating Robin Wilson of UK.
World junior Chess title 2014: Lu Shanglei of China
defeated Aleksander Indjic of Serbia to win the title in Pune,
Maharashtra.
35th Senior National Archery Championship held in New
Delhi, won by Punjab.
Champions League Twenty 20: Chennai Super Kings
won the trophy by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders at the M.
Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
The multi-sport Paralympic Games 2015 will be held in
India in February 2015.
4th Sultan of Johor Cup (hockey) for under 21 won by
India beating Great Britain at Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
James Tull: A club cricketer in Australia created history by
scoring a triple ton – 341 runs - with 25 sixes and 34 fours
Shanghai Rolex Masters (Tennis) – 2014 won by Roger
Federer (Switzerland) beating Gilles Simon (France) in
Shanghai, China.
KOHEI UCHIMURA: Japan’s gymnast won his fifth straight
all-around world title at the Gymnastics World
Championships in Nanning, China.
ATP CHINA OPEN Tennis Cup 2014, Beijing
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beats Tomas Berdych (Czech) to
win men’s singles title.
Maria Sharapova (Russia) beats Petra Kvitova(Czech) to
win women’s singles title
Serena Williams (USA) beat Simona Halep (Romania) to
lift the WTA Finals cup at Singapore.
Sania Mirza and Cara Black (Zimbabwe) won the WTA
finals women's doubles tennis title at Singapore.
DAYS AND DATES
JANUARY
National Youth Day( B’day of Swami Vivekanand) 12th January
Army Day 15th January
Desh Prem Divas (B’day of Neta ji Subash Chandra
Bose)
23rd January
National Girl Child Day ( Day Indira Gandhi became
PM of India )
24th January
National Voters Day ( Establishment of Election
Commission)
25th January
International Customs Day 26th January
Martyrs' Day ( Death of Mahatma Gandhi) 30th January
FEBRUARY
World Cancer Day 04th February
World Radio Day 13th February
Valentine’s Day 14th February
Arunachal Pradesh Foundation Day 20th February
Central Excise Day 24th February
National Science Day 28th February
MARCH
World Wildlife Day 03rd March
International Women’s Day 08th March
No Smoking Day 13th March
World Disabled Day 15th March
St. Patricks Day 17th March
World Sparrow Day 20th March
World Poetry Day 21st March
World Water Day 22nd March
World Meteorological Day 23rd March
World Stage Artists Day 27th March
World Earth Hour (8:30 pm to 9:30 pm) 29th March
Financial Year Ending 31st March
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES

34. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 33
WHY THE PRICE OF OIL IS DROPPING SO FAST ?
The oil industry, with its history of booms and busts,
appears to be in the early stages of its latest
downturn. The price of oil has plunged in recent
months, reaching its lowest point in more than five
years.
Q: Why is the price of oil dropping so fast now?
A: This a complicated question, but it boils down to
the simple economics of supply and demand.
US domestic production has nearly doubled over the
last six years, pushing out oil imports that need to
find another home. Saudi, Nigerian and Algerian oil
that once found a home in the United States is
suddenly competing for Asian markets, and the
producers are forced to drop prices.
On the demand side, the economies of Europe and
developing countries are weakening and vehicles are
becoming more energy-efficient. So demand for fuel is
lagging a bit.
Q: Who benefits from the price drop?
A: Obviously, car owners are the largest group of
beneficiaries. Diesel, heating oil and natural gas
prices have also fallen sharply, benefitting the
commercial / industrial users and of course, farming
community. Falling transportation costs will have a
trickle down impact on prices of day to day use
goods, benefitting the common man.
Q: Who loses?
A: For starters, oil-producing countries and states.
Venezuela, Iran, Nigeria, Ecuador, Brazil
and Russia are likely to suffer economic and perhaps
even political turbulence. Persian Gulf states left with
thin surpluses, are likely to invest less money around
the world, and may cut aid to countries like Egypt.
In the United States, Alaska, North Dakota, Texas,
Oklahoma and Louisiana will face economic
challenges. Some smaller oil companies that are
heavily in debt may go out of business, straining some
banks that lend to these companies.
Q: What happened to OPEC?
A: The price of oil, as with other commodities, goes
up and down. And in the past the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries, known as OPEC, has
frequently cut production to firm up prices. Iran,
Venezuela and Algeria are pressing the cartel to do so
again, but Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and
other gulf allies are refusing to cut. At the same time,
Iraq is actually pumping more.
Saudi officials have said that if they cut production
and prices go up, they will lose market share and
merely benefit their competitors. They say they are
willing to see oil prices go much lower, but some oil
analysts think they are merely bluffing.
Q: Is there a conspiracy to bring the price
of oil down?
A: There are a number of conspiracy theories floating
around. Even some oil executives are quietly noting
that the Saudis want to hurt Russia and Iran, and so
does the United States - motivation enough for the
two oil-producing nations to force down prices.
Dropping oil prices in the 1980s did help bring down
the Soviet Union, after all.
But there is no evidence to support the conspiracy
theories, and Saudi Arabia and the United States
rarely coordinate smoothly. And the Obama
administration is hardly in a position to coordinate the
drilling of hundreds of oil companies seeking profits
and answering to their shareholders.
Q: When are oil prices likely to recover?
A: Not anytime soon. Oil production is still increasing
in the United States and some other countries. Many
Wall Street banks are predicting that the oil price
could fall as low as $40 a barrel in the coming
months.
But production is likely to begin declining in the
second half of the year, and then crude prices will
also begin to recover. The history of oil is a history of
booms and busts followed by more of the same.
Modified from Article in Economic Times, Jan 13, 2015

35. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 34

36. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 35
(August 2014– October 2014)
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
N A T I O N A L N E W S
OCTOBER 2014
 President Pranab Mukherjee became the first ever
Indian head of state to visit Norway. He also visited
Finland.
 Nguyen Tan Dung, Vietnam Prime Minister came on a
two-day visit to India.
 India ranks 55th on the Global Hunger Index 2014, up
from 63rd in 2013, better than Pakistan and Bangladesh
that ranked 57.
 Commemoration of the historic Komagata Maru incident
on 29th September. A set of commemorative coins of
denominations of Rs 100 and Rs 5 was released to
mark the occasion.
 The work order for 'Statue of Unity' — the world's
tallest statue (182 mts) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel has
been issued to Larsen and Toubro (L&T).
 India has signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury
to control and reduce emissions from the power plants.
 Union Ministry of Culture launched a year – long birth
centenary celebrations of Ghazal and Thumri singer
Begum Akhtar (07-10-1914).
 Areas around Visakhapatnam on Andhra coast were
severely lashed by the super cyclone Hudhud, causing
widespread destruction.
 The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index – 2014 has
ranked India’s retirement system lowest among the 25
countries surveyed.
 India has performed poorly in removing gender-based
disparities, ranking 114 out of 142 countries in World
Economic Forum's 2014 Gender Gap Index.
 India has been placed at 142nd rank among 189
countries in the latest World Bank’s “Ease of Doing
Business” report.
 John Baird, Canada's Foreign Minister has said that
Canada has agreed to sign commercial contracts for
supply of uranium for Indian nuclear reactors.
 India signed a Memorandum of Understanding on
Culture Cooperation with UK for next five years.
 A commemorative postage stamp on Sri Lankan
Buddhist revivalist and writer Anagarika Dharmapala
was released by the President.
 Government decides to commemorate Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary (October 31) as
“National Integration Day”- Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.
 India and Mexico signed a MoU for cooperation in space
and working together in the areas of remote sensing
 and satellite communication.
 India and Nepal have signed a Power Trade Agreement
to promote cooperation in the field of production and
transmission of electricity.
 India Heritage Research Foundation, Rishikesh has
released the ‘Encyclopedia of Hinduism’ consisting
of 11 volumes and approximately 7000 entries.
 India will contribute $4 million in the $5.4 billion aid
pool formed by the global donors for rebuilding the
Gaza Strip destroyed in the conflict with Israel.
 Prime Minister addressed the nation on Oct 3 for the
first time over radio in the programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’
to reach out to maximum audience.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 PM Modi addressed a historical public gathering at the
USA’s most prestigious venue – Madison Square Garden
in New York on 28th September.
 Recognising the importance of Modi’s visit to USA, the
US Senate announced September 30 as 'US-India
Partnership Day'.
 Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India and signed 12
pacts to commit investment of $20 billion in India
 in the next five years
 China to help in setting up of a Railway University and
high speed Chennai-Bangalore-Mysore train corridor, of
up to 160kmph
 China agreed to open a new route to Kailash
Mansarovar via Nathu La in Sikkim.
 Prime Minister Modi visited Japan and sought support to
introduce the Shinkansen, or bullet train, along the
Ahmedabad-Mumbai route.
 India and Japan have signed a partner city affiliation
agreement between Varanasi (Kashi) and Kyoto - ‘city
of thousand shrines.’
 Supreme Court has directed that all under-trial
prisoners who have completed more than half of the jail
term prescribed for their offences, should be released
on bail

37. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 36
 President Pranab Mukherjee made a four-day state visit
to Vietnam and met his counterpart Truong Tan Sang.
 Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott came to India
and signed a landmark civil nuclear cooperation
agreement
 President released a set of eight commemorative
postage stamps on great Indian musicians
 India slipped to 71st position (from 60th in 2013) in an
annual global competitiveness list released by the
World
 Economic Forum.
 Country's first 'Coral garden' will be set up at Mithapur
coastal region of Devbhoomi-Dwarka district in Gujarat.
 The ancient Nalanda University (NU), started
functioning once again after almost 800 years at its
newly established campus at Rajgir, Bihar.
 National Nutrition Week observed from 1st
to 7th Sep.
The theme for this year is ‘Poshak Ahaar, Desh Ka
Adhaar’.
 India has signed an agreement with Germany for
cooperation in the field of skill development, solid waste
management and cleaning of rivers.
 Liar’s Dice, a Hindi film directed by Geetu Mohandas
has been selected as India’s entry for the Oscar Awards
in the foreign film category.
 India and Bangladesh have reached a decision on
ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) and
to ensure zero border killings.
 India and Bangladesh signed a MoU on cooperation in
the field of traditional systems of medicine and
homeopathy.
 Sushma Swaraj, External Affairs Minister visits
Afghanistan to meet President & to review key projects.
 Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 64 on 17th
September.
AUGUST 2014
 Prime Minister Mr. Modi visited Kathmandu, Nepal and
addressed the Constituent Assembly.
 India to provide Nepal $ 1 billion concessional line of
credit for various development purposes.
 A report by ICDS says that about 2.3 crore children in
India, up to 6 years of age, are suffering from
malnourishment and are under-weight.
 Indian domain names will now make their debut with
the extension .Bharat which will be in Devanagari
script.
 Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister of UK visited India.
 Northeast Frontier Railway to construct a bridge with
highest pillars in the world, in Manipur, with height of
pillars upto 141 metres.
 Prime Minister announced Central assistance of Rs.
8,000 crore for four major road projects connecting J&K
with rest of the country.
 “Pinkathon Delhi 2014” - a run for cause was organised
in Delhi with the slogan "Each One Kheench One"
 Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister visited
Vietnam on August 24
 India's first Indian Institute of Engineering Science and
Technology (IIEST) inaugurated at Shibpur, Howrah in
 West Bengal
 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)
Foreign Ministers meeting held in Nay Pyi Taw,
Myanmar.
 India to construct a pipeline for supply of petroleum
products from Raxual, Bihar to Amlekhganj, Nepal
NEWS FROM STATES
OCTOBER 2014
 Kerala Forest Research Institute plans to mark public
trees with a "health-card" that will show its strength
condition, risk factors and details of damage etc.
 Union government plans to set up a mega handicraft
cluster in Kachch, Gujarat to promote handcraft items
and craft based textiles.
 Madhya Pradesh tops iin the field of organic farming
producing about five lakh metric ton of farm products,
 about 40% of the country’s total organic produce.
 The Kerala Government will provide free treatment to
every cancer patient in the state under the project
‘Sukrutham’ at major government hospitals.
 Union Govt launches Jammu Kashmir Arogya Gram
Yojna to promote cultivation of scientifically tested and
commercially beneficial aromatic and medicinal plants.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 Major rivers of J&K, particularly Jhelum, heavily
overflowed, causing widespread devastating floods in
the state.
 Indian Army launched rescue operation “Operation
Megh Rahat” to provide relief to the flood victims.
 Madhya Pradesh outpaced all the major states to top
the economic growth charts with a scorching 11 per
cent growth in 2013-14
 ‘Swavalamban Abhiyan' - A set of 11 new pro poor
initiatives of the Gujarat government aimed at
promoting dignity and self-sufficiency of the poor,
 Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has announced that
Vijayawada will be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.
 Uttarakhand Government has declared 9 September as
Himalaya Diwas to spread the message of conservation
of the Himalayan ecosystems.
 Lucknow joins the elite club of metro cities to have
Metro rail service as the work started on the project on
27th September.
 Railway starts conversion of the 201 km long Silchar-
Lumding meter-gauge rail route in Barack valley in
Assam into broad-gauge.
 3rd Ladakh Marathon at Leh in J&K was held on 16th
September. This is world’s highest/toughest marathon
held at 3,524 meter (11,562 feet) altitude.
 Kerala will host a Global Agro meet and an exhibition
on hi-tech agriculture and food processing at Kochi on
6th and 7th of November.

38. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 37
AUGUST 2014
FOUR NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED
Kalyan Singh Rajasthan
Vajubhai Vala Karanatka
C Vidyasagar Rao Maharashtra
Mridula Sinha Goa
Sheila Dikshit Resigned as Governor of Kerala
K Sankaranarayanan quits as Governor (Maharashtra)
Kamala Beniwal sacked as Mizoram Governor
V K Duggal resigned as Manipur Governor
 The 20-day Nanda Devi Raj Jat yatra, also called the
‘Himalayan Kumbh,’ began from Nauti village in Chamoli
district in Uttarakhand on 18th August.
 Sikkim has become the first choice of foreign tourists in
the north-eastern states of the country,
GOVT INITIATIVES
OCTOBER 2014
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram
launched for creating a conducive environment for industrial
development and doing business with ease.
 Labour Identification Number to be issued to all
industrial units for transparency and accountability in
labour inspections
 “Shram Suvidha" – a Unified Labour Portal launched
to facilitate "Labour Inspection Scheme
 Universal Account Number for Employees' Provident
Fund members
 Apprentice Protsahan Yojana to reimburse 50 per
cent of the stipend paid to apprentices
 Swachh Bharat Mission launched on October 2 to make
India neat and clean by Oct 2, 2019 at an expected
cost of Rs 62,000 crore.
 Govt has decided to merge the ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan’,
a campaign for rural sanitation with Swachh Bharat
Mission.
 Prime Minister launched Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana
on 11th October, on the occasion of birth anniversary of
Jai Prakash Narayan.
o Every MP to adopt one village by 2016 and two more
by 2019.
 National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development
Corporation launched “Swachhta Udyami Yojana to
provide financial assistance to Safai Karamcharis
 Govt has reintroduced the Varishtha Pension Bima
Yojana- a single premium pension policy for senior
citizens, for a limited period of one year
 Government has launched an Adhaar based Biometric
Attendance System (BAS) for government employees.
named attendance.gov.in
 Universal Health Assurance Mission plans to bring all
Indians under health insurance cover
o UHAM to provide 50 essential drugs and 30 AYUSH
drugs to all citizens at govt. hospitals and health
centres.
 National Air Quality Index launched to create
awareness about the quality of air and its likely health
impact.
 Union Cabinet has decided to completely deregulate the
diesel prices and henceforth the price will be linked to
the market.
 The government has made it mandatory for tobacco
companies to carry health warnings on at least 85% of
the surface of cigarette packets
 T S R Subramanian committee set up to review the
laws related to protection of environment including the
Indian Forest Act, 1927
 India’s first-ever Offshore Wind Power Project in India
to come up along Gujarat coast.
 Govt plans to start “Sardar Patel Urban Housing
Mission” to ensure housing for all by 2022 and a ‘slum
free India’.
 Union Government has decided to sell LED bulbs to
households at 10 rupees against the market price of
400 rupees.
 From November, 2014 all replies given under RTI by
ministries will be posted online, available for access to
all and not just to persons seeking the information.
 Central govt has advised all states, union territories and
Central Armed Police Forces to recruit 33 per cent
women in their ranks.
 T.K. Vishwanathan Committee setup to review
Bankruptcy laws.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 “Make in India” campaign launched to make India a
global manufacturing destination focussing on 25 thrust
sectors.
 www.makeinindia.com launched to provide one
point solutions to all the persons interested in ‘make in
India’ mission.
 Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana launched for
empowering the population through enhancement of
livelihood opportunities.
 Sep 25, birth anniversary of Pandit Deen Dayal
Upadhyaya to be observed as Antyodaya Diwas every
year
 The Aajeevika Skills Dev Prog renamed as “Deen
Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana”
reducing the min entry age to 15 years from 18 years.
 The new Road Safety and Transport Bill, 2014 proposes
a steep hike in penalties for traffic violations:
 Fine up to Rs 3 lakh along with minimum 7 –years jail
for death of a child in certain circumstances.
 Fine of Rs 5 lakh per vehicle as well as imprisonment
for faulty manufacturing design, Cancellation of licences
for rash and negligent driving.
 Country’s first 'Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve' (CDBR)
to come up in the Spiti region of the tribal Lahaul and
Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
 Govt has launched the Reefer Vehicle Call-in-Centre
(RVC) for smooth transportation of perishable goods.
 The first anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Survey of
India was launched on Sept 6 supported by WHO.

39. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 38
 All India Radio has started free SMS service to provide
news in Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Dogri and Nepali.
 A National Sports University will be set up in Manipur to
promote excellence in sports studies.
 Textiles Ministry has approved setting up of 13 textile
parks
 India Newborn Action Plan launched in New Delhi to
achieve the single digit neonatal mortality and stillbirth
rate by 2030.
 The Supreme Court has directed Central Government to
ensure 3 percent quota for disabled persons in all
government jobs, including IAS and promotions.
AUGUST 2014
 Lok Sabha passed the National Judicial Appointments
Commission Bill, 2014 to scrap the collegium system of
appointing Supreme Court and High Court judges.
 The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for
raising FDI limit in Defence from 26 per cent to 49 per
cent.
 Govt allows up to 100 per cent FDI in infrastructure
projects such as high-speed train systems
 Union Textiles Ministry has signed a MoU with Flipkart
to provide online marketing platform to handloom
weavers all over India
 Union Cabinet has approved the Digital India
Programme to transform the Indian economy into a
digitally empowered knowledge economy.
 Govt has launched Rashtriya Gokul Mission to promote
conservation and development of indigenous breeds of
cows
 Govt has set up the Expenditure Management
Commission headed by former RBI Governor Bimal
Jalan.
 Govt. has set up R. Ramanujam committee to identify
obsolete laws which hamper governance by creating
avoidable confusion.
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
OCTOBER 2014
A World Bank report says that India’s GDP is likely to
expand by 5.6 per cent this fiscal as reforms gain
momentum.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has raised the outlook on
India’s sovereign rating from negative to stable
 Asian Development Bank has revised India's GDP
growth upwards by 0.3 per cent to 6.3 per cent for
2015,
 Prof. B N Goldar committee set up to develop a new
inflation index - the Producer Price Index which may
replace the Wholesale Price Index.
AUGUST 2014
 Data from CSO shows that India’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) grew at 5.7 per cent during April-June,
the highest in past 10 quarters.
 RBI puts GDP growth rate at 5.5%, has projected
that gdp growth in the current fiscal may rise up to
5.5% from 4.7% in the last financial year.
 UN report puts India’s growth at 5.5%, a report
from the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) says
that India’s economy is expected to record stronger
growth momentum of 5.5 per cent in the current fiscal.
 Global rating agency Moody’s has projected a better
growth outlook for India saying that the country’s GDP
would grow by 5% this year.
ECONOMY
OCTOBER 2014
 A major crude oil discovery in the Kharenti-A well near
Ahmadabad in the Cambay basin by a private oil
company, makes it the biggest find of the year.
 SEBI barred India's largest real estate company DLF
and its top officials, including chairman KP Singh, from
accessing or dealing in stock markets for three years.
 Amazon.com and India's Future Group, promoters of
‘Big Bazaar’ retail chain, have signed a deal to jointly
sell goods over the Internet
 Delhi Metro has been ranked second among 18
international Metro systems in terms of overall
customer satisfaction in an online customer survey.
 Maruti Suzuki launched ‘Ciaz’ - its first sedan car in past
7 years, to meet competition from Honda City and
Hyundai Verna.
 Government has decided to import potatoes for the first
time to augment domestic availability and to check its
rising prices.
 Country’s first olive oil refinery has been started in
Lunkaransar area of Bikaner, Rajasthan. The project
was started by taking assistance from Israel.
 IndiGo, India’s largest domestic airline by market share,
has signed a deal to buy 250 latest Airbus A-320 neo
aircrafts worth $26 billion or Rs 1.55 lakh crore.
 India has imposed anti-dumping duty on Phenol
imported from the U.S. and China’s Taipei to safeguard
the interest of domestic manufacturers.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 Supreme Court on 24th Sep cancelled 214 coal block
allocations made since 1993, except 4 blocks, one each
of NTPC and SAIL and 2 of Sasan UMPH.
 Govt has directed that 50 per cent of all the works
taken up at the district level under MNREGA scheme
should only be for water conservation.
 The Netherlands is working with India to set up 10
centres of excellence across the country with an aim to
raise agriculture output
 Reliance Industries Chairman, Mukesh Ambani has
topped the Forbes list of billionaires in India for the
eighth consecutive year with a net worth of $23.6
billion.

40. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 39
 The ADB to give $63.3 million loan to improve urban
municipal services in Karnataka and $150 million for
development of renewable energy in Rajasthan.
 Union government has decided to close down India’s
sole and oldest (1961) public sector watch company -
HMT Watches in a phased manner.
 India has signed the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in
services and investments with 10 ASEAN countries.
 ADB to give $150 million loan to help build transmission
lines for renewable energy development in Rajasthan.
AUGUST 2014
 SEBI has asked listed companies to intimate decisions
on dividends, bonus, buyback etc. within 15 minutes of
closure of the board meetings to curb insider trading.
 Retirement fund body EPFO’s trustees have decided to
retain interest payment on provident fund deposits for
2014-15 at 8.75 per cent.
 ‘Vistara’: Brand name of the new joint venture airline
of the Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines.
 Country’s first seaplane service was launched on
Mumbai-Lonavla short route from the Juhu aerodrome
on 25th August.
 The number of telephone subscribers in India increased
by 0.49 per cent over May 2014 to 942.95 million at the
end of June, 2014.
BANKING
OCTOBER 2014
KYC COMPLIANCE ‘MUST’ FOR ALL ACCOUNTS
The RBI has made it mandatory for all bank customers,
including low risk ones, to be KYC-compliant.
 The accounts which are not KYC compliant, credits
would be allowed but debits won't be allowed
 However, the account-holder will have the option to
close the account and withdraw the money.
 To facilitate compliance of KYC norms, banks have been
asked to allow self-certification of documents and
accept a certified copy of the document
 KYC norms were introduced in 2001, after the 9/11
attacks in New York, America.
 Customers of the six identified metros who have only 3
free transactions in a month at non-home ATMs can
now have 2 more free transactions at the non metro
centres.
 State Bank of India has launched a facility called
‘mPassBook’ on its ‘State Bank Anywhere’ mobile
application, for its retail banking users.
 Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched an instant bank
payment product – KayPay for Facebook users to send
money to each other in an instant.
 Federal Bank has won the IDRBT Banking Technology
Excellence award for 2013-14 in four out of total five
Categories in the mid-sized lenders segment.
 RBI signs a pact with Central Bank of Kenya for
exchange of information and supervisory cooperation.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 United Bank of India has slapped wilful defaulter notice
on Kingfisher Airline, its promoter Vijay Mallya and its
directors.
 Government has decided that benefits under Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) would be extended to
existing bank account holders provided they apply for
it.
 RBI has said that the S B accounts in which even if
dividend cheque has been credited in it in the previous
two years, may not be treated as inoperative.
 State Bank of India accounted for half of the total
number of banking transactions done through mobile
phone in June, 2014,
 ICICI Bank became the first bank to surpass the Rs
1,000-crore mark in terms of amount of transactions
done through mobile phones in June 2014.
 Indian Highways Management Company has inked a
pact with Axis Bank and ICICI Bank for services related
to electronic toll collection.
 G Gopalakrishna Committee formed to give
recommendations on capacity building in banks and
NBFCs
 SBI introduced new S B accounts 'Pehli Udaan' for
minors and 'Pehla Kadam’ for minors accounts operated
jointly with parent or guardian.
 ICICI Bank has introduced a Cardless Cash Withdrawal
facility to allow customers to transfer money to anyone
in India with a mobile number.
 H R Khan committee set up to take stock of unclaimed
PPF and post office saving accounts and suggest how
these funds can be utilised for the benefit of senior
citizens
 A total of 201 state and district level Central
Cooperative Banks have joined the 'NABARD initiated
Project on Core Banking Solutions in Co-operative
Banks.
 RBI has advised that if a company fails to repay its
bank dues, its other group units may also be termed
wilful defaulters.
 RBI has fixed 70 years as the upper age limit for
Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers and
other whole-time director of banks in the private sector.
 Export-Import Bank of China and China Development
Bank Corp.signed MoU with SBI, ICICI Bank and Axis
Bank to facilitate trade between the two countries.
AUGUST 2014
 Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna announced to provide a
bank account to every family in the country
The government has set a target of 15 crore new
accounts by 2018, ensuring at least two bank accounts
per family.
 The scheme will be launched in two phases – first from
15.8.14 to 15.8.15 and second from 16.8.15 to 15.8.18,
 Each phase targeting opening of 7.5 cr. bank accounts.
 The accounts will be opened with zero balance with no
minimum balance condition.

41. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 40
 Every account holder will get a accidental insurance
cover of Rs. One lac.
 Persons opening account upto 26th January, 2015 will
also get a health insurance cover of Rs. 30,000.
 All account holders will be issued Rupay debit card to
facilitate ATM withdrawals.
 All account holders will get mobile banking facility for
easy money transfer.
 Accounts runs satisfactorily for 6 months will be allowed
to have over draft facility of Rs. 5000.
 A Rs 1,000-crore credit guarantee fund will be set up by
NABARD for this purpose.
 RBI has reduced the SLR by 50 basis points from 22.5
per cent to 22.0 per cent with effect from the fortnight
beginning 9th August, 2014
 Banks have been advised to provide their savings bank
account holders with at least five free transactions per
month at their own ATMs.
 Banks may decide to levy transaction charges (not
exceeding Rs 20) beyond 5 free ATM transactions
 The number of free transactions on ATMs set up by
other banks in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Hyderabad, reduced to three per month.
 Reserve Bank proposes to set up an "anytime
anywhere" bill payment system by the name ‘Bharat Bill
Payment System’.
 The Reserve Bank has approved the transfer of surplus
(profit) amounting to Rs 526.79 billion for the year
ended June 30, 2014 to the Government of India.
 India Post announced the launch of over 1000 ATMs in
the near feature.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
OCTOBER 2014
 India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable cruise
missile 'Nirbhay' from the Integrated Test Range in
Chandipur,
 Odisha, having a strike range of 700 kilometres.
 India and China to set up hotlines between their army
headquarters and establish new border meeting posts
to amicably address incidents of incursions on border.
 China has test fired a new variant of its 10,000 km
range missile - Dongfeng-31B, capable of targeting
Europe and the West Coast of the United States.
 ISRO launched its third navigation satellite IRNSS 1C on
board its PSLV-C26 rocket from Sriharikota on Oct 16.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 A joint 14 days military exercise between the armed
forces of America and India was held at Ranikhet in
Almora District of Uttrakhand.
 The Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV), INS Sumitra,
built by Goa Shipyard Ltd joins Indian Navy
 Pakistan conducted a successful test of its surface to
surface missile Hatf IX (NASR), having a range of 60
kilometers
 Iran unveiled a new surface-to-air missile - Talash-3
(“Endeavor-3”), to shoot down hostile target at high
altitude.
 India scripted history on Sep 24, becoming the first
country to place its Mars Orbiter Spacecraft (MOS) in
the orbit in very first attempt.
 Scientists have warned that millions of lives could be at
risk because of the threat to food crops posed by
conflict in the Middle East.
 Researchers at Drexel University in the US have claimed
to have discovered in Argentina remains of an
enormous Dinosaur weighing nearly 60 tons.
 China launched two satellites - Yaogan-21 and Tiantuo-
1 to relay information on natural resources, disaster
management and smart satellite experiments.
 DRDO successfully test-fired Agni-I - nuclear-capable
surface-to-surface missile with a striking range of 700
to 1250 km.
AUGUST 2014
 India and Russia conducted their first-ever joint Air
Force exercise “Avia Indra-2014” in Astrakhan region
located north of the Caspian Sea.
 China unveiled next generation Intercontinental Ballistic
Missile (ICBM) Dongfeng – 41 (DF-41) with a range
of 12 -15000 kms.
 Country’s first multi-sensor moored observatory IndARC
was successfully deployed in Kongsfjorden Fjord of the
Arctic region, near the North Pole
 Rosetta- space vehicle by European Space Agency
made history on August 6 after travelling 6.4 billion
kilometers to reach the comet — 67P/Churyumov –
Gerasimenko
 NASA scientists have developed Soil Moisture Active
Passive (SMAP) satellite that can predict the severity of
droughts to help farmers maximize the crop yield.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
OCTOBER 2014
 Hong Kong witnessed widespread clashes between pro-
democracy activists and counter-protesters (pro-
Beijing)
The movement has been named as “occupy central”
and also given the name ‘umbrella revolution’ due to
extensive use of umbrellas by the demonstrators.
 The World Health Organization has advised that by
October 25, the number of Ebola cases has exceeded
the 10,000 mark, holding with about a 50 percent
mortality rate.
 UNO observed the International Day for the Eradication
of Poverty on 17th October.
 The theme for the day for 2014 was “Leave no one
behind: think, decide and act together against extreme
poverty”.
 The United Kingdom finally called it a day to its
presence in Afghanistan when it handed over its last
base there in Helmand province to the Afghan forces

42. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 41
 Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Venezuela and Spain
were elected as the new non-permanent members of
the UN Security Council for a two years term
 Jaffna-Colombo railway line, reconstructed with Indian
assistance in Sri Lanka's former war zone,started 24
years after it was shut down during the civil war.
 China and 20 other countries plan to set up an Asian
infrastructure Bank seen as a counterweight to West
backed international development banks.
 25th ASEAN Summit to be held on Nov 12-13 at Nay Pyi
Taw, Myanmar.
 Google closed the social networking site Orkut on 30
September 2014. The site was started in 2004 by Orkut
Buyukkokten, a Google employee.
 Severe typhoon – Vongfong slammed into Japan on
13th Oct. at Makurazaki on Kyushu Island with winds of
up to 180 kmph, causing widespread destruction.
 Strong typhoon Phanfone slammed into Japan on 5th
Oct. with winds of up to 180 kmph lashing the shore,
bringing heavy rain and chaos in areas around Tokyo.
SEPTEMBER 2014
 Mr Narendra Modi addressed the 69th
session of United
Nations General Assembly, in New York.
 SAARC Culture Ministers Conference at New Delhi
named Bamiyan to be the SAARC cultural capital for
2015-16 and Dhaka for 2016-17.
 UN Climate Change Summit 2014 held at UN
headquarters in New York on 23 September 2014.
 Scotland has rejected independence and decided to
stay with United Kingdom as 55 % population voted in
favour of staying with U K.
 Ukraine's Parliament has ratified a landmark European
Union pact that decisively steers the former Soviet state
towards Europe and away from Russian influence.
 The NATO summit held in Wales, UK. The resolutions
adopted in the summit were named ‘Wales Resolution’.
 Over two million affected in massive floods in Pakistan,
mainly in Punjab province and in Pakistan occupied
Kashmir (PoK).
 6th meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation for Home Ministers held on September 19
at Kathmandu, attended by Rajnath Singh.
 West Asia’s largest consumer IT and electronics retail
show- GITEX Shopper held at World Trade Center in
Dubai
 London will host its first-ever Regional Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (RPBD) next month from October 16 to 18.
 The seventh round of nuclear talks between Iran and
six major world powers- US, UK, France, Russia, China
and Germany were held in New York.
AUGUST 2014
 Three West Africa nations - Liberia, Guinea and Sierra
Leone, are struggling to control an outbreak of Ebola
viral
 fever that has claimed thousands of lives
 The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources
and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising
from their Utilization to enter into force from12th
October 2014
 Bangladesh has decided to join the newly formed
BRICS Bank, an initiative of the world's five emerging
economies - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South
Africa.
 Britain observed Lights Out Project on 4 August 2014 to
commemorate 100 years of First World War (WW-1
 The "Ice Bucket Challenge" encourages participants to
dump bucket of freezing water on their head to raise
awareness for the ‘amyotrophic lateral sclerosis’ (ALS)
 The World Health Organization has asked for a ban on
the use of e-cigarettes indoors and its sale to children.
PERSONS IN NEWS
OCTOBER 2014
RAGHURAM RAJAN: Reserve Bank of India Governor has
received the Euromoney’s “Central Bank Governor of the
Year Award 2014” in Washington on October 10 for his
excellent performance. Euromoney is a reputed international
financial magazine of UK.
SARITA DEVI: Indian boxer was in news as the
International Boxing Association provisionally suspended her
for protesting against a controversial verdict, at 2014
Incheon Asian Games. She declined to accept the bronze
medal awarded to her as she expected to win the silver.
SHAKTI DEVI: An Indian police inspector won
International Female Police Peacekeeper Award 2014 by the
UN's police division for her "exceptional achievements" in
her duty with the UN mission in Afghanistan
HARSHIT SAUMITRA: A five-year-old Indian boy has
become the youngest person to reach the Everest Base
Camp at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,598 ft). A class 1
student from New Delhi, Harshit took 10 days to cover the
distance of 62 km trek. He also climbed the nearby
Kalapathar (5550 m) peak
LEELA SAMSON: Eminent Bharatnatyam dancer and
Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)
was in news as she resigned from the post of Chairperson of
Sangeet Natak Akademi.
THOMAS KAILATH: Indian-American professor from USA
is one of the nine scientists selected for the prestigious
National Medal of Science, the highest honour for
achievement in the fields of science and engineering in USA.
JOSHUA WONG: He has just completed 18 years but he is
one of the fieriest political activists in Hong Kong. He is the
founder of students organisation “Scholarism” which is
leading the pro democracy youth movement in Hong Kong.
JEFFREY P. BEZOS: The Chief Executive of the world’s
largest e-tailer –Amazon.com, called on Modi and committed
$2 billion investment in the country.
MARK ZUCKERBERG: Founder and CEO of Facebook,
called on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

43. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 42
ALAN EUSTACE: A senior Google vice-president (57)
created a new world record for highest free-fall parachute
jump. He went up hanging with a Helium balloon and
jumped in a specially designed space suit from an altitude of
135908 ft (41.4kms) reaching a max speed of 1300 kmph.
SEPTEMBER 2014
R A MASHELKAR: Eminent scientist has been named to
head an expert panel to recommend best technologies for
the "Swachh Bharat" national sanitation campaign with an
emphasis on areas like potable water and sanitation.
AKKINENI NAGESWARA RAO (ANR): Legendary Telugu
actor, who passed away in January 2014, became the first
Indian actor to be honoured with a postage stamp by the
U.S. Post Service (USPS).
CHITRESH TATHA: 12-year-old, a sailor of ‘Optimist’
dinghy category is the youngest sailor to represent India at
the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, South Korea.
TN SURESH KUMAR: A senior ISRO scientist has become
the first Indian to visit the stratosphere, the second layer of
the Earth’s atmosphere.
J. JAYALALITHAA: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was in news
as she and three others were sentenced to four years in jail
by a special court in Bangalore in a 66.65 crore rupees
Disproportionate Assets case on 27th September. She was
also fined Rs. 100 crore.
ALOK SHETTY: The 28 year old Indian architect has been
named ‘Young Leader of Tomorrow’ by Time magazine for
his pioneering work in designing affordable flood-proof
houses for slum dwellers.
JACK MA: Chinese founder and promoter of world’s largest
online shopping portal – Alibaba was in news as the firm
successfully launched world’s largest IPO, amassing around
$25 billion from the investors.
AUGUST 2014
IROM SHARMILA CHANU: The human rights activist was
in news as an Imphal Sessions Court ordered her release,
accepting her plea that she did not attempt suicide by
fasting unto death.
SHAH RUKH KHAN: Indian superstar has been roped in as
an ambassador for Inter-pol’s “Turn Back Crime” campaign
to promote awareness of how everyone can play a role in
preventing crime.
KAMLA BENIWAL: Governor of Mizoram was sacked by a
Presidential order for certain irregularities committed by her
during her Gujarat tenure.
NIKHIL CHANDWANI: First Indian to win the prestigious
Author of the Year award from the American Literary Forum
Society for his novel 'Coded Conspiracy’.
JOHN KERRY: US Secretary of State (Foreign Minister)
visited in India to hold 5th Indo-US Strategic Dialogue
CHUCK HAGEL: U.S. Defence Secretary (Defence Minister)
visited India to lay the groundwork for the revival of Indo-
U.S. defence ties.
GENERAL PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA: Thailand's coup
leader was in news as he was appointed Prime Minister by a
legislature that was formed by him only.
A P P O I N T M E N T S
OCTOBER 2014
MANOHAR LAL KHATTAR: New Chief Minister of Haryana
DEVENDRA FADNAVIS: Chief Minister of Maharashtra
ARVIND SUBRAMANIAN: Chief Economic Adviser to the
Union Government. He is the former IMF economist
RAJIV MEHRISHI: Union Finance Secretary
Dr. A SURYA PRAKASH: Chairman, Prasaar Bharati Board
HEMANT CONTRACTOR: Chairman of Pension Fund
Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)
DILMA ROUSSEFF: Re-elected as the President of Brazil,
second term leading her Workers Party
KHALED BAHAH: Prime Minister of Yemen
JENS STOLTENBERG: Secretary-General of NATO
India has been re-elected as member of the 47-nation UN
Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the period of 2015-17
SEPTEMBER 2014
R A MASHELKAR: Technology Head of the "Swachh Bharat
Mission".
LALITHA KUMARAMANGALAM: Chairperson of the
National Commission for Women.
P. SATHASIVAM: Governor of Kerala, he is former Chief
Justice of India
HARDEEP SINGH PURI: Secretary General of
Independent Commission on Multilateralism
O PANNEERSELVAM: Elected as new Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu, in place of Jayalalitha
ADIL ZAINULBHAI: Former McKinsey India Chief has
been appointed Chairman, Quality Council of India.
JUSTICE H.L. DATTU: 42nd Chief Justice of India.
ASHRAF GHANI: President of Afghanistan
VOREQE BAINIMARAMA: Fiji's new Prime Minister
JOHN KEY: Prime Minister of New Zealand
LE YUCHENG: China's new Ambassador to India.
RICHARD RAHUL VERMA: Next US ambassador to India.
AUGUST 2014
FOUR NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED
Kalyan Singh Rajasthan
Vajubhai Vala Karanatka
C Vidyasagar Rao Maharashtra
Mridula Sinha Goa

44. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 43
K.V. THOMAS: Congress MP appointed Chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.
S S MUNDRA: Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of
India for three year term. He is ex CMD of Bank of Baroda.
T M BHASIN: Chairman of the Indian Banks Association –
IBA for 2014-15. He is CMD of Indian Bank.
M. THAMBIDURAI: Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha
K. V. Chowdary: Chairman of Central Board of Direct
Taxes (CBDT)
AHMET DAVUTOGLU: New Prime Minister of Turkey
HAIDAR AL-ABADI: Prime Minister of Iraq
GEN. PRAYUTH CHAN-OCHA: Prime Minister of Thailand
AWARDS & HONOURS
OCTOBER 2014
NATIONAL RAIL AWARD: Harish Kanwar, Deputy
Director in Railway Board for his contribution in completion
of the Pirpanjal rail tunnel in J&K.
NATIONAL KISHORE KUMAR AWARD: Noted Bollywood
lyricist Sameer
LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI NATIONAL AWARD – 2014
for Excellence in Public Administration, Academics and
Management: Dr. A. Sivathanu Pillai, CEO and MD of
BrahMos Aerospace.
WORLD MEDIA SUMMIT Global Awards for
Excellence, 2014: P. Sainath, Rural Affairs Editor at The
Hindu got the Public Welfare Award. He is one of the five
other media entities honoured with these awards.
WILDSCREEN PANDA AWARD: The coveted wildlife
photography award in best newcomer category was won by
Ashwika Kapur for her film, Sirocco - how a dud became
a stud at the annual Wildscreen Film Festival held at
Bristol, UK.
CULTURAL MEDALLION 2014 (Singapore): KTM Iqbal,
an Indian-origin Singaporean poet and writer was named for
this highest cultural award of Singapore.
WORLD FOOD PRIZE 2014: Dr Sanjaya Rajaram for his
scientific research that led to a bumper growth in world
wheat production.
MAN BOOKER PRIZE: The Australian novelist Richard
Flanagan for book “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.”
The book tells the harrowing story of an Australian surgeon
who is held in a Japanese P.O.W. camp and is forced to
work on the Thailand-Burma Railway.
WAISLITZ GLOBAL CITIZEN AWARD: Anoop Jain for his
work in founding Humanure Power in Bihar in 2011 that
builds community sanitation facilities in rural India.
GLOBAL DIVERSITY AWARD 2014: Shah Rukh Khan has
been honoured with this award by British Parliament for
his contribution to cinema.
2014 Nobel Prizes Declared
PRIZE
FIELD
PRIZE
DECIDED
BY
WINNER
OF 2014
SELECTED WORK
Physiology
or
Medicine
The Nobel
Assembly at
Karolinska
Institute,
Stockholm
John O’Keefe
of the USA,
May-Britt &
Edward Moser
of Norway
For discovering brain’s
internal positioning
system, helping humans
find their ways and giving
clues to how strokes and
Alzheimer affect the brain.
Physics
The Royal
Swedish
Academy of
Sciences
Isamu Akasaki
and Hiroshi
Amano from
Japan and
U.S. citizen
Shuji
Nakamura
For inventing blue light-
emitting diodes, a
breakthrough that has
spurred the development
of LED technology to light
up homes, computer
screens and smartphones
worldwide.
Chemistry
The Royal
Swedish
Academy of
Sciences
Eric Betzig and
William
Moerner from
the USA;
Stefan Hell
from Germany
For finding ways to make
microscopes more
powerful than previously
thought possible, allowing
scientists to see how
diseases develop inside
the tiniest cells.
Literature
The Swedish
Academy
Patrick
Modiano,
France
For his moody, terse and
occasionally dreamlike
novels, often set during
the Nazi occupation of
France
Peace
The Norwegi
an Nobel
Committee
Indian child
right activist
Kailash
Satyarthi and
Pakistani child
education
activist Malala
Yousafzai (See
details below)
For their struggle against
the suppression of
children and young people
and for the right of
education for all children.
Economics
The Royal
Swedish
Academy of
Sciences
Jean Tirole,
France
For research on market
power and regulation that
has helped policy-makers
understand how to deal
with industries dominated
by a few dominant
companies
SEPTEMBER 2014
SARASWATI SAMMAN: Noted Hindi novelist Govind
Mishra for his novel ‘Dhool Paudhon Par’. The prize carries a
cash award of Rs. Ten lakh.
SHANTI SWARUP BHATNAGAR AWARD: 10 scientists
selected for the annual award conferred for their
outstanding works in the field of science and technology.
SAAKSHAR BHARAT AWARDS are given on International
Literacy Day – Sep 8 by the Union Ministry of Human
Resource Development for the best performance in the field
of adult education.
BHARTENDU HARISHCHANDRA AWARDS: Given by
Union Ministry for Information & Broadcasting for original
writing in Hindi by Indian authors on subjects like
Journalism and Mass Communication, National Integration,
Women’s Issues and Children’s Literature.

45. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 44
MIDORI PRIZE IN BIODIVERSITY – 2014: Kamal
Bawa, Indian scientist and ecologist for his research on
climate change in the Himalayas. The prize given by a
Japanese foundation, honours three individuals who have
made outstanding contributions to the conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity.
GOLDEN LION: Award for best film at the Venice Film
Festival was bagged by the Swedish film, A Pigeon Sat on a
Branch While Reflecting on Existence directed by Roy
Anderson.
LION OF THE FUTURE: Award for best debut feature film
at the Venice Film Festival won by the film Court by Indian
writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane.
AUGUST 2014
OUTSTANDING PARLIAMENTARIAN AWARDS
BJP leader Arun Jaitley for 2010
Congress leader Karan Singh for 2011
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav for 2012
ASHOK CHAKRA: Major Mukund Vardarajan named for
highest peace time gallantry award for showing exemplary
bravery in killing two terrorists in Kashmir before he was
shot dead in April this year.
22ND RAJIV GANDHI SADBHAVNA AWARD: Noted film
maker Muzaffar Ali, for his outstanding contribution towards
the promotion of communal harmony, peace and goodwill.
The award carries a citation and cash award of Rs. 5 lakh.
CORE BANKING SYSTEM INITIATIVE AWARD-2014:
won by Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd at the Asian Banking and
Finance - Retail Banking Awards, Singapore.
FIELDS MEDAL: Known as the "Nobel Prize of
Mathematics” won by Manjul Bhargava. Four such prizes are
awarded by the International Mathematical Union.
MARYAM MIRZAKHANI: Iranian-born mathematician has
become the first woman to win this prize (Fields Medal).
PARDO D’ORO (GOLDEN LEOPARD): Award for best film
at the 67th Locarno International Film Festival in Locarno,
Switzerland won by “Mula sa kung ano ang noon” by Lav
Diaz, Philippines
OBITUARY
OCTOBER 2014
M.V. KAMATH: Veteran journalist and former Prasar
Bharati Chairman, Padmasri awardee from Karnataka.
JAGDISH SHARAN PANDE: Noted freedom fighter from
Almora, Uttarakhand.
MARTIN PERL: Nobel Prize-winning physicist from USA,
known for discovery of a subatomic particle known as the
Tau Lepton.
SEPTEMBER 2014
BIPAN CHANDRA: Padma Bhushan awardee historian,
authority on economic and political history of India.
BAPU (Sathiraju Lakshminarayana): Veteran Telugu film
director, artist and cartoonist, Padma Sri awardee
G.E. VAHANVATI: The former Attorney-General of India
BALRAJ PURI: Veteran journalist, Padma Bhushan
awardee, author of over 40 books
MANDOLIN U. SHRINIVAS: Eminent Carnatic music
exponent from Andhra Pradesh, Padmasri awardee, known
for his expert use of mandolin
KIREET JOSHI: Eminent educationist and former
education adviser to the Union government
FIROZA BEGUM: Prominent Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet
singer
JOAN RIVERS: 81-year-old noted lady comedian and TV
host from USA
NORMAN GORDON: South African fast bowler, oldest
surviving Test cricketer passed away at 103 years.
AUGUST 2014
B K S IYENGAR: 96 years old Padma Vibhushan awardee
Yogacharya, known for his vast contribution in spreading
Indian Yoga all over the world.
U. R. ANANTHAMURTHY: Jnanpith awardee and
renowned Kannada novelist and story writer
MADHUKAR SINGH: Eminent Hindi litterateur and novelist
from Bihar
PRAN KUMAR SHARMA: Eminent cartoonist, popularly
known as Pran, who gave life to lovable comic characters
Chacha Chaudhary and his friend Sabu.
RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH: Oscar-winning British
filmmaker and actor, renowned for his critically-acclaimed
biopic ‘Gandhi’ on Mahatma Gandhi that won eight Oscars,
died at the age of 90.
ROBIN WILLIAMS: Oscar winning famous US comedy
actor dies of suspected suicide.
P L A C E S I N N E W S
OCTOBER 2014
VISAKHAPATNAM: A major coastal city of Andhra Pradesh
suffered wide spread destruction under the impact of severe
super cyclone ‘Hudhud’
NALIYA: Small town on coast of Kutchh, Gujarat was in
news as it was struck by super cyclone Nilofer.
SEPTEMBER 2014
GOA: The city was declared as the permanent venue for the
International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The 45th IFFI
will be held here from 20 to 30 November, 2014.
VIJAYAWADA: City of Andhra Pradesh was in news as it
was declared to be the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.

46. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 45
CHABAD HOUSE: The Jewish centre, also called Nariman
House, in Mumbai was reopened on 26 August 2014, nearly
six years after the 26/11 terror attack in November 2008.
The Centre is a sacred synagogue of Jews.
AUGUST 2014
MALIN VILLAGE: A small village in district Pune,
Maharashtra was in news as it was hit by a massive mud
slide, washing out almost entire village.
SINDHUPALCHOK: in Nepal was in news as a massive
land slide blocked the Sunkoshi River causing massive
damage to local settlements, claiming at least 156 lives.
MOUNT SINJAR: place in Nineveh province of northern
Iraq was in news as thousands of Yezidis stranded there as
they flee from nearby areas persecuted by ISIS militants.
LONGTOUSHAN: A town in Ludian county of Yunnan
province of China was in news as it was struck by a 6.5
magnitude earthquake, killing over 400 persons
S P O R T S W O R L D
OCTOBER 2014
The 17th Asian Games came to an end at Incheon on 4th
October. China topped with 342 medals (151 gold, 108
silver and 83 bronze) followed by South Korea (234) and
Japan (200).
India was placed at 8th rank, securing 57 medals - 11 Gold,
10 Silver and 36 Bronze.
Kosuke Hagino, the Japanese swimmer, was named as
the “Most Valuable Player” of the 17th Asian Games.
MC Mary Kom, gold medal winner boxer was chosen as
the ‘Most Valuable Player of India’ at the recent Incheon
Asian Games.
The 18th Asian Games will be held in 2018 in Jakarta,
Indonesia.
SEPTEMBER 2014
The Asian Games begin in Incheon, South Korea on 19th
September. Sardara Singh, Captain of Indian Hockey team
was the flag bearer of the Indian contingent.
Viswanathan Anand won the Bilbao Chess Masters Finals
at Bilbao, Spain, defeating Levon Aronian of Armenia.
Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold: H S Prannoy won
the badminton championship at Palembang, Indonesia.
51st Shooting World Championship: Indian shooter
Pradeep bagged a bronze medal at Granada, Spain.
Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black won
the women’s doubles title at the WTA Toray Pacific Open at
Tokyo, Japan.
Davis Cup Commitment Award: Ace Tennis player
Rohan Bopanna. It is given to players who have competed
in at least 20 ties.
Pankaj Advani, noted snooker and billiards champion has
announced his retirement from the professional snooker.
However, he will continue to participate in Billiards.
MANOJ KUMAR: A 2010 CWG boxing gold-medalist was in
news as he was selected for Arjuna Award after a directive
from the Delhi High Court where he had filed a case
challenging his non selection for the award.
DHONI SCORES RECORD 91 ODI WINS
India thrashed England in the ODI played at Edgbaston, UK
making Dhoni the most successful Indian ODI captain with
91 wins.
60th National School Games in six sporting disciplines
will be held in November in Punjab.
20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships held at
Mumbai.
India’s first National Academy of Athletics established at
Kariavattom near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) has
allowed players to wear religious head coverings, such as
hijabs or turbans by Sikhs, on a trial basis.
U S OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP, NEW YORK
Marin Cilic (Croatia) beats Japan's Kei Nishikori to win
men’s singles title
Serena Williams of USA beats Caroline Wozniazki of
Denmark to win Women’s singles title
Sania Mirza with Brazil's Bruno Soares won the mixed
doubles title
ICC World Cricket League Division 3 will be held in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia from 23 to 30 October, 2014.
Summer Youth Olympic Games 2014 held at Nanjing,
China.
BWF WORLD BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Chen Long of China won the men’s singles beating world
no. one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia
Carolina Marin of Spain become Spain's first-ever World
champion in badminton history, beating world no 1 Li Xuerui
of China.
P V Sindhu won the bronze medal in women’s singles.
FIBA Basketball World Cup: USA lifts the cup by
defeating Serbia at Madrid, Spain.
FILA Senior World Wrestling Championship held in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Li Na, China's ace tennis star and only Grand Slam winner
announced her retirement at the age of 32.
Marvan Atapattu appointed as the head coach of the Sri
Lankan cricket team. He is the former captain of their

47. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 46
AUGUST 2014
 20th Commonwealth games came to an end on August 3
at Hampden Park, Scotland’s National Stadium,
Scotland.
 England topped the medal tally with 174 medals,
including 58 golds.
 India won 64 medals – 15 gold, 30 silver and 19 bronze
and stood at 5th rank.
 The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be held at Gold
Coast, Australia
NATIONAL SPORTS AWARDS 2014
These awards are announced every year on 29th August on
the birthday of legendary hockey wizard Sh. Dhyan Chand,
which is observed as National Sports Day.
DHYAN CHAND AWARDS (For Lifetime Achievement)
Sl. No. Name Discipline
1. Shri Gurmail Singh Hockey
2. Shri K.P. Thakkar Swimming (Diving)
3. Shri Zeeshan Ali Tennis
DRONACHARYA AWARDS (For Coaches)
Sl. No. Name Discipline
1. Shri Mahabir Prasad Wrestling
2. Shri N. Lingappa Athletics – Lifetime
3. Shri G. Manoharan Boxing – Lifetime
4. Shri Gurcharan Singh
Gogi
Judo – Lifetime
5. Shri Jose Jacob Rowing – Lifetime
TENZING NORGAY AWARDS 2013
Sr. No. Name Discipline
1. Subedar Jagat Singh Land Adventure
2. Shri Passang Tenzing
Sherpa
Land Adventure
3. MWO Surender Singh Air Adventure
4. Wing Commander
(Retd)
Amit Chowdhury
Life Time
Achievement
ARJUNA AWARDS
S. No. NAME DISCIPLINE
1. Mr. Abhishek Verma Archery
2. Ms. Tintu Luka Athletics
3. Mr. H.N. Girisha Para-Athletics
4. Mr. V. Diju Badminton
5. Ms. Geetu Anna Jose Basketball
6. Mr. Jai Bhagwan Boxing
7. Mr. R. Ashwin* Cricket
8. Mr. Anirban Lahiri Golf
9. Ms. Mamta Pujari Kabaddi
10. Mr. Saji Thomas Rowing
11. Ms. Heena Sidhu Shooting
12. Ms. Anaka
Alankamony
Squash
13. Mr. Tom Joseph Volleyball
14. Ms. Renu Bala Chanu Weightlifting
15. Mr. Sunil Kumar Rana Wrestling
ARCHERY WORLD CUP, Wroclaw, Poland: Indian
women’s team, led by Deepika Kumari, clinched the recurve
team gold.
THE WORLD KABADDI LEAGUE started in London on
August 9. The league to be played across 16 international
cities, will end on November 30, 2014 in India.
SABINE LISICKI of Germany created a world record of
fastest serve in the women’s tennis by serving at 131 miles
per hour at a match played in Stanford, USA.
FRANKIE JONES: Canadian gymnast was awarded the
David Dixon Award for the best athlete of the Games. She
won six medals, including one gold.
RORY MCLLROY: of Ireland became number one in Golf
by winning the elite World Golf Championships held at
Akron, USA.
USAIN BOLT: Jamaican sprint superstar set a new best
time record of 9.98 second for the rarely run 100 meter
indoors at Warsaw’s national football stadium in Poland.
DANIEL RICCIARDO of Australia won the Belgian Grand
Prix F1 car race for team Red Bull.
BWF WORLD BADMINTON Championship held in
Copenhagen, Denmark
BOOKS AND AUTHORS
OCTOBER 2014
BOOK AUTHOR
Final Test: Exit Sachin
Tendulkar
Dilip D’Souza
The Narrow Road to the
Deep North
Richard Flanagan
A Man and A Motorcycle,
How Hamid Karzai Came to
Power
Bette Dam
Worthy Fights: A Memoir of
Leadership in War and
Peace by Leon Panetta
Jim Newton
Sons of Brahama Dhruba Hazarika
The divided Island Samanth Subramanian
And then One Day: A Autobiography of noted film

48. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 47
Memoir artist Naseeruddin Shah
The Highlights Frank Keating
Odyssey of My Life Autobiography of former
Union Home Minister Shivraj
Patil
Playing It My Way –My
Autobiography
cricket legend Sachin
Tendulkar
Gods of Antarctica Yashwardhan Shukla, a 13
year old school boy from
Delhi
The Lives of Others by Neel
Mukherjee, Kolkata-born
British author.
The book has been
shortlisted for the prestigious
Booker Prize 2014
Heaven is for Real Todd Burpo & Lynn Vincent
The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown
Orange is the New Black Piper Kerman
The Book of Life Deborah Harkness
The Goldfinch Donna Tartt
Half Girlfriend Chetan Bhagat
Simian Vikram Balagopal
One Life is Not Enough Natwar Singh
Not Just an Accountant Vinod Rai
Assassination of Rajiv
Gandhi: An Inside Job
Faraz Ahmad
Strictly Personal, Manmohan
and Gursharan
Ms Daman Singh
The Lives of Others Neel Mukherjee
Finding Neema Juliet Reynolds
Half a Rupee Stories Gulzar
The Substance and The
Shadow
Udaya Tara Nayar, a
biography of veteran actor
Dilip Kumar
Innovation in India Shyama V. Ramani
Blood Feud: The Clintons vs.
The Obamas
Edward Klein
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Americanah
Hannah Kent Burial Rites
Audrey Magee The Undertaking
Eimear McBride A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing
Donna Tartt The Goldfinch
Post Haste: Quintessential
India
B.G. Verghese
Hard Choices Hillary Clinton
India Junction – A Window
to the Nation brought out
Public Relations Directorate,
Railway Board
A Stamp is Born C. R. Pakrashi
INAUGURAL DISCOUNT
GYANM COLLEGE OF COMPETITIONS
Bathinda
Announces
20% Discount on
Bank Po / SSC
 More than 4000 successful students
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49. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 48
Pedagogy
WHAT IS PEDAGOGY
A common way of approaching pedagogy is as the art and
science (and maybe even craft) of teaching. However,
according to the latest view about it is a good way of
exploring the process of accompanying learners; caring for
and about them; and bringing learning into life.
At the centre of his theory of education and of schooling is
the idea of ‘educational teaching’ or ‘educating instruction’.
‘Education’ means shaping the development of character
with a view to the improvement of man.
‘Teaching’ represents the world, conveys fresh knowledge,
develops existing aptitudes and imparts useful skills
TEACHERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
It is generally accepted that what teachers know, do and
care about is very powerful in the learning equation. A
number of empirical studies have revealed that apart from
school, family, peer groups etc., teachers play the most
important role in development of students.
There are three studies that endorse power of teachers in
the life of students.
i. The first found that the quality of the ‘teacher-student’
relationship in kindergarten was an important factor in
success of the students.
ii. The second study found that teacher quality was the
strongest factor of student achievement in mathematics
and reading.
iii. The final study examined math achievement for
students in two large school districts as they moved
through 3rd
, 4th
, and 5th
grades. Again, the quality of
the teacher made a difference in students who had
three high quality teachers and they were way ahead of
students who spend one or more years with less
competent teachers.
It has also observed that what a student learns in the first
few years of life – it is the teacher who contributes more
than any other factor to student achievement.
WHAT IS GOOD TEACHING?
It’s about not only motivating students to learn, but
teaching them how to learn, and doing so in a manner that
is relevant, meaningful, and memorable. It’s about caring
for teaching, having a passion for it, and conveying that
passion to everyone, most importantly to your students. It is
also about training students as consumers of knowledge.
BEGINNINGS TEACHERS
The persons who join the profession of teaching are
beginning teachers. For them learning to teach is a slow
process. The concerns and problems of teachers change as
they progress. Maintaining discipline, motivating students,
evaluating students work, and dealing with parents are
universal concerns for beginning teachers. The more
experienced teacher concentrates on growth and impact
with a wide range of students.
They envision themselves as flexible and fun enjoying their
job, respected by parents and looked upon as a valuable
addition by their school staff.
EXPERT TEACHERS
Experienced, effective teachers develop solutions for
common classroom problems. Their knowledge of teaching
process and contents is extensive and well organized.
Expert teachers adopt a problem solving stance to their
work, have high respect for students and are passionate
about teaching and learning. They “engage students in
learning and develop in their students’ self-regulation,
involvement in mastery learning, enhanced self-efficacy, and
self-esteem as learners. They aim for more than
achievement goals and to motivate their students to master
rather than perform, they enhance students’ self-concept
and self-efficacy about learning, they set appropriate
challenging tasks.
WHAT DO EXPERT TEACHERS KNOW?
It takes time and experience to become an expert teacher.
These teachers have very good knowledge about the many
different situations of teaching. This includes knowledge
about the subjects they teach, their students, general
teaching strategies, subject specific ways of teaching,
curriculum materials, and the goals of education.
REFLECTIVE TEACHERS
They introspect about their performance their teaching
practices, analyzing how something was taught and how the
practice might be improved or changed for better learning
outcomes. Some points of consideration in the reflection
process might be what is currently being done, why it's
being done and how well students are learning.
Qualities of Expert teachers:
 can identify essential representations of their subject,
 can guide learning through classroom interactions,
 can monitor learning and provide feedback,
 can attend to affective attributes, and
 can influence student outcomes
Attributes of Expert teachers:
 have deeper representations about teaching and
learning
 adopt a problem-solving stance to their work

50. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 49
 can anticipate, plan, and improvise as required by the
situation
 are better decision-makers and can identify what
decisions are important and which are less important
decisions
 are proficient at creating an optimal classroom for
learning
 have a multi dimensionally complex perception of
classroom situations
 are more context-dependent and have high situation
cognition
 are more adept at monitoring student problems and
assessing their level of understanding and progress,
and they provide much more relevant, useful
feedback
 are more adept at developing and testing hypotheses
about learning difficulties or instructional strategies
 are more automatic
 have high respect for students
 are passionate about teaching and learning
 engage students in learning and develop in their
students self-regulation, involvement in mastery
learning, enhanced, self-efficacy, and self-esteem as
learners
 provide appropriate challenging tasks and goals for
students
 have a positive influence on students’ achievement
 enhance surface and deep learning
ROLE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
What is Educational Psychology?
The aim of educational psychology is to understand and to
evolve teaching and learning processes. Educational
psychologists develop different ways and methods to study
the process of learning and teaching in everyday life.
Branch of psychology concerned with the learning processes
and psychological issues associated with the teaching and
training of students. The educational psychologist studies
the cognitive development of students and the various
factors involved in learning, including aptitude and learning
measurement, the creative process, and the motivational
forces that influence student-teacher dynamics.
According to Charles. E. Skinner, “Educational psychology
deals with the behaviour of human beings in educational
situations”.
Thus educational psychology is a behavioural science with
two main references– human behaviour and education.
In the words of E.A. Peel, “Educational Psychology is the
science of Education”.
SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The scope of educational psychology is ever-growing due to
constant researches in this field. The following factors will
indicate the scope of educational psychology:
1. The Learner. The subject-matter of educational
psychology is ‘learner’. It helps in understanding the need of
knowing the learner and the techniques of knowing him
well.
2. The Learning Experiences. Educational Psychology
helps in deciding which learning experiences are desirable,
at what stage of the growth and development of the
learner, so that these experiences can be acquired with a
greater ease and satisfaction.
3. Learning process: After knowing the learner and
deciding what learning experiences are to be provided,
Educational Psychology moves on to the laws, principles and
theories of learning. Other items in the learning process are
remembering and forgetting, perceiving, concept formation,
thinking and reasoning, problem solving, transfer of
learning, ways and means of effective learning etc.
4. Learning Situation or Environment. It deals with the
environmental factors and learning situations which come
midway between the learner and the teacher. Topics like
classroom climate and group dynamics, techniques and aids
that facilitate learning and evaluation, techniques and
practices, guidance and counselling etc.
5. The Teacher: The teacher is a main pillar in any scheme
of teaching and learning process and it helps in
understanding the role of the teacher. It emphasizes the
need of ‘knowing thyself’ for a teacher to play his role
properly in the process of education. It throws light on the
essential personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the
characteristics of effective teaching etc so as to inspire him
for becoming a successful teacher.
SCOPE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
The scope of educational psychology is ever-growing due to
regular research in this field. The following factors will
indicate the scope of educational psychology:
1. Human Behaviour. It studies human behaviour in the
educational context. Psychology is the study of behaviour
and education aims at modification of behaviour. Hence the
influence of Educational Psychology has to be reflected in all
aspects of education.
2. Growth and development. It studies the principles
governing growth and development. The insight provided by
the study will help in scientifically planning and executing
learner oriented programmes of education.
3. The Learner. The subject-matter of educational
psychology is how to impart knowledge to the ‘learner’.
Therefore, it is important to know the learner and also the
techniques of knowing him well.
4. The Learning Experiences. Educational Psychology
helps in deciding what learning experiences are desirable, at
what stage of the growth and development of the learner,
so that these experiences can be acquired with a greater
ease and satisfaction.

51. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 50
5. Learning process: After knowing the learner and
deciding what learning experiences are to be provided,
Educational Psychology moves on to the laws, principles and
theories of learning. Other items in the learning process are
remembering and forgetting, perceiving, concept formation,
thinking and reasoning, problem solving, transfer of
learning, ways and means of effective learning etc.
6. Learning Situation or Environment. It is very
important to understand the environmental factors and
learning situations which come midway between the learner
and the teacher. Topics like classroom climate and group
dynamics, techniques and aids that facilitate learning and
evaluation, techniques and practices, guidance and
counselling etc.
7. Individual differences. It is universally accepted that
every individual differs from every other individual. This idea
has been brought to light by Educational Psychology.
8. Personality and adjustment. Education has been
defined as the all-round development of the personality of
an individual. If educational has to fulfil this function all
instructional programmes have to be based on the principles
governing the nature and development of personality.
9. The Teacher: The teacher is a potent force is any
scheme of teaching and learning process. It discusses the
role of the teacher. It emphasizes the need of ‘knowing
thyself’ for a teacher to play his role properly in the process
of education. His conflicts, motivation. Anxiety, adjustment,
level of aspiration etc. It throws light on the essential
personality traits, interests, aptitudes, the characteristics of
effective teaching etc. so as to inspire him for becoming a
successful teacher.
10. Guidance and Counselling. Education is nothing but
providing guidance and counselling required for the proper
development of the child. This is very true, especially in the
light of the extremely complex and problematic situation
one has to face in the fast growing world.
Educational psychology has been very useful in developing
principles and practical measures helpful for providing
effective guidance and counselling.
RELEVANCE OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR
SECONDARY TEACHERS
Educational psychology has contributed considerably to the
creation of the modern system of education. The knowledge
of educational psychology helps the teacher in the following
ways:
1. To understand the Stages of
Development: Psychology has clearly shown that human
life passes through different stages of development before it
reaches adulthood. They are i. infancy ii.
Childhood iii. adolescence iv.
adulthood. Psychologists have also thoroughly
studied the characteristic behaviour patterns in these
different periods of life. Identification of these periods with
different sets of characteristics and attributes as regards
physical, mental and emotional development greatly help
educationists to design curriculum and determine
appropriate methods of teaching for students at different
stages.
2. To Know the Learner: The child or the learner is the
key factor in the teaching-learning process. Educational
psychology helps the teacher to know his interests,
attitudes, aptitudes and the other acquired or innate
capacities and abilities; to know the stage of development
linked with his social, emotional, intellectual, physical and
aesthetic needs; to know his level of aspiration, his
conscious and unconscious behaviour; his motivational and
group behaviour; his conflicts, desires and other aspects of
his mental health. So that perfect guidance and help can be
provided and positive attitude towards the learner can be
formed.
3. To Understand the Nature of Classroom
Learning: Educational Psychology helps the teacher to adapt
and adjust his teaching according to the level of the
learners. A teacher is teaching in a class but a large number
of students do not understand the subject-matter which is
being taught. To deal with the students effectively in the
class the teacher must have the knowledge of the various
approaches to the learning process, principles, laws and
factors affecting it. Only if the teacher understands these
factors can he/she apply remedial measures in the learning
situation.
4. To Understand the Individual Differences: No two
persons are exactly alike. Pupils differ in their level of
intelligence, aptitudes, likes and dislikes and in other
propensities and potentialities. There are gifted, backward,
physically and mentally challenged children. Thus,
psychology tells the teacher about the individual differences
among the students in the class and the procedure,
methodology and techniques to be adopted for them.
5. To Solve Classroom Problems: There are innumerable
problems like truancy, bullying, peer pressure, ethnic
tensions, cheating in tests etc. Educational Psychology helps
to equip the teacher by studying the characteristics of the
problem children, the dynamics of the group, behavioural
characteristics and adjustments.
6. To develop Necessary Skills and Interest in
Teaching: Educational psychology helps the teacher to
acquire and develop necessary qualities and skills to deal
with the problems created by the pupils, maintain a healthy
atmosphere in the classroom and show concern regarding
the progress of the child.
7. To Understand Effective Methods of
Teaching: Educational Psychology has discovered several
new approaches, principles. methods and techniques of
teaching which are very helpful in today’s teaching-learning
process. Educational psychology tells us how significant play
and recreation are for the children and how play-way
methods turn learning into an interesting task.

52. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 51
8. To Understand the Influence of Heredity and
Environment on the Child: Educational psychology helps
the teacher to know that the child is the product of heredity
and environment. They are the two sides of a coin. Both
play a prominent part in the all-round development of the
child. While the child is born with a number of hereditary
qualities, environment helps them to be modified according
to the requirements of the society.
9. To Understand the Mental Health of the
Child: Educational Psychology helps the teacher to know
the factors which are responsible for the mental ill-health
and maladjustment of a student and to suggest
improvement thereof. Besides this, it also provides the
teacher with necessary insight to improve his own mental
status to cope up with the situation.
10. To Understand the Procedure of Curriculum
Construction: Curriculum is an integral part of the teaching-
learning process. Curriculum should be child-centred and
fulfil the motives and psychological needs of the individual
because child capacities differ from stage to stage.
Educational psychology helps the teacher to suggest ways
and means to curriculum framers to prepare sound and
balanced curriculum for the children.
11. To Provide Guidance and Counselling : A child
requires guidance at every stage of life is needed because
psychological abilities, interests and learning styles differ
from person to person. Similarly, what courses of study the
child should undertake in future is also a vital question. All
these can be answered well if the teacher knows the
psychology of children.
12. To Understand Principles of Evaluation and
Assessment: Evaluation is an integral part of the teaching-
learning process. How to test the potentialities of the child
depends upon the evaluation techniques. The development
of the different types of psychological tests for the
evaluation of the individual is a distinct contribution of
educational psychology.
13. To inculcate Positive and Creative Discipline: The
slogan of the traditional teachers was “spare the rod and
spoil the child.” Flogging the child was the chief instrument.
Educational Psychology has replaced the repressive system
with the preventive system. Now teachers adopt a
cooperative and scientific approach to modify the behaviour
of the students. Emphasis is laid on self-discipline through
creative and constructive activities.
14. Educational Psychology and Research: Educational
psychologists conduct research to improve the behaviour of
human beings in the educational situation. For this purpose
it helps in developing tools and devices to measure the
performance and suggest remedial measures thereof.
15. To Know Himself/Herself: Educational Psychology
helps the teacher to know about himself/herself. His/her
own behaviour pattern, personality characteristics, likes and
dislikes, motivation, anxiety, conflicts, adjustment etc. All
this knowledge helps him in growing as a successful
teacher.
16. Professional Growth, Changing Attitude and
Innovative Thinking: Inside the classroom, educational
psychology has enabled the teacher to achieve proper
conditioning of pupils by achieving and directing classroom
programmes on human lives. Not only this, educational
psychologists are busy in finding out innovations in the field
of education. These innovations will bring about professional
growth of the teacher.
PIAGET’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Piaget conducted experiments to understand, how living
things adopted to their environment (Piaget described as
intelligence.). He opined that Behavior (adaptation to the
environment) is controlled through mental organizations
called schemata (sometimes called schema or schemes).
This adaptation is driven by a biological drive to obtain
balance between schemes and the environment
(equilibration).
Piaget hypothesized that infants are born with schema
operating at birth that he called "reflexes." In other animals,
these reflexes control behavior throughout life. However, in
human beings as the infant uses these reflexes to adapt to
the environment, these reflexes are quickly replaced with
constructed schemata.
Piaget described two processes used by the individual in its
attempt to adapt: assimilation and accomodation. Both of
these processes are used though out life as the person
increasingly adapts to the environment in a more complex
manner.
What are the main influences on cognitive
development?
A theory of cognitive development is based on the
assumption that people try to learn about world and actively
create knowledge through direct experience with objects,
people, and ideas. Maturation, activity, social transmission,
and the need for equilibrium all influence the way of
thinking processes and knowledge development. In
response to these effects thinking processes and knowledge
develop through changes in the organizations of thought i.e.
learning new ideas & continuous change in ideas through
experience
Stages of Cognitive Development
1. Sensorimotor stage (Infancy). In this period (which
has 6 stages), intelligence is demonstrated through
motor activity without the use of symbols. Knowledge
of the world is limited (but developing) because it is
based on physical interactions / experiences. Children
acquire object permanence at about 7 months of age
(memory). Physical development (mobility) allows the
child to begin developing new intellectual abilities.
Some symbollic (language) abilities are developed at
the end of this stage.
2. Pre-operational stage (Toddler and Early Childhood).
In this period (which has two sub-stages), intelligence
is demonstrated through the use of symbols, language
use matures, and memory and imagination are
developed, but thinking is done in a non-logical, non-
reversible manner. Egocentric thinking predominates.

53. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 52
3. Concrete operational stage (Elementary and early
adolescence). In this stage the child is able to solve
concrete problems in logical fashion . He can
understands laws of conservation and ‘seriate’ i.e.
arranging things in a logical manner. He also
understands reversibility.
4. Formal operational stage (Adolescence and
adulthood). In this stage, intelligence is demonstrated
through the logical use of symbols related to abstract
concepts. At this stage a child learns to reason or form
his own views about world and things. He can also
think about members & figures.
Reversibility: The ability to think through a series in a
stepwise manner & then recall the steps in orderly manner.
Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning: An operation in
which an individual first figures out the cause of the
problem & deduce a feasible solution.
What is active learning? Why is Piaget’s theory of
cognitive development consistent with active
learning?
A fundamental suggests that individuals form their own
understanding, learning is a constructive process. At every
level of cognitive development, students must be able to
absorb information into their own schemes. To do this they
must act on the information in some way. This active
experience, even at the earliest school levels, should include
both physical and mental ideas. As a general rule, students
should act, manipulate, observe, and then talk or write
about what they have experienced. Concrete experiences
provide the raw materials for thinking, communication with
others,test, and sometimes change their thinking abilities.
What are some limitations of Piaget’s theory?
Children & students often think in different manner in
different circumstances. This theory underestimated the
cognitive abilities. Other theories focused on children’s
information processing skills & duty of teacher to enhance
this development. This theory overlooked child’s cultural
background.
“Problem Of The Match”: Hunt
An important implication of Piaget's theory for teaching is
what called "the problem of the match." Students must be
neither bored by work that is too simple nor left behind by
teaching they cannot understand. According to Hunt,
disequilibrium must be kept "just rights to encourage
growth. Setting up situations that lead to errors can help
create an appropriate level of disequilibrium. When students
experience some conflict between what they think should
happen and what actually happens, they may rethink the
situation, and new knowledge may develop
VYGOTSKY’S SOCIO-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
According to Vygotsky inter psychological
development becomes intra-psychological
development
The children start high skilled reasoning & share their ideas
with the children or their teachers. These ideas get
incorporated in their personality. Thus children’s ideas,
attitude & values develop by sharing their views & talking
their ideas out with their peers or adults.
In contrast to Piaget, Vygotaky proposed that cognitive
development is strongly linked to input from others.
Vygotsky assumed that "every function in a child's cultural
development appears twice: first, on the social level and
later on the individual level; first between people (inter-
psychological) and then inside the child (intra-
psychological)"
Differences between Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s
perpectives on private speech:
Vygotsky’s:
1) The children’s view & ideas develop through social
interaction along with the development of language. A
child’s self directed speech helps in thinking, problem
solving.
2) He emphasized on the role of adults & peers in building
children’s understanding which helps them to solve their
problem later.
Piaget’s:
He described children’s direct speech as ego-centric
Socio cultural Theory: Emphasizes role in development of
cooperative conversation between children and more
knowledgeable member of society. Children learn the
culture of their community (ways of thinking and behaving)
through these interactions.
Co-constructed Process: It is a social process in which
people interact and negotiate (usually verbally) to create an
understanding or to solve a problem. The final product is
shaped by all people involved in interaction.
Cultural Tools: The real tools (computers, scales, etc) and
symbol systems (numbers, language, graphs) that allow
people in a society to communicate, think, solve problems,
and create knowledge.
Private Speech: Children talk to themselves which guides
their thinking and action. Eventually these talks are
internalized as sound of conscience
Scaffolding: Support for learning and problem solving. The
support could be clues, reminders, encouragement,
breaking the problem down into step, providing an example,
or anything else that allows the student to grow freely as a
learner.

54. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 53
Differences between Piaget’s & Vygotsky theory of Egocentric or Private Speech
Piaget Vygotsky
Development Significance Represents an inability to take the
perspective of another and engage in
reciprocal communication
Represents externalised thoughts; its
function is to communicate with the
self for the purpose of self guidance
and self direction.
Course of Development Decline with Age Increase at younger ages and then
gradually loses its audible quality to
become internal verbal thought.
Relationship to Social Speech Negative; least socially and cognitively
mature children use more egocentric speech
Positively private speech develops out
of social interaction with others.
Relationship to Environmental Contexts - Increases with task difficulty. Private
speech serves a helpful self guiding
function in situations where more
cognitive effort is needed to reach a
solution.
Implications of Vygotsky’s Theory for Teachers
One is the desirability of setting up cooperative learning
arrangements among groups of students with differing
levels of ability. Tutoring by more competent peers would
be most effective in promoting growth within the zone of
proximal development.
Second, a Vygotskian approach to instruction
emphasizes scaffolding, with students taking more and
more responsibility for their own learning. In reciprocal
teaching, teachers lead small groups of students in asking
questions about material they have read and gradually turn
over responsibility for leading the discussion to the students.
Scaffolding can be called an approach in which the
students are led through "assisted discovery," which calls
for explicitly teaching students to use private speech to talk
themselves through problem solving.
What is assisted learning, and what role does
scaffolding play? Assisted learning, or guided participation
in the classroom, requires scaffolding giving information,
prompts, reminders, and encouragement at the right time
and in the right amount, and then gradually allowing the
students to do more and more on their own. Teachers can
assist learning by using materials or problems ,to help
students at current levels, demonstrating skills or through
different ways walking students through the steps of a
complicated problem, doing part of the problem, giving
detailed feedback an allowing revisions, or asking questions
that refocus student’s attention.
What is a student’s zone of proximal development?
At any given point in development there are certain
problems that a child is behind the others & that are beyond
the child’s capabilities. The zone of proximal development is
the area where the child cannot solve a problem alone, but
can be successful under adult guidance or with help of more
advanced student or colleague.
Assisted Learning
Providing strategic help in the starting stages of learning
slowly reducing as students gain independence.
Zone of Proximal Development
Phase at which a child can gain expertise over a task if
given appropriate help and support.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE
How are humans predisposed to develop language?
What role does learning play?
Children develop language as they develop other cognitive
abilities by actively trying to understand what they hear,
looking for patterns, and making up rules. In the process,
built units, own rules may limit the search and guide the
pattern recognition. Reward and correction play a role in
helping children learn correct language use, but the child’s
thought processes are very important.

55. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 54
What are pragmatics and meta linguistic awareness?
Pragmatics is knowledge about how to use language when,
where, how, and to whom to speak. Meta linguistic
awareness begins around age of 5 or 6 and grows
throughout life.
Syntax: The order of words in phrases or sentences.
Pragmatics: The rules of when and how to use language
to be an effective communicator in a particular culture.
Meta linguistic Awareness: Understanding about one’s
own use of language.
THE WORK OF ERIKSON
Why is Erikson’s theory considered a psychosocial
perspective?
Erikson was interested in the ways that individuals
developed psychologically to become active and contributing
members of society. He believed that all humans have the
same basic needs and that each society must fulfill those
needs. Erikson’s emphasis on the relationship between
society and the individual is a psychosocial theory of
development, a theory that connects personal development
(psycho) to the social environment (social).
What are Erikson’s stages of psychosocial
development?
Eight stages theory: Every individual goes through eight
stages of life & faces a central crises or problems. If an
individual overcomes such problems of life he attains
confidence to face any such crisis in future.
Ist & IInd stage: In these two stages an infant needs to
form a sense of trust & freedom rather than mistrust &
shame or doubt
IIIrd stage: In this stage the child needs to take the
initiative & in the mean time he must avoid guilt.
IVth stage: In this stage the child needs to get busy & not
feel inferior to others
Vth stage: The adolescent age is age of identity,
Adolescents often try to achieve their identity. The either
achieve it or lose further confidence.
VI, VII, VIII: The other 3 stages involve the struggle to
achieve intimacy generativist & integrity.
STAGE BASIC CONFLICT IMPORTANT EVENTS OUTCOME
Infancy (birth to 18
months)
Trust vs. Mistrust Feeding Children develop a sense of trust when
caregivers provide reliabilty, care, and
affection. A lack of this will lead to mistrust.
Early Childhood (2 to 3
years)
Autonomy vs. Shame
and Doubt
Toilet Training Children need to develop a sense of personal
control over physical skills and a sense of
independence. Success leads to feelings of
autonomy, failure results in feelings of shame
and doubt.
Preschool (3 to 5 years) Initiative vs. Guilt Exploration Children need to begin asserting control and
power over the environment. Success in this
stage leads to a sense of purpose. Children
who try to exert too much power experience
disapproval, resulting in a sense of guilt.
School Age (6 to 11
years)
Industry vs. Inferiority School Children need to cope with new social and
academic demands. Success leads to a sense
of competence, while failure results in feelings
of inferiority.
Adolescence (12 to 18
years)
Identity vs. Role
Confusion
Social Relationships Teens need to develop a sense of self and
personal identity. Success leads to an ability
to stay true to yourself, while failure leads to
role confusion and a weak sense of self.
Young Adulthood (19 to
40 years)
Intimacy vs. Isolation Relationships Young adults need to form intimate, loving
relationships with other people. Success leads
to strong relationships, while failure results in
loneliness and isolation.
Middle Adulthood (40 to
65 years)
Generativity vs.
Stagnation
Work and Parenthood Adults need to create or nurture things that
will outlast them, often by having children or
creating a positive change that benefits other
people. Success leads to feelings of usefulness
and accomplishment, while failure results in
shallow involvement in the world.
Maturity(65 to death) Ego Integrity vs.
Despair
Reflection on Life Older adults need to look back on life and feel
a sense of fulfillment. Success at this stage
leads to feelings of wisdom, while failure
results in regret, bitterness, and despair.

56. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 55
ABILITY DIFFERENCES AND TEACHING
What are the problems between class ability
grouping?
Academic ability grouping can have both disadvantages and
advantages for students and teachers. For low ability
students, class ability grouping generally has a negative
effect on achievement, social adjustment, and self esteem.
Teacher in low achievement classes tend to emphasize
lower level objectives and routine procedures, with less
academic focus. Often there are increased teacher stress,
lowered expectations, and decreased enthusiasm. Ability
grouping can promote separation within schools.
What are the alternatives available for grouping in
classes?
Cross age grouping by subject can be a better way to deal
with ability differences in a school. Within class ability
grouping, if handled sensitively and flexibly can have
positive effects, but other options such as cooperative
learning may be better.
Between Class Ability Grouping/ Tracking: System of
grouping in which students are assigned to classes based on
their measured ability or their achievements.
Un-tracking: Redesigning schools to teach students in
classes that are not grouped by ability.
Non-graded Elementary School / The Joplin Plan:
Arrangement wherein students are grouped by ability in
particular subjects, regardless of their ages or grades.
Within Class ability Grouping: System of grouping in
which students in a class are divided into two or three
groups based on ability in an attempt to accommodate
student difference.
STUDENT WHO ARE GIFTED AND TALENTED
What are the characteristics of gifted students?
Gifted students learn easily and rapidly and retain what they
have learned, use common sense and practical knowledge,
know about many things that the other children don’t use a
large number of words and are easily and accurately
recognized by them and comprehend meaning; are alert
and keen observant and respond quickly, are persistent and
highly motivated and some are creative or make interesting
connections. Teachers should make special efforts to
support underrepresented gifted students, girls, students
who also have learning disabilities, and children living in
poverty.
Is acceleration is useful approach with gifted
students?
Many people object to acceleration, but most careful studies
indicate that truly gifted students who are accelerated do as
well as, and unusually better than, no gifted students who
are processing at the normal pace. Gifted students tend to
prefer the company of older playmates and may be bored if
kept with children their own age. Skipping grades may not
be the best solution for a particular student, but for
students who are extremely advanced intellectually (with a
score of 160 or higher on an individual intelligence test), the
only practical solution may be to accelerate their education.
Gifted Students: A very bright creative, and talented
student.
TODAY’S MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM
Distinguish between the “melting pot” and
multiculturalism
Statistics point of increasing cultural diversity in society. Old
views that minority group members and immigrants should
lose their cultural distinctiveness and assimilate completely
in the American “melting pot” or be regarded as culturally
deficient are being replaced by new emphases on
multiculturalism, equal educational opportunity, and the
celebration of cultural diversity.
What is culture?
There are many conceptions of culture, but most include the
knowledge, rules, traditions, attitudes, and values that guide
behavior in a particular group of people culture is a program
for living. Everyone is a member of many cultural groups,
defined in terms of geographic region, nationality, ethnicity,
race, gender, social class, and relations. Membership in a
particular group does not determine behavior or values, but
makes certain values and kinds of behavior more likely. A
wide variation exists within each group.
Melting Pot: A metaphor for the absorption of a
dissimilation of immigrants into the mainstream of society
so that ethnic differences vanish.
Cultural deficit model: A model that explains that school
achievement problems of ethnic minority students by
assuming that their culture is inadequate and does not
prepare them to succeed in school.
Multicultural Education: Education that teaches the
values of cultural diversity.
Culture: The knowledge, values, attitudes, and traditions
that guide the behavior of a group of people and allow them
to solve the problems of living in their environment.
SOCIAL CLASS DIFFERENCES
What is SES?
Social economic status (SES) is a term used by sociologist
for variations in wealth, power, and prestige. Social-
economic status is determined by several factors not just
income and often overpowers other cultural differences. No
single variable is an effective measure of SES, but most
researchers identity four general levels of SES, upper,
middle, working and lower classes. The majority of children
in poverty are white. But a disproportionate number of
African American and Hispanic American children live in
poverty.

57. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 56
What is the relationship between SES and school
achievement?
Socioeconomic status and academic achievements are
closely related. High SES students of all ethnic group show
higher average levels of achievement on test scores and
staying in school longer than low SES students/ poverty
during a child’s preschool years appear to have the greatest
negative impact. the longer the child is in poverty, the
stronger the impact on achievement. Why is there a
correlation between SES and school achievement? Low SES
students may suffer from inadequate health care, teachers
lowered expectations of them, low self esteem, learned
helplessness, participation in resistance cultures school
tracking and under stimulating children styles and home
environments. A striking finding is that low SEs children lose
academic ground outside school over the summer while
higher SEs children continue to advance.
Socioeconomic Status (SES): Relative standing in the
society based on income, power, background, and prestige.
Resistance Culture: Group values and beliefs about
refusing to adopt the behavior and attitudes of the majority
culture.
Tracking: Assignments to different classes and academic
experiences based on achievement.
ETHNIC AND RACIAL DIFFERENCES
Distinguish between ethnicity and race:
Ethnicity (culturally transmitted behavior) and race
(biologically transmitter physical traits) are socially
significant categories people use to describe themselves and
others. Minority groups (either numerically or histrionically
underpowered) are rapidly increasing in population.
How can ethnicity affect school performance?
Conflicts between groups can arise from differences in
culture based beliefs; values, and expectations, cultural
conflicts are usually about below the surface differences,
because when subtle cultural differences meet,
misunderstandings are common. Students in some cultures
learn attitudes and behaviors that are more consistent with
school expectations. Differences among ethnic groups in
cognitive and academic abilities are largely the legacy of
racial segregation and continuing prejudice and
discrimination.
Distinguish among prejudice, discrimination and
stereotype threat:
Prejudice is a rigid and irrational generalization a
prejudgment about an entire category of people. Prejudice
may target people in particular racial, religious, political,
geographical, or language groups, or at may be directed
toward the sex or sexual orientation of the individual
Discrimination is unequal treatment of particular
categories of people.
Stereotype threat is the extra emotional and cognitive
burden that your performance in an academic situation
might confirm a stereotype that others hold about you. It is
not necessary that the individual even believe the
stereotype. All that matters is that the person is aware of
the stereotype and cares about performing well enough to
disprove its unflattering implications. In the short run, the
fear that you confirm a negative stereotype can induce test
anxiety and undermine performance. Overtime,
experiencing stereotype threat may lead to misidentification
with schooling and academic achievement.
Ethnicity: A cultural heritage shared group of people.
Race: A group of people who are common biological traits
that are seen as self defining by the people of the group.
Minority Group: A group of people who have been socially
disadvantages not always a minority in actual numbers
Prejudice: Prejudgment, or irrational generalization about
an entire category of people.
Authoritarian Personality: Rigidly confirming to the
belief the society is naturally competitive, with “better”
people reaping its rewards.
Stereotype: Schema that organizes knowledge or
perceptions about a category.
Discrimination: Treating particular categories of people
unequally.
Stereotype Threat: The extra emotional and cognitive
burden that your performance in an academic situation
might confirm a stereotype that others hold about you.
GIRLS AND BOYS: DIFFERENCES IN THE
CLASSROOM
What is gender-role identity?
Gender-role identity is the image each individual has of
himself or herself as masculine or feminine in characteristics
a part of self concept. People with a feminine “identity
would rate themselves high on characteristics usually
associated with females, such as, “sensitive” or “warm”, and
a “forceful” and “competitive”. Most people see themselves
in under typed terms; however, some children and adults
are more they rate themselves high on both masculine and
feminine traits.
How do gender role identifies develop?
Biology (hormones) plays a role, as done the differential
behaviour of parents and teachers towards male and female
children. Through their interactions with family, peers
teachers, and the environment in general, children begin to
form gender or a organize networks of knowledge about
what it means to be male or female. Research shows that
gender role stereotyping begins in the preschool years and
continues through gender bias in the school curriculum and
sex discrimination in the classroom. “Teachers often
unintentionally perpetuate these problems.
Are there sex differences in cognitive abilities?
Some measures on IQ and SAT tests have shown sex linked
differences, especially in verbal and spatial abilities and
mathematic.

58. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 57
Males seem to be superior on tasks that require mental
rotation of subjects and females are better on tasks that
require acquisition and use of verbal information. Research
on the causes of these differences has been inconclusive,
except to indicate that academic socialization and teachers
treatment of male and female students in mathematics
classes do play a role. Teachers can use many strategies for
reducing gender bias.
Gender-Role Identity: Belief about characteristic and
behaviour associated with one sex as opposed to the other.
Androgynous: Having some typically male and some
typically female characteristics apparent in one individual.
Gender Schemes: Organization networks of knowledge
about what it means to be male or female
Gender Biases: Different views of males and females,
often favoring one gender over the other.
LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES IN THE CLASSROOM
What are the origins of language differences in the
classroom?
Language differences among students include local
language bilingualism, and culture based communication
style.
Dialects are not inferior languages and should be respected,
but standard English should be taught for academic
contexts. Dialects often affect the pronunciation of words,
so teachers have to be able to distinguish a mistake from a
dialect difference in verbal language. Student who speak in
dialect and students who are bilingual often use code
switching to communicate in different groups.
What is bilingual education?
Bilingual students speak first language other than English,
learn English as second language, may have same degree of
limitation in English proficiency, and also must often
struggle with social adjustment problems relating to
biculturalism. While there is much debate over the best way
to help bilingual students master English, studies show it is
best if they are not forced to abandon their first language.
The more proficient students are in their first language, the
faster they will master the second. Mastering academic
language skills in any new language take five to seven
years.
Dialect” Rule governed variation of a language
spoken by a particular group.
Standard Speech: The most generally accepted and used
form of a given language.
Code-Switching: Successful switching between cultures in
language, dialect, or nonverbal behavior to fit the situation.
Bilingualism: Speaking two languages fluently
English as a Second Language (ESL): Designation for
programs and classes to teach English to student who are
not native speaker of English.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Descriptive term for
students who have limited mastery of English
Semi lingual: Not proficient in any language, speaking one
or more languages inadequately.
COGNITIVE AND LEARNING STYLES
Difference between cognitive style and learning
preference:
Cognitive styles are characteristic modes of learning
remembering, Thinking, problem solving and decision
making. They show information processing that develop
around underlying personality trends such as a tendency for
deep or surface processing of information.
Learning preference or individual preference is used for
particular learning modes and environments. Even though
cognitive styles and learning preferences are not related to
intelligence or effort, they may affect school performances.
School teachers match instruction to individual
learning styles:
Results of some research indicate that students learn more
when they study in their preferred setting and manner but
most research does not show a benefit. Many students
would develop new and perhaps more effective ways to
learn.
GLOSSARY
 Cognitive Styles: Different ways of perceiving and
organizing information.
 Field Dependence: Cognitive style in which patterns
are perceived as wholes.
 Field independences: Cognitive style in which
separate parts of a pattern are perceived and analyzed.
 Impulsive: Characterized by cognitive style of
responding quickly but often inaccurately.
 Reflective: Characterized by cognitive style of
responding slowly, carefully, and accurately.
 Self-instruction: Talking oneself through the steps of a
task.
 Learning Styles: Characteristic approaches to learning
and studying.
 Learning Preference: Preferred ways of studying and
learning, such as using pictures, instead of test, working
with other people versus alone, learning in structured or
in unstructured situations, and so on.
 Changes in the Law: Integration and Inclusion
 Describe the main legal requirements that pertain
to students with disabilities:
It is required that each exceptional learner or student
with special needs to be educated in the least restrictive
environment.
 Regular Education Initiative: An educational
movement that advocates giving regular education
teachers, not special education teachers, responsibility
for teaching mildly (an sometimes moderately)
handicapped students.
 Least Restrictive Placement: Placement of each child
in as normal an educational setting as possible.
 Mainstreaming: Teaching children with disabilities in
regular classes for part or all of their school day.
 Full inclusion: The integration of all students, including
those with severe disabilities, into regular classes.

59. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 58
MCQs ON
P E D A G O G Y1. Inclusive education
(1) celebrates diversity in the classroom
(2) encourages strict admission procedures
(3) includes indoctrination of facts
(4) includes teachers from marginalized groups
2. A school gives preference to girls while
preparing students for a state level solo-songs
competition. This reflects
(1) global trends (2) pragmatic approach
(3) progressive thinking (4) gender bias
3. Young learners should be encouraged to
interact with peers in the class-room so that
(1) they can learn answers to questions from each-
other
(2) the syllabus can be covered quickly
(3) they learn social skills in the course of study
(4) the teacher can control the class-room better
4. When a child with disability first comes to
school the teacher should?
(1) Refer the child to a special school according to
the disability
(2) Seclude him from other students
(3) Discuss with the child parents to evolve
collaborative plans
(4) Conduct an admission test
5. _____ is not considered a sign of ‘being
gifted’.
(1) Creative ideas (2) Fighting with others
(3) Novelty in expression (4) Curiosity
6. Errors of learners often indicate
(1) how they learn
(2) the need for mechanical drill
(3) absence of learning
(4) socio-economic status of the learners
7. Creativity is usually associated with
(1) imitation (2) convergent thinking
(3) divergent thinking (4) modelling
8. Dyslexia is associated mainly with difficulties
in
(1) reading (2) speaking
(3) speaking and hearing (4) hearing
9. Individual attention is important in the
teaching-learning process because
(1) learners always learn better in groups
(2) teacher training programmes prescribe it
(3) it offers better opportunities to teachers to
discipline each learner
(4) children development at different rates and learn
differently
10. When a child gets bores while doing a task, it
is a sign that
(1) the task may have become mechanically
repetitive
(2) the child is not intelligent
(3) absence of learning
(4) socio-economic status of the learners
11. Which of the following is not a sign of an
intelligent young child?
(1) One who has the ability to cram long essays very
quickly
(2) One who has the ability to communicate fluently
and appropriately
(3) One who carries on thinking in an abstract
manner
(4) One who can adjust oneself in a new
environment
12. A student of V-grade with ‘visual deficiency’
should be
(1) excused to do a lower level of work
(2) helped with higher routine-work by parents and
friends
(3) treated normally in the classroom and provided
support through Audio CDs
(4) given special treatment III the classroom
13. Which one of the following is an important
factor of creativity?
(1) Originality (2) Discipline
(3) Fluency (4) Flexibility
14. Backwards children are
(1) slow learners (2) IQ – level 80-90
(3) mentally sick, persons having maladjusted
behaviour
(4) All of the above
15. Factors influencing mental development are
(1) heredity (2) family environment
(3) social status of family (4) All of the above

60. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 59
16. Students who gets less marks. You will
(1) try to search other options for him
(2) ask him to get commercial education
(3) punish him in morning meeting
(4) provide necessary help to them after
17. There are 60 students in your class, out of
them 10 students’ intelligence quotient is less
than 70 students, in which category will you
put of those students?
(1) Talented students (2) Backward students
(3) Weak students (4) Creative students
18. In which context in gender discrimination is
there in the development of a child?
(1) Caste (2) Age
3) Social level (4) All of these
19. Which is the individual reason for affecting the
greatness of any superior?
(1) Language (2) Gender
(3) Community (4) All of the above
20. Which of the following is not helpful in
development of creativity in children?
(1) Play/game (2) Lecture
(3) Story-writing (4) Experiment
21. To maintain level of activity of teaching
understanding; important thing is
(1) management
(2) skilled administration
(3) able teacher (4) All of the above
22. Who is mainly responsible for classroom
management?
(1) Principal (2) Class-teacher
(3) Students (4) Students
23. For healthy arrangement of classroom,
necessary thing is
(1) sufficient light should be in the class
(2) ventilated classroom
(3) appropriate seating arrangement in the class
(4) All of the above
24. To inspire the weak students teacher should
(1) applause and tell them to do good work
(2) given them set on first bench
(3) asked to pay some more attention to the class
(4) not pay attention of them in the class
25. In the classroom, direct relation of problems
of discipline is with
(1) age of child, interest in study, personality of
teacher
(2) which subject is studying in the class
(3) seating arrangement in the class
(4) boring or interesting subject
26. What do you mean by creativity?
(1) To make things (2) To make new things
(3) To decorate things
(4) To decorate only new things
27. Creative child is that who
(1) stands first in the class
(2) have creative behaviour
(3) have good behaviour
(4) have good memory power
28. Strict discipline should be in school
(1) Co-education system is there
(2) discipline makes students healthy citizen
(3) children can study in better way in discipline
(4) disciplined children do not make nose
29. Proper teaching is possible when mental and
internal capacity of children are known
perfectly
(1) By it one can know about his family environment
(2) One can know about his parent’s education level
(3) One can know about school’s and teacher’s
education level
(4) By this knowledge he can taught in psychological
way
30. If principal are displeased with you, then you
will
(1) complain of principle
(2) take transfer in other school
(3) give respect as prior to this event
(4) try to avert his displeasure with talking’s
31. If you get an opportunity to teach a visually
challenged students along with normal
students, what type of treatment would you
like to give him in the class?
(1) Not giving extra attention because majority may
suffer.
(2) Take care of him sympathetically in the
classroom.
(3) You will think that blindness is his destiny and
hence you cannot do anything.
(4) Arrange a seat in the front row and try to
teach at a pace convenient to him.
32. Which of the following is not a characteristic
of a good achievement test?
(1) Reliability (2) Objectivity
(3) Ambiguity (4) Validity
33. Dynamic approach to teaching means
(1) Teaching should be forceful and effective
(2) Teachers should be energetic and dynamic
(3) The topics of teaching should not be static, but
dynamic
(4) The students should be required to learn through
activities
34. Which of the following qualities is most
essential for a teacher?
(1) He should be a learned person.
(2) He should be a well dressed person.
(3) He should have patience.
(4) He should be an expert in his subject.
35. An effective teaching aid is one which
(1) is colourful and good looking
(2) activates all faculties
(3) is visible to all students

61. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 60
(4) easy to prepare and use
36. Which one of the following is the most
important quality of a good teacher?
(1) Punctuality and sincerity
(2) Content mastery
(3) Content mastery and reactive
(4) Content mastery and sociable
37. The primary reasonability for the teacher’s
adjustment lies with
(1) The children (2) The principal
(3) The teacher himself (4) The community
38. A successful teacher is one who is
(1) Compassionate and disciplinarian
(2) Quite and reactive
(3) Tolerant and dominating
(4) Passive and active
39. The most important quality of a good teacher
is
(1) Sound knowledge of subject matter
(2) Good communication skills
(3) Concerns for student’s welfare
(4) Effective leadership qualities
40. What quality the students like the most in a
teacher?
(1) Idealist philosophy (2) Compassion
(3) Discipline (4) Entertaining
41. What is the medium of effective teaching?
(1) Individualized instruction and open classroom
discussion
(2) Verbal guidance
(3) Emphasis on understanding the concept rather
than completing syllabus
(4) All the above
42. An effective teacher is one who can:
(1) control the class
(2) give more information in less time
(3) motivate students to learn
(4) correct the assignments carefully
43. Teacher’s primary responsibly lies in
(1) planning educational experiences
(2) keeping students records
(3) implementing policies
(4) all of the above
44. A teacher in the class is
(1) a director of the group
(2) the instructor of the group
(3) a leader and guide of the group
(4) all of the above
45. All of the following are the characteristic
features of an effective teacher except
(1) emphasizing group discussion for the purpose of
clarifying the objectives
(2) emphasis upon standard
(3) emphasis upon the quick control of the
problematic situation
(4) differential treatment meted out to students of
his class
46. The greatest important cause of failure in
beginning for a teacher lies in the area of
(1) inter-personal relationship
(2) knowledge of the teacher
(3) verbal ability
(4) tight handling of the students
47. An effective teacher is expected to
(1) reduce the anxiety level of students to moderate
level
(2) encourage the students to make initiative
(3) to make students feel that education is their
need
(4) all of the above
48. The primary task of a teacher is
(1) to teach the prescribed curriculum
(2) to stimulate and guide student's learning.
(3) to provide diagnostic and remedial aid whereever
desired.
(4) to promote habits of conformity to adult
demands and expectations.
49. As a new teacher the first professional
responsibility you must meet is to
(1) change the curriculum in the light of your
training
(2) co-operate with your fellow teacher inspite of
differences.
(3) ascertain and follow the procedures of your
predecessor.
(4) None of the above.
50. Which one is not the objective of the special
education?
(1) To develop motivational patterns in the
handicapped that will produce achievements
(2) To pursue those curricular matters that
strategically determine effective living for specific
type of handicapped children
(3) To develop a realistic self-concept in
handicapped children
(4) None of the above
ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 1 2 4 3 3 4 3 5 2
6 2 7 3 8 1 9 4 10 1
11 1 12 3 13 4 14 4 15 4
16 3 17 3 18 4 19 4 20 2
21 4 22 2 23 4 24 1 25 4
26 2 27 2 28 2 29 4 30 4
31 4 32 3 33 4 34 3 35 2
36 2 37 3 38 1 39 2 40 3
41 4 42 3 43 1 44 3 45 4
46 1 47 4 48 2 49 2 50 4
Education is the key to
success in life, and teachers
make a lasting impact in the
lives of their students

62. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 61

63. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 62
S S C MODEL
TEST PAPER
GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
& REASONING
1) An insect is walking in a straight line. It covers
a distance of 15 cm per minute. It comes back
2.5 cm after every 15 cm. How long will it take
to cover a distance of 1 metre?
a) 6.5 min b) 8 min
c) 10 min d) 12 min
2) A group of alphabets are given with each
being assigned a number. These have to be
unscrambled into a meaningful word and
correct order of letters may be indicated from
the given responses.
T M H R E O
5 4 3 2 1 0
a) 025314 b) 315402
c) 405312 d) 504231
3) From the given alternative words, select the
word which cannot be formed using the letters
of the given word:
TRIVANDRUM
a) RAIN b) DRUM
c) TRAIN d) DRUK
4) How many meaningful English words can be
made with the letters ‘OEHM’ using each letter
only once in each word?
a) FOUR b) THREE
c) TWO d) ONE
5) A shopkeeper quotes the rate on the price tag
replacing number with letters as follow:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
B R O W N S T I C K
If a customer purchases two items whose price tags
read Rs IIT and Rs NICK, what is the total amount
he has to Pay?
a) Rs 4776 b) Rs 4765
c) Rs 5565 d) Rs 5665
6) If CASUAL is coded as SACLAU, then what
would be the code of MATRIC?
a) CIRTAM b) TMAICR
c) TAMCIR d) ATMCIR
7) If ‘S’ is written as ‘H’, ‘R’ as ‘@’ ‘A’ as ‘’ ‘M’ as
‘#’ ‘T’ as ‘$’ and ‘E’ as ‘%’, then how is
‘MASTER’ written in that code?
a) #H$%@ b) #H$%@
c) #$H%@ d) #H%@$
8) If I candle in box number 1 is placed in box
number 2, then box-2 has twice the number of
candles that box 1 has. If 1 candle from box-2
is placed in box-1, then box-2 and box-1 have
same number of candles.
How many candles were there in box-1 and box-2?
Box-1 Box-2 Box-1 Box-2
a) 5 : 3 b) 7 : 5
c) 6 : 4 d) 5 : 7
9) Which of the following interchange of signs
would make the equation correct? 6 x 4 + 2 =
16
a) + and x, 2 & 4 b) + and x, 4 & 6
c) + and x, 2 & 6 d) + and x, 3 & 4
10) Select the correct combination of
mathematical signs to replace the * signs and
to balance the following equation:
45 * 3 * 6 * 2 * 16
a) + x  = b) +  - =
c) x + = x d) x - = x
11) Select the correct combination of
mathematical signs to replace * signs and to
balance the following equation:
8 * 5 * 10 * 2 * 25
a) + x  = b) +  - =
c) x + = x d) x - = x
Direction: In Question Nos. 12 to 14, select the
missing number from the given responses.
12) 7 6 6
8 6 ?
3 4 6
168 144 120
a) 8 b) 10
c) 5 d) 4
13) 8 5 6
3 7 5
1 4 2
74 90 ?
a) 65 b) 85
c) 52 d) 76
14) 22 46 24
27 58 31
32 68 ?
a) 46 b) 36
c) 32 d) 38
Direction: In Question Nos. 15 to 20, select the
related word/letter/number from the given
alternatives.

64. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 63
15) Voyage : Sea sickness : : Heights :?
a) Ship b) Travel
c) Giddiness d) Motion
16) Waitress : Restaurant : :?
a) Doctor : Nurse b) Driver : Truck
c) Teacher : School d) Actor : Role
17) AROUND : RAUODN : : GROUND :?
a) RGUODN b) NDOOGR
c) OUNDGR d) DNUURG
18) APPROACHED : ROACHEDAPP : : BARGAINED
:?
a) AINEDBARG b) GAINEDBAR
c) GAINEDRAB d) RABGAINED
19) 8 : 256 : : ?
a) 7 : 343 b) 9 : 243
c) 10 : 500 d) 5 : 75
20) 21 : 3 : : 574 : ?
a) 23 b) 82
c) 97 d) 113
Direction: In Question Nos. 21 to 26, find the odd
word/number/letters/number pair from the given
alternatives.
21) a) Obstetrician b) Podiatrist
c) Pulmonologist d) Prosthetist
22) a) Century b) Decadent
c) Year d) Month
23) a) FEDC b) STUV
c) LKJI d) RQPO
24) a) LPXOY b) RQST
c) FBDLX d) MPONL
25) a) 14 – 16 b) 56 – 64
c) 77 – 88 d) 80 – 93
26) a) 13 – 21 b) 19 – 27
c) 15 – 23 d) 16 – 24
27) Which one of the given responses would be a
meaningful order of the following?
1) apartment 2) town
3) street 4) building
5) complex
a) 1, 5, 4, 3, 2 b) 4, 5, 3, 2, 1
c) 2, 1, 3, 4, 5 d) 1, 4, 5, 3, 2
28) If the following words are arranged in reverse
dictionary order, which word comes second?
a) Explosion b) Express
c) Exploit d) Expulse
29) Which one set of letters when sequentially
placed at the gaps in the given letter series
shall complete it?
ac__ c __ cb __ acbcacbca __ bc
a) abbb b) bacc
c) babc d) bbcc
Direction: In Question Nos. 30 to 32, a series is
give3n, with one term missing. Choose the correct
alternative from the given ones that will complete
the series.
30) AZ, CX, FU, ?
a) IR b) IV
c) JQ d) KP
31) 1, 2, 6, 24, ? , 720
a) 3 b) 5
c) 120 d) 8
32) 156, 506, ? , 1806
a) 1056 b) 856
c) 1456 d) 1506
33) Suket has three daughters and each daughter
has a brother. How many male members are
there in the family?
a) 4 b) 2
c) 3 d) 1
34) Dinesh and Ramesh start together from a
certain point in the opposite direction on
motorcycles. The speed of Dinesh is 60 km per
hour and Ramesh 44 km per hour. What will
be the distance between them after 15
minutes?
a) 20 km. b) 24 km.
c) 26 km. d) 30 km.
35) On one side of a street are even numbers and
on the other side are odd numbers. No. 1 is
exactly in front of No. 2 My house is No. 9.
From my house, a man comes up from No. 2
and knocks at the door, five doors beyond the
house infront of me. What is the No. of that
house?
a) 18 b) 20
c) 22 d) 26
36) Four players P, Q, R and S are standing a play
field in such a way that Q is to East of P, R is
to the South of P and S is to the North of P. In
which direction of Q is S standing?
a) North b) South
c) North-West d) South-East
37) One Statement is given followed by two
Conclusions I and II. You have to consider the
statement to be true, even if it seems to be at
variance from commonly known facts. You are
to decide which of the given conclusions can
definitely be drawn from the given statement.
Indicate your answer.
Statement: The rich must live more simply. All poor
people are simple.
Conclusions: I Rich people waste money.
II Poor people save money.
a) Only I follows. b) Only II follows.
c) Neither I nor II follow. d) Both I and II follow.
38) 1) All roses in Sita’s garden are red.
2) All marigold flowers in Sita’s garden are orange.
3) All flowers in Sita’s garden are either red or
orange.
If 1st
two statements are true, the third is
a) True b) False
c) Uncertain d) Vague
The roots of education are bitter,
but the fruit is sweet.

65. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 64
39) Find out which answer figure will exactly
make up the question figure.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
40) How many triangles are there in the given
figure?
a) 48 b) 60
c) 56 d) 52
41) Choose the cube that will be formed by folding
the sheet of paper shown in the problem
figure.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
42) In a group of persons, 11 persons speak
Kannada, 20 persons speak Tamil and 11
persons speak Telugu. In that group, if two
persons speak two languages and one person
speak all the languages, then how many
persons are there in the group?
a) 40 b) 41
c) 42 d) 43
43) Which one of the following diagrams best
depicts the relationship among Human Society
– Youth Club, Political Party and Youth?
44) Which one of the following diagrams represent
correct relationship among pigeon, birds,
dogs?
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4
Direction: In Question Nos. 45 to 46, which answer
figure will complete the pattern in the question
figure?
45)
(a) (b) (c) (d)
46)
(a) (b) (c) (d)

66. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 65
47) From the given answer figures, select the
figure which is hidden/ embedded in the
question figure.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
48) A piece of paper is folded and cut as shown
below in the question figures. From the given
answer figures, indicate how it will appear
when opened.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
49) If a mirror is place on the line MN, then which
of the answer figures is the right image of the
given figure?
(a) (b) (c) (d)
50) A word is represented by only one set of
numbers as given in any one of the
alternatives. The sets of numbers given in the
alternatives are represented by two classes of
alphabets as in two matrices given below. The
columns and rows of Matrix I are numbered
from 0 to 4 and that of Matrix II are numbered
from 5 to 9. A letter from these matrices can
be represented first by its row and next by its
column, e.g., ‘F’ can be represented by 30, 23,
etc. and ‘N’ can be represented by 97, 89, etc.
Similarly, you have to identify the set for the
given word.
“DAKU”
Matrix – I Matrix – II
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
4 A F K P U 9 D I N S X
3 F K A U P 8 X S I D N
2 P U F K A 7 N X S I D
1 K P U A F 6 S D X N I
0 U A P F K 5 1 N D X S
a) 95, 40, 04, 42 b) 24, 95, 20, 27
c) 88, 24, 10, 34 d) 57, 13, 23, 21
GENERAL AWARENESS
51) What is ‘Biodiversity’?
a) Many types of flora & fauna in one forest
b) Many types of flora and fauna in many forests
c) Many population of one species in one forest
d) All the above are true.
52) Where is the headquarters of Hindustan Zink
Ltd?
a) Udaipur b) Jodhpur
c) Jaisalmer d) Jaipur
53) Leaving agricultural land uncultivated for
some years known as
a) Intensive farming b) Fallowing
c) Shifting cultivation d) Subsistence farming
54) The sky appears blue due o
a) Rayleigh scattering b) Mie scattering
c) Back scattering d) None of the above
55) The mountain formed on the earth crust due
to tension is called
a) Young folded mountain b) Old folded mountain
c) Laccolith mountain d) Block mountain
56) Movement of hairs in Drosera is referred to as
a) Heliotropism b) Thigmotropism
c) Photonastic d) Seismonastic
57) Which of the following is an example of
parasitic alga?
a) Ulothrix b) Cephaleuros
c) Oedogonium d) Sargassum
58) Solitary cymose inflorescence is observed in
a) Rose b) Chinarose
c) Tuberose d) Gardenia
59) The excretory aperture in Paramoecium is
known as
a) Cytopharynx b) Cytostome
c) Cytopyge d) Cryptospere
60) IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Technique was first
devised by
a) Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards
b) Dr. Henry Dixon c) Robertson
d) Dr. Martin Cooper
61) Just born baby has the respiratory rate as
a) 32 times/minute b) 26 times/minute

67. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 66
c) 18 times/minute d) 15 times/minute
62) A particle is moving in a uniform circular
motion with constant speed v along a circle of
radius r. The acceleration of the particle is
a) zero b)
r
v
c) 2
r
v
d)
r
v2
63) Which of the following devices can be used to
detect radiant heat?
a) Liquid thermometer
b) Six’s maximum and minimum thermometer
c) Constant volume air thermometer
d) Thermopile
64) In which one of the following the phenomenon
of total internal reflection of light is used?
a) Formation of mirage
b) Working of binoculars
c) Formation of rainbow
d) Twinkling of stars
65) Period of oscillation of 3 cm microwaves in
seconds is
a) 1 x 1010
b) 1 x 10 -10
c) 0.01 d) 0.001
66) The most advanced form of Read Only Memory
(ROM) is
a) PROM b) RAM
c) Cache Memory d) EEPROM
67) A computer program that translates one
program instruction one at a time into
machine language is called a/an
a) Interpreter b) Compiler
c) Simulator d) Commander
68) Which of the following is very reactive and
kept in kerosene?
a) Sodium b) Potassium
c) Iodine d) Bromine
69) Which of the following is a metallic ore?
a) Mica b) Quartz
c) Feldspar d) Galena
70) In the periodic table of elements, on moving
from left to right across a period, the atomic
radius
a) decreases b) increases
c) remains unchanged
d) does not follow a definite pattern
71) Vulcanized rubber contains sulphur
a) 2% b) 3-5%
c) 7-9% d) 10-15%
72) Uric acid is the chief nitrogenous wastes in
a) Frogs b) Birds
c) Fishes d) Mankind
73) To conserve coral reefs, the Government of
India declared one of the following as Marine
Park:
a) Gulf of Kutch b) Lakshadweep Islands
c) Gulf of Mannar d) Andaman Islands
74) The special modified epidermal cells
surrounding stomatal pore are called
a) Epithelial cells b) Guard cells
c) Subsidiary cells d) Accessory cells
75) Transpiration through leaves is called as
a) Cauline transpiration b) Foliar transpiration
c) Cuticular transpiration
d) Lenticular transpiration
76) Who is the brand ambassador of Nokia Phones
in India?
a) Shah Rukh Khan b) Aamir Khan
c) Abhishek Bachchan d) M.S. Dhoni
77) Where is the headquarters of the International
Olympic Committee located?
a) Italy b) Switzerland
c) Belgium d) France
78) ‘Canterbury’, the premium Indian brand of
woollen cardigans and pullovers is from the
house of
a) Monte-Carlo b) Woodland
c) Digjam d) OCM
79) Lionel Messi, the winner of four FIFA Ballion d’
or and World Player of the year, belongs to
a) Brazil b) Spain
c) Argentina d) Germany
80) Who is the brand ambassador of the Hockey
India League (HIL) 2013?
a) Pargat Singh b) Dhanraj Pillai
c) Navjot Singh Siddhu d) Virat Kohli
81) “Consumer Electronic Imaging Fair 2013”,
formally called as “Photo Fair”, will be
organize in January 2015 at
a) Kolkata b) Chennai
c) Delhi d) Mumbai
82) Which Indian State is the leading cotton
producer?
a) Gujarat b) Maharashtra
c) Andhra Pradesh d) Madhya Pradesh
83) The ‘More mega store’ retail chain belongs to
which Indian Industry?
a) Reliance Industry b) Bharti Enterprises
c) Aditya Birla Group d) None of these
84) Who among the following was responsible for
the revival of Hinduism in 19th
century?
a) Swami Dayanand b) Swami Vivekanand
c) Guru Shankaracharya d) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
85) The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in which
city?
a) Brussels b) Geneva
c) Oslo d) Stockholm
86) The demand of a factor of production is
a) direct b) derived
c) neutral
d) discretion of the producer
87) If the average revenue is a horizontal straight
line, marginal revenue will be
a) U shaped b) Kinked
c) Identical with average revenue
d) L shaped
88) The hypothesis that rapid growth of per capita
income will be associated with a reduction in
poverty is called
a) trickle down hypothesis b) trickle up hypothesis
c) U shaped hypothesis
d) poverty estimation hypothesis

68. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 67
89) According to Keynes, business cycles are due
to variation in the rate of investment caused
by fluctuations in the
a) Marginal efficiency of capital
b) Marginal propensity to save
c) Marginal propensity to consumption
d) Marginal efficiency to investment
90) The main emphasis of Keynesian economics is
on
a) Expenditure b) Exchange
c) Foreign trade d) Taxation
91) The main feature of the Federal State is
a) Decentralisation
b) Centralisation
c) Theory of separation of powers
d) Sovereignty
92) Public opinion is
a) The opinion of the majority
b) The opinion of the people on political matters
c) Opinion of the citizens of the country
d) The opinion based on reasoning which is for the
welfare of the whole society
93) In India the largest single item of current
government expenditure is
a) Defence Expenditure
b) Interest payment of debt
c) Payment of subsidies
d) Investment in social overheads
94) Which one of the following is an item included
in the list of Fundamental Duties of an Indian
citizen in the Constitution?
a) To practice secularism.
b) To develop scientific temper, humanism and the
spirit of enquiry and reform.
c) To pay all taxes to government regularly and
correctly.
d) Not to assault any public servant in the (during)
performance of his duties.
95) The first woman to preside over the UN
General Assembly:
a) Rajkumari Amrit Kaur b) Vijaylakshmi Pandit
c) Kamla Nehru d) Indira Gandhi
96) Panchasiddhantham of Varahamihira deals
with
a) Astrology b) Astronomy
c) Medicine d) Anatomy
97) Which one of the following coins were issued
in silver during the Gupta period?
a) Kakini b) Nishka
c) Rupyaka d) Dinar
98) Lothal, the dockyard site of the Indus Valley
Civilization, is situated in
a) Gujarat b) Punjab
c) Pakistan d) Haryana
99) Who among the Delhi Sultans died of a sudden
fall from a horse at Lahore while playing
Chaugan?
a) Qutbuddin Aibak b) Iltutmish
c) Balban d) Jalaluddin Khilji
100) Buddha means
a) Great Conqueror b) Great Saint
c) Wise one d) Enlightened one
QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
101) Ram bought a T.V. with 20% discount on the
labelled price. Had he bought it with 30%
discount he would have saved Rs 800. The
value of the T.V. set that he bought is
a) Rs 5,000 b) Rs 8,000
c) Rs 9,000 d) Rs 10,000
102) A vessel full of pure acid contains 10 litres of
it, of which 2 litres are withdrawn. The vessel
is then filled with water. Next 2 litres of the
mixture are withdrawn, and again the vessel is
filled up with water. The ratio of the acid left
in the vessel with that of the original quantity
is
a) 1 : 5 b) 4 : 5
c) 4 : 25 d) 16 : 25
103) Gold is 19 times as heavy as water and copper
is 9 times as heavy as water. In what ratio
should these be mixed to get an alloy 15 times
as heavy as water?
a) 1 : 1 b) 1 : 2
c) 2 : 3 d) 3 : 2
104) The average age of boys in the class is twice
the number of girls in the class. The ratio of
boys and girls in the class of 50 is 4 : 1. The
total of the ages (in years) of the boys in the
class is
a) 2000 b) 2500
c) 800 d) 400
105) There are 100 students in 3 sections A, B and
C of a class. The average marks of all the 3
sections was 84. The average of B and C was
87.5 and the average marks of A is 70. The
number of students in A was
a) 30 b) 35
c) 20 d) 25
106) A sold an article to B at 20% profit and B sold
it to C at 15% loss. If A sold it to C at the
selling price of B, then A would make
a) 5% profit b) 2% profit
c) 2% loss d) 5% loss
107) The monthly salaries of A and B together
amount to Rs 40,000. A spends 85% of his
salary and B, 95% of his salary. If now their
savings are the same, then the salary (in Rs)
of A is
a) 10,000 b) 12,000
c) 16,000 d) 18,000
108) It takes 8 hours for a 600 km journey, if 120
km is done by train and the rest by car. It
takes 20 minutes more if 200 km is done by
train and the rest by car. The ratio of the
speed of the train to that of the car is
a) 2 : 3 b) 3 : 2
c) 3 : 4 d) 4 : 3
109) If a train runs at 70 km/hour, it reaches its
destination late by 12 minutes. But if it runs at
80 km/hour, it is late by 3 minutes. The
correct time to cover the journey is
a) 58 minutes b) 2 hours

69. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 68
c) 1 hour d) 59 minutes
110) A man borrowed some money from a private
organisation at 5% simple interest per annum.
He lended 50% of this money to another
person at 10% compound interest per annum
and thereby the man made a profit of Rs 13,
205 in 4 years. The man borrowed
a) Rs 80,000 b) Rs 1,00,000
c) Rs 1,20,000 d) Rs 1,50,000
111) If a2
+ b2
+ c2
= 2a – 2b – 2, then the value of
3a – 2b + c is
a) 0 b) 3
c) 5 d) 2
112) If a + b + c = 3, a2
+ b2
+ c2
= 6 and
,1
c
1
b
1
a
1
 where a, b, c are all non-zero,
then ‘abc’ is equal to
a)
3
2
b)
2
3
c)
2
1
d)
3
1
113) If a2
– 4a – 1 = 0, a  0, then the value of
a2
+3a+
a
3
a
1
2
 is
a) 24 b) 26
c) 28 d) 30
114) The total area (in sq. unit) of the triangles
formed by the graph of 4x + 5y = 40, x-axis,
y-axis and x=5 and y=4 is
a) 10 b) 20
c) 30 d) 40
115) For what value of k, the system of equations
kx + 2y = 2 and 3x + y = 1 will be coincident?
a) 2 b) 3
c) 5 d) 6
116) If x = 2 + 3 , then x2
+
2
x
1
is equal to
a) 10 b) 12
c) -12 d) 14
117) If a = 4.965, b = 2.343 and c = 2.622, then
the value of a3
– b3
– c3
– 3 abc is
a) -2 b) -1
c) 0 d) 9.93
118) If x + y + z = 0, then the value of
yzx
zyx
2
222


is
a) -1 b) 0
c) 1 d) 2
119) The value of sin2
1° + sin2
2° + sin2
3° + ……. +
sin2
89° is
a) 22 b) 44
c)
2
1
22 d)
2
1
44
120) The value of
toequalis
sincos
sincos
sincos
sincos 3333





a) -1 b) 1
c) 2 d) 0
121) The shadow of a tower standing on a level
plane is found to be 30 m longer when the
Sun’s altitude changes from 60° to 45°. The
height of the tower is
a)  m3315  b)  m1315 
c)  m1315  d) 15  m33 
122) If sin 17° = ,
y
x
then sec 17° - sin 73° is equal
to
a)
22
xy
y

b)





  22
xyx
y
c)





  22
xyy
x
d)





  22
2
xyy
x
123) If  is a positive acute angle and cosec  + cot
 = ,3 the value of cosec  is
a)
3
1
b) 3
c)
3
2
d) 1
124) If cos  + sec  = ,3 then the value of cos3

+ sec3
 is
a) 2 b) 1
c) 0 d) 4
125) If sin  + cos  = 2 cos , then the value of
cot  is
a) 12  b) 12 
c) 13  d) 13 
126) In a quadrilateral ABCD, the bisector of A
and B meet at O. If C= 70° and D = 130°,
then measure of AOB is
a) 40° b) 60°
c) 80° d) 100°
127) Arranging the following in ascending order
334
, 251
, 717
, we get
a) 334
> 251
> 717
b) 717
> 251
> 334
c) 334
> 717
> 251
d) 251
> 334
> 717
128) If the product of first fifty positive consecutive
integers be divisible by 7n
, where n is an
integer, then the largest possible value of n is
a) 7 b) 8
c) 10 d) 5
129) A, B and C together can do a piece of work in
40 days. After working with B and C for 16
days, A leaves and then B and C complete the
remaining work in 40 days more. A alone could
do the work in
a) 80 days b) 90 days
c) 100 days d) 120 days

70. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 69
130) Three pipes A, B and C can fill a tank in 6
hours. After working it together for 2 hours, C
is closed and A and B can fill the remaining
part in 7 hours. The number of hours taken by
C alone to fill the tank is
a) 10 b) 12
c) 14 d) 16
131) Pratibha is thrice as efficient as Sonia and is
therefore able to finish a piece of work in 60
days less than Sonia. Pratibha and Sonia can
individually complete the work respectively in
a) 30, 60 days b) 60, 90 days
c) 30, 90 days d) 40, 120 days
132) The base of a right pyramid is an equilateral
triangle of side 4 cm each. Each slant edge is 5
cm long. The volume of the pyramid is
a)
3
cm
3
84
b)
3
cm
3
604
c)
3
cm
3
594
d)
3
cm
3
614
133) There are two cones. The curved surface area
of one is twice that of the other. The slant
height of the latter is twice that of the former.
The ratio of their radii is
a) 4 : 1 b) 4 : 3
c) 3 : 4 d) 1 : 4
134) A wire is bent into the form of a circle, whose
area is 154 cm2
. If the same wire is bent into
the form of an equilateral triangle, the
approximate area of the equilateral triangle is
a) 93.14 cm2
b) 90.14 cm2
c) 83.14 cm2
d) 39.14 cm2
135) A shopkeeper allows 10% discount on goods
when he sells without credit. Cost price of his
goods is 80% of his selling price. If he sells his
goods by cash, then his profit is
a) 50% b) 70%
c) 25% d) 40%
136) A dealer of scientific instruments allows 20%
discount on the marked price of the
instruments and still makes a profit of 25%. If
his gain over the sale of an instrument is Rs
150, find the marked price of the instrument.
a) Rs 938.50 b) Rs 940
c) Rs 938 d) Rs 937.50
137) In ∆ABC, E and D are points on sides AB and
AC respectively such that ABC = ADE. If AE
= 3 cm, AD = 2 cm and EB = 2 cm, then length
of DC is
a) 4 cm b) 4.5 cm
c) 5.0 cm d) 5.5 cm
138) In a circle with centre O, AB is a chord, and AP
is a tangent to the circle. If AOB = 140°, then
the measure of PAB is
a) 35° b) 55°
c) 70° d) 75°
139) In ∆ABC, A > B. The altitude to the base
divides vertex angle C into two parts C1 and C
2, with C2 adjacent to BC. Then
a) C1 + C2 = A + B b) C1 – C2 = A – B
c) C1 – C2 = B – A d) C1 + C2 = B – A
140) If O is the in-centre of ∆ABC; if BOC = 120°,
then the measure of BAC is
a) 30° b) 60°
c) 150° d) 75°
141) Two parallel chords of a circle of diameter 20
cm are 12 cm and 16 cm long. If the chords
are in the same side of the centre, then the
distance between them is
a) 28 cm b) 2 cm
c) 4 cm d) 8 cm
142) The interior angle of a regular polygon is 140°.
The number of sides of that polygon is
a) 9 b) 8
c) 7 d) 6
143) If two circles of radii 9 cm and 4 cm touch
externally, then the length of a common
tangent is
a) 5 cm b) 7 cm
c) 8 cm d) 12 cm
Study the following table and answer Question Nos.
144 to 146:
School No. of
students
scoring
marks less
than 50%
Percentage of
students
scoring marks
more than 50%
No. of
students
appeared
A 240 55 600
B 220 40 400
C 300 20 375
D 280 10 350
E 210 25 300
144) The ratio of the total number of students
scoring marks less than 50% to that of scoring
marks exactly 50% is
a) 50 : 3 b) 25 : 2
c) 25 : 4 d) 35 : 2
145) Which school has the highest number of
students scoring exactly 50% marks?
a) D b) E
c) B d) A
146) The total number of students scoring 50% or
more marks is
a) 1250 b) 875
c) 775 d) 675

71. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 70
Study the following graph which shows income and
expenditure of a company over the years 2005 –
2009 and answer questions 147 – 150
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
(RsinCrore)
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Years
Income Expenditure
147) The difference in profit (Rs, in crores) of the
company during 2006 and 2007 is
a) 10 b) 15
c) 20 d) 25
148) In how many years was the income of the
company less than the average income of the
given years?
a) 4 b) 3
c) 2 d) 1
149) The percentage increase in expenditure of the
company from 2007 to 2008 is
a) 20 b) 25
c) 30 d) 35
150) Profit of the company was maximum in the
year
a) 2009 b) 2008
c) 2006 d) 2005
ENGLISH COMPREHENSION
Directions: In Question Nos. 151 – 155, four
alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase
underlined in the sentence. Choose the alternative
which best expresses the meaning of the
Idiom/Phrase and mark it in the Answer Sheet.
151) I am very interested to know the outcome of
the debate, kindly keep me in the loop.
a) out of it
b) informed about the fees
c) informed about the last date of joining
d) informed regularly
152) There is no cut and dried method for doing
this.
a) simple b) honest
c) ready made d) understandable
153) Suddenly the man blacked out during the
parade and had to be helped to a quiet place.
a) lost temper
b) lost control over himself
c) lost consciousness d) lost balance
154) Hold your horses for a moment while I make a
phone call.
a) Be patient b) Stayout
c) Be quiet d) Wait
155) Sachin Tendulkar’s batting skills make him a
cut above the rest.
a) taller than b) superior to
c) senior to d) different from
Directions: In Question Nos. 156 to 165, a sentence /
a part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given
alternatives to the underlined part at (A), (B), (C)
which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct
alternative. In case no improvement is needed your
answer is (D). Mark your answer in the Answer
Sheet.
156) The visitors arrived at a lucky moment.
a) an opportunistic b) an opportunity
c) an opportune d) No improvement
157) Suraj looked at Sunil with a question.
a) questioningly b) questionably
c) wistfully d) No improvement
158) The government can see scarcely any valid
reason to launch an inquiry.
a) cannot scarcely see any valid reason
b) can see any valid reason scarcely
c) can scarcely see any valid reason
d) No improvement
159) Henry is taking John for tea.
a) taking John on tea b) taking John to tea
c) taking John at tea d) No improvement
160) The medicines made miracles and healed me
in two days.
a) The medicines brought miracles
b) The medicines worked miracles
c) The medicines performed miracles
d) No improvement
161) Any of these two books is good.
a) Any of this b) Either of these
c) Any other of this d) No improvement
162) The report highlights a number of instance of
injustice.
a) highlight a number of instances of injustice
b) highlights a numbers of instances of injustice
c) highlights a number of instances of injustice
d) No improvement
163) He was for a time our captain.
a) for sometime b) once
c) at any time d) No improvement
164) He made the utmost effort to save us.
a) an all-out b) an altered
c) an intentional d) No improvement
165) He belongs to a rich family.
a) a well-to-do family b) an upper class family
c) a well-known family d) No improvement
Directions: In Question Nos. 166 to 172, out of the
four alternatives, choose the one which can be
substituted for the given words/sentences and
indicate it by blackening the appropriate oval in the
Answer Sheet.

72. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 71
166) The act of speaking about one’s thoughts
when one is alone.
a) Silence b) Monologue
c) Dialogue d) Soliloquy
167) To remove an objectionable part from a book.
a) Exterminate b) Expurgate
c) Extirpate d) Destroy
168) Pertaining to sheep
a) Canine b) Bovine
c) Ovine d) Feline
169) Hole excavated by an animal as dwelling
a) Borrow b) Burrow
c) Bore d) Pierce
170) Person believing in free will
a) Guardian b) Tyrant
c) Humanitarian d) Libertarian
171) Small pieces of metal that fly out from an
exploding bomb
a) Shrapnel b) Splinters
c) Filings d) Bullets
172) All the arts, beliefs and social institutions etc.
characteristic of a race
a) Culture b) Civilization
c) Infrastructure d) Ritual
Directions: In Questions Nos. 173 & 174, four words
are given in each question, out of which only one
word is correctly spelt. Find the correctly spelt word
and mark your answer in the Answer Sheet.
173) a) Sychological b) Psychological
c) Psykological d) Sykological
174) a) Corralative b) Correlative
c) Corilative d) Correletive
Directions: In Question Nos. 175 to 184, you have
two brief passages with 5 questions following each
passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the
best answer to each question out of the four
alternatives and mark it by blackening the
appropriate oval in the Answer Sheet.
Passage – I (Question Nos. 175 to 179)
Poverty can be defined as a social phenomenon in which a
section of the society is unable to fulfill even its basic
necessities of life. When a substantial segment of the
society is deprived of the minimum level of living and
continues at a bare subsistence level, that society is said to
be plagued with mass poverty. The countries of the third
world exhibit invariably the existence of mass poverty,
although pockets of poverty exist even in the developed
countries of Europe and America.
Attempts have been made in all societies to define poverty,
but all of them are conditioned by the vision of minimum or
good life obtaining in society. For instance, the concept of
poverty in the U.S.A. would be significantly different from
that in India because the average man is able to afford a
much higher level of living in the United States. There is an
effort in all definitions of poverty to approach the average
level of living in a society and as such these definitions
reflect the coexistence of inequalities in a society and the
extent to which different societies are prepared to tolerate
them. For instance, in India, the generally accepted
definition of poverty emphasizes minimum level of living
rather than a reasonable level of living. This attitude is
borne out of a realization that it would not be possible to
provide even a minimum quantum of basic needs for some
decades and therefore, to talk about a reasonable level of
living or good life may appear to be wishful thinking at the
present stage. Thus, political considerations enter the
definitions of poverty because programmes of alleviating
poverty may become prohibitive as the vision of a good life
widens.
175) What is poverty according to the writer?
a) Ability to consider it as social phenomenon of a
substantial segment of society.
b) Inability of a society to provide the basic
necessities of life.
c) A political compulsion that dictates economic
policies.
d) A form of exhibition of subsistence living.
176) Societies in the third world can be
characterised as plagued by mass poverty,
because
a) Europe and America have pockets of poverty.
b) Poverty is a mass social phenomenon.
c) There is a wide variation in the definition of
poverty.
d) Societies live at a bare subsistence level.
177) What conditions the various attempts to
define poverty?
a) The definition of poverty in India.
b) The definition of poverty in the U.S.A.
c) The vision of minimum or good life
d) Political considerations
178) What do all definitions of poverty do?
a) Reflect coexistence of inequalities in society.
b) Societies tolerance of inequalities.
c) Approach the average level of living in a society.
d) Minimum level of living in India.
179) Definition of poverty in India emphasizes
minimum level of living because
a) It is impossible at this stage to provide a
reasonable quantum of living.
b) Political considerations enter the definitions of
poverty.
c) There is a reasonable level of good living.
d) Programmes of alleviation of poverty have been
initiated.
Passage – III (Question Nos. 180 to 184)
By the mid-nineteenth century, mass production of paper
patterns, the emergence of the home sewing machine, and
the convenience of mail order catalogues brought
fashionable clothing into the American home. By the early
twentieth century, home economists working in extension
and outreach programs taught women how to use paper
patterns to improve the fit and efficiency of new garments
as well as how to update existing ones.
Teachers of home economies traditionally made home
sewing a critical part of their curriculum, emphasizing self-
sufficiency and resourcefulness for young women. However,
with the increasing availability of mass-produced clothing in
catalogues and department stores, more and more women

73. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 72
preferred buying garments to making them. As a result,
home economists shifted their attention to consumer
education.
Through field study, analysis and research, they became
experts on the purchase and preservation of ready-to-wear
clothing for the family, offering budgeting instruction
targeted at adolescent girls. Modern home sewing made it
possible for American women to transcend their economic
differences and geographic locations with clothing that was
increasingly standardized. The democratization of fashion
continued through the twentieth century as the ready-to-
wear market expanded and home sewing became more of a
pastime than a necessity.
180) What improved the fit and efficiency of new
garments?
a) Sewing machines b) Economists
c) Mass production d) Paper patterns
181) What were the skills that were emphasized for
young women?
a) Self confidence and self-esteem
b) Self-sufficiency and resourcefulness
c) Resourcefulness and self-confidence
d) Prudence and resourcefulness
182) Who became experts on the purchase and
preservation of ready-to-wear clothing for the
family?
a) Owners of department stores
b) Field-study analysts
c) Young women
d) Teachers of home economics
183) Who was the target group?
a) Young women b) Young girls
c) Adolescent girls d) Working women
184) How did home sewing help American women?
a) They became field analysts and researchers.
b) They went beyond economic boundaries.
c) They found good jobs.
d) They become excellent teachers.
Directions: In Questions Nos. 185 to 189, some parts
of the sentences have errors and some are correct.
Find out which part of a sentence has an error and
blacken the oval corresponding to the appropriate
letter (A, B, C). If a sentence is free from error,
blacken the oval corresponding to (D) in the Answer
Sheet.
185) The whole block of flats /
(A)
including two shops were /
(B)
destroyed in fire. / No error
(C) (D)
186) He feels his troubles / as much or /
(A) (B)
even more than they. / No error
(C) (D)
187) I like reading / more than / to play./
(A) (B) (C)
No error
(D)
188) The old lady swooned / but was soon /
(A) (B)
restored at senses. / No error
(C) (D)
189) I shall have to /
(A)
withdraw from my savings/
(B)
to buy a new car./ No error
(C) (D)
Directions: In Question Nos. 190 to 194, Sentences
given with blanks to be filled in with an appropriate
word(s). Four alternatives are suggested for each
question. Choose the correct alternative out of the
four and indicate it by blackening the appropriate
oval in the Answer Sheet.
190) He was _____ about whether to do it or not.
a) ambiguous b) ambivalent
c) ambidextrous d) uncertain
191) His conduct is bad, and his honesty is not ____
suspicion.
a) above b) beyond
c) under d) in
192) The minister ______ on the petition before it was
taken up for discussion.
a) could sign b) signed
c) had signed d) must sign
193) The foolish crows _____ to sing.
a) crow b) jump
c) tried d) try
194) Truculent in defending their individual rights of
sovereignty under the Articles of Confederation, the
newly formed states _____ constantly.
a) apologized b) digressed
c) conferred d) squabbled
Directions: In Question Nos. 195 to 197, out of the
four alternatives, choose the one which best
expresses the meaning of the given word and mark it
in the Answer Sheet.
195) Convalesce
a) Diminish b) Admonish
c) Recover d) Convey
196) Porous
a) Adventurous b) Permeable
c) Pungent d) Concrete
197) Insipid
a) Spicy b) Bland
c) Interesting d) Warm
Directions: In Question Nos. 198 to 200, choose the
word opposite in meaning to the given word and
mark it in the Answer Sheet.
198) Indict
a) Accuse b) Exonerate
c) Incriminate d) Impeach
199) Suppress
a) Reveal b) Increase
c) Open d) Explain
200) Vocal
a) Voluble b) Calm
c) Quite d) Silent

74. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 73
ANSWER – KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 B 2 C 3 D 4 D 5 C
6 C 7 A 8 D 9 B 10 -
11 C 12 D 13 A 14 B 15 C
16 C 17 A 18 B 19 C 20 B
21 D 22 B 23 B 24 B 25 D
26 D 27 A 28 B 29 B 30 C
31 C 32 A 33 B 34 C 35 B
36 D 37 C 38 C 39 C 40 A
41 B 42 C 43 D 44 A 45 D
46 B 47 A 48 C 49 C 50 D
51 C 52 A 53 C 54 A 55 D
56 B 57 B 58 C 59 B 60 A
61 A 62 B 63 B 64 C 65 B
66 D 67 A 68 A 69 D 70 A
71 B 72 D 73 A 74 B 75 C
76 A 77 B 78 A 79 C 80 C
81 C 82 B 83 C 84 B 85 C
86 B 87 C 88 A 89 A 90 A
91 B 92 D 93 C 94 B 95 B
96 A 97 B 98 A 99 A 100 D
101 B 102 D 103 D 104 C 105 C
106 B 107 A 108 C 109 C 110 B
111 C 112 B 113 D 114 B 115 D
116 D 117 C 118 D 119 D 120 C
121 A 122 D 123 C 124 C 125 A
126 D 127 A 128 A 129 C 130 C
131 C 132 C 133 A 134 A 135 C
136 D 137 D 138 C 139 B 140 B
141 B 142 A 143 D 144 A 145 C
146 C 147 B 148 B 149 B 150 C
151 D 152 A 153 C 154 A 155 D
156 C 157 C 158 C 159 D 160 B
161 B 162 C 163 B 164 A 165 A
166 D 167 B 168 C 169 B 170 D
171 A 172 A 173 B 174 B 175 B
176 D 177 C 178 A 179 A 180 D
181 B 182 B 183 C 184 B 185 B
186 C 187 C 188 B 189 B 190 D
191 B 192 C 193 D 194 D 195 C
196 B 197 B 198 B 199 C 200 C
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75. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 74
Latest G.K. Bullets
JANUARY – 2015
1) The 13th
Pune International Film Festival was held at
Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra from
January 8 to 15. What was the theme this year:
War against War
2) Name the biggest cultural festival of the Mahayana
sect of Buddhism in Nepal, observed to mark the
beginning of the New Year: Tamu Lhochhar
3) The famous new year festival of Nepal – Tamu
Lhochhar is held at which place: Kathmandu
4) ADB has agreed to give $ 75 million loan and $1.8
million grant to which state in India for Integrated
Urban Water Management Investment Program for
improving the water resource management:
Karnataka
5) Name the top Indian cricketer who has decided to
retire from the Test Cricket: MS Dhoni
6) Name the country that has recently adopted the
Euro as its currency: Lithuania
7) How many countries in Europe have adopted Euro
as their currency: 19
8) President gave his assent to the NJAC Act, nearly
ending the two-decade-old Collegium System for
appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and 24
high courts. NJAC stand for what: National
Judicial Appointments Commission
9) The NJAC will be headed by ___________ and will
have ______ other members: Chief Justice of
India, Five
10) _____________ has been shifted from Uttarakhand
to Mizoram to hold charge of Governor of State:
Aziz Qureshi
11) ______________ has been appointed as new
Governor of Uttarakhand: K K Paul
12) Name the former editor of the Hindustan Times and
The Indian Express, who passed away recently: B G
Verghese
13) As per a recent report by global property consultant
CBRE, __________ is the costliest office space in
India: Connaught Place
14) R Koteeswaran has been appointed MD & CEO of
which public sector bank: Indian Overseas Bank
15) _______________ is the new MD & CEO of the
Oriental Bank of Commerce: Animesh Chauhan
16) Kishore Kumar Sansi is the new MD & CEO of which
bank: Vijaya Bank
17) Name the recently appointed MD & CEO of United
Bank of India: P Srinivas
18) Name the India's first integrated mobile application
for women safety launched in Delhi on Jan 1:
‘Himmat'
19) Saiyid Hamid, noted Muslim academician,
educationist, reformist and author passed away
recently. He was Chancellor of which educational
institution: Jamia Hamdard University and
Jamia Millia Islamia
20) What is the new name of the Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (IRDA) after the
promulgation of Insurance Laws (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2014: Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India
21) On Jan 1, the government announced that the
Planning Commission had been revamped and
rechristened as NITI Aayog. What is the full form of
NITI: National Institution for Transforming
India
22) _____________ is the Chairman of the NITI Aayog:
Prime Minister
23) Name the newly appointed vice chairperson of the
NITI Aayog: Arvind Panagariya
24) Ms Sindushree Khullar has been appointed CEO of
which important national level office: NITI Aayog
25) In which development financial institution
government has decided to increase its stake to
51% from around 48% at present: Industrial
Finance Corporation of India – IFCI
26) Which is the only state in India that has the
potential to grow the rare ‘purple tea’: Assam
27) ______________ is the only country in the world
that produces unique purple tea: Kenya
28) India's top PSU bankers and select policy makers
gathered in Pune for a two-day (Jan 2-3) retreat
that was named ______________: Gyan Sangam
29) 102nd
Indian Science Congress was held at which
place: Mumbai
30) Who is the author of the book ‘The Fault in Our
Stars’: John Green
31) Name the senior politician who has authored the
book titled, ‘At Home in India: The Muslim Saga’:
Salman Khurshid
32) The RBI has signed an information sharing
agreement with which country for better
coordination in supervising financial institutions:
Unite States of America
33) As per revised norms, NBFCs have been asked to
review KYC norms in their high risk category
accounts every _________ years: Two
34) Two commemorative coins of Rs 100 and five were
released in the honour of Tata Group founder
________________ to mark his 175th birth
anniversary: Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
35) Indian railways runs the Maitree Express train

76. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 75
between which two stations: Kolkata – Dhaka
36) Name the project launched by government for
under taking eco friendly development of the rural
areas: Green India Mission
37) Govt. has launched domestic efficient lighting
programme in Delhi. What is the highlight of this
project: LED bulbs to be supplied at an initial
payment of Rs. 10
38) What is the full form of LED: Light Emitting
Diodes
39) What is the name of the customized low-cost
combination of phone and tablet computer launched
for farmers by ICRISAT: Greenphablet
40) Write the full form of the abbreviation ICRISAT:
International Crops Research Institute for the
Semi-Arid Tropics
41) Headquarters of ICRISAT are located at which
place: Near Hyderabad, Telangana
42) India is on way to join the global high-end scientific
Neutrino Club as the government has approved a
high level research laboratory in __________ field in
Tamil Nadu: High energy physics
43) Amitabh Bachchan has been appointed as the brand
Ambassador for health sector by which State:
Andhra Pradesh
44) The 19th
National Youth Festival began in
___________on Jan 8: Guwahati
45) The theme for 19th
National Youth Festival
is_______________: Youth for Clean, Green and
Progressive India
46) Which union ministry has launched a toll-free
helpline (1800-11-0031) to assist the alcoholic and
drug-dependent persons: Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment
47) As per a Labour Bureau survey, unemployment rate
in the country rose to ______per cent in 2013-14,
mainly on account of increase in joblessness in rural
areas: 4.9
48) Name the satirical weekly of France whose office
was attacked recently by Islamic militants, killing
over 12 persons: Charlie Hebdo
49) Millions of people around the world expressed their
solidarity with the slain French journalists by using
the hash tag # Je Suis Charlie on Twitter. What is
its meaning: I am Charlie
50) Name the senior Indian diplomat who has been
named as the new Under-Secretary-General,
Department of Field Support (DFS) in UNO: ATUL
KHARE
51) Which bank recently launched the country’s first
contactless debit and credit cards that use the near-
field communication (NFC) technology, enabling
customer to make payments by just waving the card
near merchant terminals instead of swiping the
same: ICICI Bank
52) India has agreed to provide 60 million dollars Line of
Credit – LoC to Guyana for its road infrastructure
projects. Where is it located: On Northern border
of Brazil
53) Modibo Keita has been elected as Prime Minister
of which country: Mali
54) The country Mali is located in which part of the
world: West Africa
55) Hampi Utsav – 2015 a three-day mega cultural
festival of dance, drama, art and music was held in
which State: Karnataka
56) Ancient town of Hampi in Karnataka was the capital
of which empire: Vijayanagar Empire
57) Scientists have discovered a powerful new antibiotic
which can kill an array of germs without the bugs
easily becoming resistant to it. What is its name:
Teixobactin
58) India will provide Rs 6.90 crore support to Nepal for
fighting against the Iodine Deficiency Disorder
Control Programme (IDDCP) for control of which
ailment: Goitre
59) In which country militants of Boko Haram
massacred over 2000 persons in towns around
Baga: Nigeria
60) Tshering Tobgay, who recently visited India is the
_________ of Bhutan: Prime Minister
61) Who has been elected as new President of Sri
Lanka: Maithripala Sirisena
62) In which State governor rule was imposed on
January 9, 2015: Jammu & Kashmir
63) Why has governors rule been imposed in J & K: No
party staked claim to form the government
64) 15 prominent NRIs were conferred which honour at
the recently held Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman Award
65) In whose honour, the coins of the denomination of
Rs. 100 and Rs. 10 and the stamps of value of Rs 25
and Rs 5 were released at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas:
Mahatama Gandhi
66) National Youth Day is observed on which date: 12th
January
67) Why January 12 is observed as National Youth Day:
It is birthday of Swami Vivekananda
68) Name the star footballer who won the FIFA Ballon
d'Or award for 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo
69) Name the ace tennis player who reached the 1,000
ATP Tour wins milestone as he won the Brisbane
International title on Jan 11: Roger Federer
70) In the field of tennis, the abbreviation ATP stands
for: Association of Tennis Professional
71) Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of
the Indian Space Research Organization: A S Kiran
Kumar
72) Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic has been elected as the
first women President of which country: Croatia
73) Which airline has been selected as the safest airline
in the world for 2015: Quantas
74) Quantas is the official air carrier of which country:
Australia
75) A new vaccine ‘Raksha Blue’ has been launched to
counter which deadly disease in farm animals:
Bluetongue
76) Election commission has announced 7th
February as
the date for assembly elections in which State:
Delhi

77. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 76
77) Golden Globe awards are given in which field:
Cinema
78) Golden Globe award are given in which country:
USA
79) Which film won the Golden Globe 2015 for the best
motion picture: Boyhood
80) Name the Secretary, Defence Research and
Development cum Director General, DRDO and
Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister who was
in news as he was removed by the govt. from his
seat, 15 months before his contract was to end:
Avinash Chander
81) Raghuram Rajan, Governor, RBI was selected as the
‘Governor of the Year’ by international magazine
Central Banking. This magazine is from which
country: Britain
82) Country’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) -
powered train was flagged on January 13 from
which place: Rewari, Haryana
83) Encouraged by the India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,
the United Kingdom announced which campaign to
forge collaborations with Indian companies: Great
Collaborations
84) Nabard has signed an MoU with which Indian
Institute of Management, to set up a Chair to
encourage research in climate change, rural
livelihood and financial inclusion, among others:
IIM, Ahmedabad
85) India and ____________have signed a joint
agreement to implement the third phase of the
agriculture cooperation project for next three years,
2015-18: Israel
86) Which bank bagged three awards, including the
‘award for the best bank’ at the annual flagship
event "MSME Banking Excellence Awards-2014" at
Bengaluru: Canara Bank
87) Which Bank on Jan 13 launched a savings bank
account christened as Jifi Saver, which can be
managed via Twitter and Facebook: Kotak
Mahindra Bank
88) Which Indian space project has won the 2015 Space
Pioneer Award in the science and engineering
category from the US based National Space Society
(NSS): Mass Orbiter Mission
89) Which district in Kerala became the first district in
the country to have all its gram panchayats
connected through National Optical Fibre Network
(NOFN) - hi-speed rural broadband network: Idukki
90) The first Border Haat (market) along with
Bangladesh frontier was opened on 13 January 2015
in which State: Tripura
91) Which country has launched an Online Visa Pilot
Programme to make it easier for Indian business
and tourism visitors to apply online visa: Australia
92) Name the Indian professional golfer who has been
voted as the 2014 Players’ Player of the year in
Asian Tour: Anirban Lahiri
93) Name the new Chief Election Commissioner of India:
H S Brahma
94) The Reserve Bank of India cut down repo rate by 25
basis points to 7.75 percent from 8 percent. What
will be the new Bank Rate: 8.75 per cent
95) Bank Rate of Reserve Bank of India is calibrated
with which other policy rate: Marginal Standing
Facility
96) Which top IT company of India has promised the
Prime Minister to invest $250 million for funding
innovations in software and services in India:
Infosys
97) Who is the appointing authority for Chief Election
Commissioner: President of India
98) What is the tenure of Chief Election Commissioner:
6 years
99) The official status of Chief Election Commissioner is
equivalent to which other post: Judge of Supreme
Court
100) Which area of Uttar Pradesh was in news as around
50 lives were lost there due to a hooch tragedy that
occurred in its nearby villages: Malihabad,
Lucknow
101) Bhakti Sharma, India's 24 year old open water
swimmer has set a world record by swimming 2.25
kms in 52 minutes in one degree temperature in
which ocean: Antarctic Ocean
102) 76th Table Tennis National Championship was held
at which place: Puducherry
103) The Red Sari by Javier Moro is a book return about
which Indian political celebrity: Sonia Gandhi
104) Chairperson of the Central Board of Film
Certification recently resigned from her post. What
is her name: Ms. Leela Samson
105) Which Bollywood celebrity has been conferred
Social Media Person of the year award 2015 by the
Internet and Mobile Association of India: Amitabh
Bachchan
106) Name the new indigenously built fighter aircraft
recently inducted in the Indian Air Force: Tejas
107) Tejas is a LCA acquired by the Indian Air Force.
What is the full form of LCA: Light Combat
Aircraft
108) Stephen Constantine has been appointed head
coach of which Indian sports team: Men's Football
109) Sania Mirza along with her American partner
Bethanie Mattek-Sands won doubles title at which
international tournament in Australia: Sydney
International Tennis Tournament
110) Giraffe Hero Award is given for excellence in which
field: Social Work
111) Which State has appointed yoga guru Ramdev as
the state's brand ambassador to promote yoga and
ayurveda in a big way: Haryana
112) Which state has banned the sale of loose cigarettes
(as single sticks) and loose tobacco, becoming the
first State to do so: Punjab
113) Which State has been selected, for the first time, for
National e-Governance Award 2014-15 for the best
district- level initiative in the country: Jammu &
Kashmir
114) In a bid to promote entrepreneurship among the
Scheduled Castes (SCs), which Ministry launched

78. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 77
two schemes for funding ventures setup by them:
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
115) Name the Australian cricketer, rated as third fastest
bowler in world, who announced his retirement from
all forms of cricket after a 20-year career: Brett
Lee
116) Name the cueist who won the National Billiards
Championship held at Kolkata: Pankaj Advani
117) Name the cricketer who recently hit the fastest
century in one-day internationals cricket history: AB
de Villiers
118) _________ state to host the 35th National Games:
Kerala
119) Asia’s biggest literary event was recently held in
which city: Jaipur
120) Name the Indian-American author who won the
coveted DSC Prize for Literature at the Jaipur
Literature Festival: Jhumpa Lahiri
121) _________ was declared as the winner of inaugural
Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize Literature at the
Jaipur Literature Festival: Arunadhathi
Subramaniam
122) Name the film producer who has been appointed as
the Chairman, Central Board of Film Certification:
Pahlaj Nihalani
123) A report by the IMF says that India is expected to
grow at 6.3 per cent this year and 6.5 per cent in
2016 by when it is likely to cross growth rate of
which country: China
124) The 79th Senior National Badminton Championship
held in ________ from January 29 to February 5:
Vijayawada
125) Name the Indian runner who broke the 19-year-old
women marathon national record at the 12th
Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon in Mumbai: O
P Jaisha
126) In which country the Houthi rebels seized the
Presidential palace in the capital Sanaa, forcing the
President to resign: Yemen
127) As per the recent tiger census in India, ________
State has highest number of tigers: Karnataka
128) As per a study by Edelman, India has been placed
at _____ rank in world in terms of faith reposed by
its citizens in its institutions: 2nd
129) Name the noted political scientist, founder of
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies who
passed away recently: Rajni Kothari
130) With which country India signed an agreement on
transfer of prisoners who are completing their
sentence there: Hong Kong
131) Name the author of the book “Geek Sublime: The
Beauty of Code, the Code of Beauty”: Vikram
Chandra
132) The prestigious National Book Critics Circle (NBCC)
Awards are given in which country: USA
133) Jimjang Deru of Arunachal Pradesh recently created
national record in which sports: Weight Lifting
134) Which international organization has decided to lift a
seven-month-long ban on the import of mangoes
from India: European Union
135) Veteran journalist Malini Parthasarathy has been
appointed as the first women editor of a century old
national news paper: The Hindu
136) The government has launched HRIDAY to preserve
and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the
country. Write full form of HRIDAY: Heritage City
Development and Augmentation Yojana
137) What is the name of the Microsoft’s voice controlled
assistant to be introduced in its new operating
system - Windows 10: Cortana
138) India has allowed duty free access to which
country’s export products in Indian markets under
the Agreement of South Asia Free Trade Area
(SAFTA): Afghanistan
139) Name the scheme launched by the Prime Minister to
save and empower the girl child: Beti Bachao-Beti
Padhao
140) Which Bollywood celebrity has been appointed as
brand ambassador of Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao
campaign: Madhuri Dixit
141) A special savings scheme by the name ________
has been launched to encourage special savings for
girl child: Sukanya Samriddhi Account
142) What is the rate of interest payable in the Sukanya
Samriddhi Account: 9.1% per annum
143) A maximum amount of Rs. ______ can be deposited
in a financial year in the Sukanya Samriddhi
Account: 1,50,000
144) Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, King of Saudi Arabia was in
news recently for what reasons: He passed away
145) India’s first International Institute of Music will be
set up in _____ by a trust headed by Sarod Maestro
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his family: Kerala
146) In which country its first women premier was
impeached on Jan 23 for corruption charges:
Thailand
147) Lee Wan Koo has been appointed new Prime
Minister of which Asian country: South Korea
148) The Reserve Bank has allowed Indians to carry high
value notes of Rs 500 /1000 while travelling to
_______ and _____with a cap of Rs 25,000 on the
total amount: Nepal, Bhutan
149) The World Economic Forum's five-day annual
jamboree of the global elite started on Jan 20
at______, Switzerland: Davos
150) Which Ministry has launched a new organisation
“National Highways and Infrastructure Development
Corporation Limited” (NHIDCL) to promote the road
construction: Road Transport and Highways
Ministry
151) Name the controversial Australian bowler who has
been named Australia's young cricketer of the year,
winning the Sir Bradman Award: Sean Abbott
152) In a major boost to the jute sector, govt. has
approved mandatory packaging of _____ and _____
in jute material to minimum extent of up to 90 per
cent of production: Sugar and Foodgrains
153) RBI has advised that RRBs with assets less than
$175 million need not to register under the US law
FATCA. Write the full form of FATCA: Foreign

79. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 78
Account Tax Compliance Act
154) Govt plans to set up a ‘Price Stabilisation Fund’
(PSF), with a corpus of Rs 500 crore for what
purpose: To control price fluctuations in fruits
and vegetables
155) The proposed price stabilization fund will initially
focus on which two commodities for their price
regulation: Onions and Potatoes
156) With which country India signed MoUs for
formulating action plans for development of smart
cities in Allahabad, Ajmer and Visakhapatnam: USA
157) Govt plans to introduce a new Consumer Price Index
with ________ as base year for computing retail
inflation rate: 2012
158) India has been ranked _______ globally in terms of
talent competitiveness of its human capital,
indicating acute shortage of skilled workforce: 78th
159) The Expenditure Management Commission, headed
by_______, has recommended to the government
that it cut fiscal deficit to 3.6 per cent of the GDP
during 2015-16: Bimal Jalan
160) Which Bank has launched Jifi Saver, a social savings
bank account which can be seamlessly managed via
Twitter and Facebook: Kotak Mahindra Bank
161) Who has been appointed as the new Union Foreign
Secretary of India: S. Jaishankar
162) Country’s first geothermal heating plant was
launched successfully by the Snow and Avalanche
Studies Establishment of DRDO at its _____(HP)
campus: Manali
163) R K Laxman, the legendary cartoonist who passed
away recently is known for the iconic cartoon
character named ________:The Common Man
164) Veteran cartoonist R K Laxman was associated with
which news paper: The Times of India
165) Name the highest peacetime military honour
awardaed posthumously to Major Mukund
Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh on
Republic Day: Ashok Chakra
166) Paulina Vega of Columbia has been crowned with
which international beauty pageant: Miss Universe
167) Name the new national champion of snooker in
men’s category: Pankaj Advani
168) The Reserve Bank signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on “Supervisory Cooperation and
Exchange of Supervisory Information” with central
bank of which country: Brazil
169) Which Indian bank signed an agreement with U.S.
government’s Overseas Private Investment
Corporation for $220 million loan for on-lending to
micro, small and medium enterprises: Yes Bank
170) Pooja Thakur, the first woman to lead the
ceremonial tri-service guard of honour inspected by
Mr. Obama is from which wing of Indian Defence
Forces: Air Force
171) Which MNC recorded highest ever quarterly profit of
$18 billion in quarter ending December 2014: Apple
Inc.
172) Name the legal luminary, a senior advocate who has
been awarded Padma Bhushan recently: Harish
Salve
173) Mr. Subhash Kashyap who has been honoured with
Padma Bhushan is an authority in which field:
Constitutional Expert
174) Name the noted philanthropist couple honoured
recently with Padma Bhushan: Bill Gates and
Melinda Gates
175) Name the noted TV journalist honoured with Padma
Bhushan this year: Rajat Sharma
176) Name the veteran politician, a serving Chief Minister
who has been decorated with Padma Vibhushan this
year: Prakash Singh Badal
177) Name the two noted bollywood actors who have
been honoured with Padma Vibhushan this year:
Amitabh Bachhan and Dilip Kumar
178) Name the UK businessman and spiritual leader who
has been honoured with Pamda Vibhushan this
year: Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan
179) Sportsperson Mithali Raj has been honoured with
Padma Shri. She is from which sports: Cricket
180) Name the women badminton player honoured with
Padma Shri award this year: PV Sindhu
181) Noted film personality Prasoon Joshi who has been
awarded Padma Shri is from which field of film
industry: Lyricist
182) Jhumpa Lahiri has been awarded DSC Prize 2015 for
literature for her book : The Lowland
183) India's FDI increased by 26 per cent in 2014 to an
estimated 35 billion US dollar. Maximum FDI was
attracted by which sector of economy: Services
184) To meet the fiscal deficit, the government sold 10
per cent stake in which state owned company to
raise about Rs 24,000 crore: Coal India Ltd
185) Which country will host the 2016 Twenty 20
World Cup from 11th of March to 3rd of April
2016: India
186) Name the Former chief of Gorkha National
Liberation Front, who gave birth to the Gorkhaland
movement, who died recently: Subash Ghishing
187) As per revised guidelines, winners of Gold medal in
international sports events will now get Rs.
__________: 75 lacs
188) Jaswant Sing Rajput who won two times gold medal
for India in Olympics, passed away recently. He was
from which Sports: Hockey
189) The Payment Banks are not allowed to undertake
which major banking function: Giving Loans
190) The payment banks are not allowed to accept
deposits beyond Rs. ___________: One lac
DECEMBER – 2014
191) Name the Russian film that won the Golden Peacock
for the best film at the International Film Festival of
India: Leviathan
192) The Golden Peacock Award for the best film carries
a cash award of __________ rupees: 40 lac
193) Noted film maker Wong Kar Wai was conferred the
lifetime achievement award at IFFI. He is from
which country: China

80. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 79
194) Worlds Aids Day is observed on which date:
December 1st
195) What is the full form of HIV infection: Human
Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
196) In the abbreviation of AIDS, the letter S stands for
what: Syndrome
197) Which Southeast Asian country has launched a
Tamil version of National Day Song: Singapore
198) Name the Indian footballer who has been given Hall
of Fame Award in Manila: Baichung Bhutia
199) Name the Indian woman badminton player who won
the Macau Grand Prix Gold trophy at Macau, China:
PV Sindhu
200) Jarbom Gamlin who passed away recently was a
formal Chief Minister of which State: Arunachal
Pradesh
201) Govt. has deiced to observe 25th
December as which
day: National Good Governance Day
202) National Good Governance Day is observed in the
honour of which national leader: Atal Behari
Vajpayee
203) Name the noted Bollywood comedy actor who
passed away recently: Deven Verma
204) A R Antulay, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra
passed away recently. He was from which political
party: Congress
205) In a gruesome attack naxalites killed 14 CRPF
personnel in Sukma district of _________ state:
Chhattisgarh
206) Tabare Vazquez has been elected as President of
which South American country: Uruguay
207) Who has been appointed as the new Director of
Central Bureau of Investigation: Anil Kumar Sinha
208) The international prize for art – Turner Prize is given
in which country: UK
209) Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards are given in
which field: For excellence in exports
210) Which bank won the Niryat Bandhu Silver Trophy for
excellence in exports: Canara Bank
211) As per data released by the Central Statistics Office
on Nov 28, the economy slowed in the quarter
ending Sep 30, growing at _____per cent only: 5.3
212) American geologists have named the earth’s most
abundant ________as ‘Bridgmanite’: Mineral
213) The world climate change conference was held at
which place: Lima, Peru
214) The recent world climate change conference was
organized by UNFCCC. What is the full form of
UNFCCC: UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change
215) As per the Corruption Perceptions Index–2014
released by the Transparency International, India
stands at ___ position among 175 countries: 85th
216) As per the Corruption Perceptions Index–2014,
which country is least corrupt in world: Denmark
217) Name the India’s recently tested nuclear – capable
strategic ballistic missile having a range of about
4000 kms: Agni IV
218) Name the system launched by RBI to help
consumers pay multiple bills like electricity,
telephone and school fees at a single point of
transaction: Bharat Bill Payment System
219) Which organization has been appointed as the nodal
body for implementing Bharat Bill Payment System:
National Payment Corporation of India
220) Government has fixed an export target of $______
billion for the current fiscal: 340
221) India recently launched GSAT-16 satellite for what
purpose: Communications
222) The communication satellite GSAT-16 was launched
at which place: Kourou in French Guiana
223) United Nations has declared which day as
International Yoga Day: June 21
224) Why June 21 has been selected as World Yoga Day:
This is the longest day thus having maximum
energy
225) Which state recently launched “Mobile one” e-
governance initiative to enable public to access 4000
govt/ private services on their mobile phones just by
dialing 161: Karnataka
226) Blind Cricket World Cup was recently held at which
place: Cape Town, South Africa
227) Name the country that won the Blind Cricket World
Cup 2014: India
228) RBI has hiked the limit for pre-paid payment
instruments (PPI) to Rs. _________ from Rs. 50,000
at present: One Lac
229) Name the legendary jurist, a Supreme Court judge,
and post-retirement, a human rights activist who
passed away recently: V.R. Krishna Iyer
230) Deodhar trophy is related to which place: Cricket
231) Deodhar trophy 2014 was lifted by which team:
East Zone
232) Which US firm has been selected for supply of 16
multirole helicopters for the Indian Navy: Sikorsky
233) Government has asked PSUs to ensure that they
procure 20 percent of their requirements from the
products manufactured by MSME Units. What is
meant by MSME: Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises
234) Who has been appointed as the new US Defence
Secretary: Ashton Carter
235) On December 5, NASA launched Orion spacecraft
atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket. It is what type of
spacecraft: Returnable Spacecraft
236) Name the author of the book “2014: The Election
That Changed India”: Rajdeep Sardesai
237) Which Indian state got its first rail link on Nov. 29,
2014: Meghalaya
238) As per the 2013 Travel & Tourism Competitiveness
Index, India has been placed at which position: 65th
239) Death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar – 6
December is observed as what day:
Mahaparinirwan Divas
240) United Nations General Assembly has declared 2015
as the International Year of _______: Soils
241) Japan recently launched explorer Hayabusa 2 for
what purpose: For exploring asteroids
242) With which country Andhra Pradesh signed a MoU
for development of new capital: Singapore

81. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 80
243) The UNICEF has said that 2014 has been
“devastating” for some 15 million ______caught up
in violent conflicts around the world: Children
244) Ms. Wang Patraporn has been selected as Miss
Intercontinental 2014. She is from which country:
Thailand
245) In which country typhoon Hagupit caused wide
spread devastation on December 7: Philippines
246) The government has decided to decriminalise
“attempt to suicide” by deleting which section of the
Indian Penal Code: 309
247) The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal for setting
up of a 500 crore rupees Credit Guarantee Fund for
Factoring for MSME units. What is factoring:
Collection of receivables of business units
248) The first Arabic translation of the Indian Constitution
has been launched recently in which country: Egypt
249) Name the entity that has been selected as the
‘Person of the Year 2014’ by Time magazine: Ebola
Fighters
250) Name the Sri Lanka President who visited India to
offer prayers at the Lord Venkateswara temple in
Andhra Pradesh: Mahinda Rajapaksa
251) Which Indian bank has launched two indices to
track manufacturing activity and offer forward
looking economic trends: State Bank of India
252) Which country has become the 181st member of
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA):
Bhutan
253) As per the Web Index 2014 India has been placed
at which rank in terms of internet's contribution to
social, economic and political progress: 48th
254) Union government mopped up around 1715 crore
rupees with the sale of 5 percent stake recently in
which of its PSU: Steel Authority of India Ltd.
255) Noted corporate personality Azim Premji has been
awarded Swiss Ambassador's Award. He is chairman
of which company: Wipro Ltd.
256) The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) links
Ludhiana in Punjab to __________ near Kolkata:
Dankuni
257) India’s most prestigious Indian classical music
function – The Tansen Sangeet Samaroh was held
at which place: Gwalior, MP
258) INS Circars, the oldest naval establishment on the
Eastern seaboard celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. It
is located at which place: Visakhapatnam
259) Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India to
attend which important meeting: 15th India-
Russia annual summit
260) Who is Arunima Sinha, writer of the book “Born
Again on the Mountain”: First Indian female
amputee to climb Mount Everest
261) The World Diamond Congress was held at which
place in India: New Delhi
262) The Druzhba – Dosti concept relates to
strengthening of the bilateral partnership of India
with which country: Russia
263) Name the book by Akhil Sharma that has been
selected by The New York Times Book Review as
one of the ten Best Books of 2014: Family Life
264) In which country police forcefully ended the more
than two month old street demonstration - Occupy
Central: Hong Kong
265) The 14th
Finance Commission submitted its report
on December 11 to which authority: President of
India
266) Who is the head of the 14th
Finance Commission: Y
V Reddy
267) What is the purpose of setting the finance
commission: To decide the devolution of tax
receipts from the Centre to the states
268) The recommendations of the 14th
Finance
Commission shall be applicable from ______ to 31st
March, 2020: 1st
April, 2015
269) To promote electronic payments, the Reserve Bank
of India has increased the Real Time Gross
Settlement (RTGS) business hours to 12 hours from
________ to _____ on weekdays: 8 am, 8 pm
270) Name the recent international chess title won by
Viswanathan Anand: London Classic
271) Name the indigenous nuclear-powered submarine
that for the first time sailed out for sea-trials on Dec
16: INS Arihant
272) Name the beauty queen that has been selected as
Miss World 2014: Rolene Strauss
273) Miss World 2014, Rolene Strauss is from which
country: South Africa
274) National Energy Conservation Day is observed on
which date: Dec 14
275) Who is the author of the book ‘In God’s Hands’:
Desmond Tutu
276) Who is Desmond Tutu, winner of Templeton Prize:
Archbishop from South Africa
277) Name the new chief of the Intelligence Bureau:
Dineshwar Sharma
278) Who has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of
Japan: Shinzo Abe
279) Champions Trophy is related to which sports:
Hockey
280) Champions Trophy 2014 was won by which country:
Germany
281) Champions Trophy 2014 was held at which city in
India: Bhubaneswar
282) Confucius Peace Prize, also known as China's
version of the Nobel Prize, has been given to which
person for 2014: Fidel Castro, Former Cuban
leader
283) Vivek Murthy, the 37 year old Indian origin doctor in
USA was in news for what reasons: He has been
appointed Surgeon General of USA
284) Olof Palme Human Rights Prize is given in which
country: Sweden
285) Nasa's Curiosity rover has recently detected
methane on which planet: Mars
286) Government has approved the continuation of
interest subvention for short-term crop loans up to
Rs _______ to farmers: 3 lakh
287) Which state has won the Krishi Karman Award for
the year 2013-14 for showing exemplary agri-

82. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 81
performance in 14 different categories: Arunachal
Pradesh
288) Which bank has launched its mobile banking
application by the name ‘Bank Aapki Muththi Mein’:
HDFC Bank
289) Name the heaviest ever rocket, weighing 630 tonnes
launched by ISRO on Dec 18: GSLV Mark III
290) GSLV Mark III carried CARE as its payload which is
an Indian-made unmanned crew module. What is
full form of CARE: Crew Module Atmospheric
Re-entry Experiment
291) USA has announced a series of steps aimed at
normalising relations with which country: Cuba
292) Name the two banks that have been fined recently
by the RBI for violation of KYC norms: ICICI Bank
and Bank of Baroda
293) Union Cabinet recently approved a constitutional
amendment bill on which important tax issue:
Goods and Services Tax
294) Name the super power whose economy is in deep
trouble due to economic sanctions imposed on it
and huge loss on account of steep fall in oil prices:
Russia
295) Opening ceremony for the International Cricket
Council (ICC) World Cup 2015 shall be held at which
place: Melbourne, Australia
296) Tashi Malik and Nungshi Malik, the twin sisters from
Dehradun were in news for what reasons: They
completed scaling highest peaks
297) Name the beauty queen selected as the Miss
Universal Peace & Humanity 2014: Ruhi Singh
298) Miss Universal Peace & Humanity 2014 contest was
held at which place: Beirut, Lebanon
299) What is the name of the new Prime Minister of
Mauritius: Anerood Jugnauth
300) Among the chief ministers serving currently, who is
the Chief Minister with longest tenure of 20 years:
Pawan Chamling
301) Pawan Chamling, who completed 20 years as Chief
Minister on Dec 12. He is from which State: Sikkim
302) In India the record for longest tenure as Chief
Minister, 23 years, 4 months is held by which
person: Jyoti Basu
303) Chunibhai Vaidya, a veteran Gandhian and freedom
fighter passed away recently. He is from which
state: Gujarat
304) Rajinder Khanna has been appointed head of which
national intelligence agency: Research and
Analysis Wing
305) Prakash Mishra has been appointed head of which
paramilitary force: CRPF
306) The festival of Losar celebrated to mark the
beginning of new year is observed at which place in
India: Ladakh, J & K
307) Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas to be held from 7th
to 9th
January, 2015 will be which number in series: 13th
308) 13th
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas will be held at which
place: Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat
309) Which Indian cricketer has been named as the
brand ambassador of ICC cricket world cup 2015:
Sachin Tendulkar
310) Name the Indian golfer who won the Inaugural
edition of Dubai Open Golf Championship title:
Arjun Atwal
311) Name the winning team of the Indian Super League
Football Championship: Atletico De Kolkata
312) Beji Caid Essebsi has been elected as President of
which African Country: Tunisia
313) Which Indian State has decided to set up a Cultural
University to promote its rich cultural heritage:
Manipur
314) Klaus Iohannis has been elected as __________ of
Romania: President
315) Govt. has decided to pay __ % interest on provident
fund deposits of Employees Provident Fund
Organisation: 8.75%
316) International Tennis Federation (ITF) has declared
__________ as the men’s player of the year 2014:
Novak Djokovic
317) _______ has been named as the women player of
the year 2014 by International Tennis Federation:
Serena Williams
318) The authorize capital of the Regional Rural Banks
has been raised from Rs.5 crore at present to Rs.
_______ crore: 2000
319) The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has advised that
the new IFRS norms shall be applicable from April 1,
2015. What is the full form of IFRS: International
Financial Reporting Standards
320) Recently RBI has released a new set of norms
defining which type of borrowers: Non
Cooperative Borrowers
321) Jyotsna Suri has recently been elected as President
of the prominent national trade body – FICCI. What
is the full form of FICCI: Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry
322) Name the President of Bangla Desh who visited
Kolkata recently: Abdul Hamid
323) Name the NASA’s planet-hunting spacecraft which
discovered a ‘super-Earth’ located 180 light-years
from Earth: Kepler
324) As per a recent survey which are the two top
culprits for highest global carbon-dioxide emissions
from burning of fossil fuels: China and United
States– 29 and 15 per cent
325) British Queen has honoured noted Pakistan-born
poetess Imtiaz Dharker for her poetry collection
‘Over the Moon’ with which award: Queen’s Gold
Medal for Poetry 2014
326) Joe Cocker who died recently was a famous
________ from the Colorado, USA: Rock Singer
327) Name the Indian player who won silver medal at the
17th
Asian Luge Championship: Shiva Keshavan
328) 58th National Shooting Championships was held in
which place: Pune
329) Vinicius – the cat, has been declared as mascot for
which international sports event: 2016 Rio
Olympics
330) Name the European space mission spacecraft that
has been declared as the most important scientific

83. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 82
Breakthrough of the Year 2014: Rosetta
331) Bharat Ratna Award is given on recommendation of
which authority: Prime Minister
332) The declaration for Bharat Ratna Award is made by
which authority: President
333) Name the eminent South Indian filmmaker and
Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner from Chennai who
died recently: K. Balachander
334) The deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency
notes of various denominations, including 500 and
1,000 rupees, has been extended upto which date:
June 30, 2015
335) The World Youth Under-16 Chess Olympiad at Gyor
in Hungary was won by which country: India
336) For the first time, India exported an indigenously
built war ship to which country: Mauritius
337) For the first time, India exported an indigenously
built war ship to a foreign country. It was what type
of ship: Offshore Patrol Vessel
338) Which online shopping portal has announced the
launch of ‘Agri Store’, offering online products like
seeds, fertilizer and irrigation tools etc.:
Snapdeal.com
339) Name the new Chief Minister of Jharkhand:
Raghubar Das
340) Govt. has launched which programme to cover all
those children by 2020 who are either unvaccinated
or partially vaccinated against seven vaccine
preventable diseases: Mission Indradhnaush
341) Government has decided to set-up
_______________to provide counseling to
consumers in redressal of their grievances and assist
them in registering their complaints in the
appropriate consumer forums: Grahak Suvidha
Kendras (Consumer care centres)
342) Union Cabinet approved promulgation of the
ordinance on Insurance Bill to raise foreign
investment cap in the insurance sector from 26 to
_________ per cent: 49
343) Union Cabinet opened the medical devices sector to
foreign investment by allowing ______per cent FDI
in these devices: 100
344) Which private sector bank has raised $200 million
loan from Asian Development Bank for onward
lending to small farm households and rural women
self help groups (SHGs): Yes Bank
345) Name the head of the committee setup to examine
the possibility of forming a Special Investigation
Team for re investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot
cases: Justice G P Mathur
346) Who has been selected as one of the top ten
scientists in 2014 chosen by the prestigious science
journal of UK-Nature: Dr. K. Radhakrishnan
347) A new train - The Sushaasan (good governance)
Express was launched on Dec 25, from which place
to which place: Gwalior to Gonda
348) Ankita Raina won ITF singles tennis title becoming
the first Indian to win this title in past 14 years. This
match was played at which place: Pune
349) Name the cricketer who broke the world record for
most number of stumpings in international cricket
after he claimed his 134th
victim: M S Dhoni
350) Which country has been assigned the Presidency of
the Council of the European Union for the first half
of 2015: Latvia
351) Which southeastern country suffered worst flooding
in decades forcing some 1,18,000 people to flee to
safer places: Malaysia
352) Name the wheeled version of the unmanned aerial
vehicle (UAV) Nishant, recently tested by DRDO:
Panchi
353) Name the mission that aims at creating an
environment for producing high quality teachers:
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National
Mission on Teachers and Teaching
354) Which country recently successfully test fired its
Angara-A5 rocket: Russia
355) Name the country that has decided to join North
Atlantic Treaty Organization: Ukraine
356) Which Indian bowler has been banned by BCCI as
his bowling action was found illegal: Pragyan Ojha
357) World Bank will lend Rs 475 crore ($75 million) to
the ___________Government for implementing a
rural growth project: Andhra Pradesh
358) The Reserve Bank released a charter of customer
rights on Dec.3 that lays down ____________basic
rights that bank customers enjoy: Five
359) Pragyan Ojha was banned as his bowling action was
found illegal, flexing elbow beyond ___degrees: 15
360) Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on
Teachers and Teaching was launched on 25th
December at which place: BHU, Varanasi
NOVEMBER – 2014
361) Julian Burnside, Human rights advocate and
barrister from Australia was honoured recently with
which international prize: Sydney Peace Prize
2014
362) Sydney Peace Prize is awarded by which
organization: Sydney University
363) Mithra Shakthi, the three weeks Joint military
exercise was conducted between India and which
other country: Sri Lanka
364) Mithra Shakthi military exercise was held at which
place: Sri Lanka
365) What was the name of the 4th
Joint anti terrorism
military exercise held by Indian and Chinese forces:
Hand in Hand 2014
366) The 4th
Hand in Hand 2014 joint exercise of Indian
and Chinese forces was held at which place: Pune
367) Which state aims at construction of 10 lakh toilets
by 2018 to make the state completely free from
open defecation: Karnataka
368) The Union Government has decided on 29th
October, to relax FDI norms in the
____________sector, allowing 100 per cent of
foreign funds in building projects: Constructions
369) Govt has fixed rupees _______ per quintal as the
Minimum Support Price for wheat for 2014-15

84. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 83
season: 1450
370) Name the Indian cricketer who was inducted into
the Bradman Hall of Fame on 5th October at the
Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia: Sachin
Tendulkar
371) Name the former Union Carbide chief, wanted in
India in connection with the 1984 Bhopal gas
tragedy, who passed away recently: Warren
Anderson
372) Name the India’s ace shooter who became the first
Indian to be elected as Chairman of International
Shooting Sport Federation's (ISSF) Athletes
Committee: Abhinav Bindra
373) Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani teenage rights activist
and Nobel Peace Prize winner was in news for
donating $50,000 for what purpose: To help
rebuild UN schools in Gaza
374) Name the Mumbai Cinema actor, winner of two
Filmfare awards who passed away in November:
Sadashiv Amrapurkar
375) Duleep Trophy 2014 was won by which zone:
Central Zone
376) Duleep Trophy is for which sports: Cricket
377) 43rd
Handball National Championship (women’s) was
held at which place: Mastuana Sahib, Punjab
378) The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia
Flowers is the high level national civilian award of
which country: Japan
379) Name the Indian dignitary who was honoured with
The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia
Flowers: Manmohan Singh
380) World Trade Center, New York was in news recently
for what reasons: It has been re-constructed
and restarted
381) President Pranab Mukherjee recently visited which
neighbouring country of India: Bhutan
382) Recently a warship of Indian Navy sunk off the
Visakhapatnam coast during a naval exercise. What
type of ship it was: Torpedo Recovery Vessel
383) The Central Government has allocated five thousand
crore rupees under AYUSH Mission for what
purpose: For promoting traditional methods of
treatment in the country
384) Children's Film Society of India organised the first
edition of the National Children's Film Festival from
14 to 16 Nov at which place: New Delhi
385) Paris-based think tank, OECD has projected 5.4
percent growth for the Indian economy this year.
What is the full form of OECD: Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development
386) Who is Dmitry Rogozin, who visited India to attend
20th session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental
Commission: Deputy Prime Minister of Russia
387) In the Forbes list of the world's most powerful
people for 2014, Mr. Modi has been placed at which
rank: 15th
388) As per the Forbes list of the world's most powerful
people for 2014, who has been placed at the top of
the list: Vladimir Putin
389) Who has been appointed as the new Chairperson of
the Central Board of Direct Taxes: Anita Kapur
390) 54th National Open Athletics Championships held at
which place: New Delhi
391) Who was adjudged the best female athlete in the
54th
National Open Athletics Championships: Tintu
Luka
392) Who was adjudged the best male athlete in the 54th
National Open Athletics Championships: Ankit
Sharma
393) Tintu Luka, winner of the best national athlete
(female) is from which sport: Racing
394) Ankit Sharma, winner of the best national athlete
(male) is from which sports: Long Jump
395) Name the India’s fast bowler who has won this
year's ICC’s LG People's Choice Award:
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
396) Name the batsman who became the quickest
cricketer to reach 6,000 runs in ODIs: Virat Kohli
397) Virat Kohli achieved the landmark of 6,000 runs in
ODIs playing against which country: Sri Lanka
398) The Indian Army’s team of eight Garhwalis won the
rigorous endurance competition Cambrain Patrol in
which country: Wales, UK
399) Name the region of Spain which is agitating for its
separation from Spain: Catalonia
400) Name the village near Varanasi that has been
adopted for development by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi under ‘Sansad Gram Yojna’:
Jayapur
401) Laxmikant Parsekar has been appointed as the new
Chief Minister of which state: Goa
402) What is the strike range of recently test fired
ballistic missile Agni – II: 2,000 kms
403) Name the India’s first indigenous Light Combat
Aircraft’s two-seater trainer jet: Tejas
404) Recently Germany observed silver jubilee of
demolition of which historical monument: Berlin
Wall
405) With which country India signed a MoU for
promoting the Nalanda University in Bihar: Bhutan
406) In collaboration with which country India has
developed the long-range surface-to-air missile (LR-
SAM) system with a range of 70 kms: Israel
407) Who has been named as the most-powerful
business woman in India by Fortune Magazine:
Arundhati Bhattacharya
408) RBI has made it mandatory for banks to send SMS
alerts for which type of transactions: Cheque
Transactions
409) Where in India country’s longest access controlled
six lane expressway is being developed: Uttar
Pradesh
410) Country’s longest access controlled six lane
expressway shall be connecting which two cities:
Lucknow–Agra
411) Lipulekh Pass through which border trade worth
over Rs 3 crore took place between India and China
this year lies in which state: Uttarakhand
412) India has inked a USD 200 million loan agreement
with the World Bank to finance the setting up of

85. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 84
technology centres to help MSMEs enhance their
productivity. What is full form of MSMEs: Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises
413) The 45th
International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
was held at which place: Goa
414) Which was the focus country for this year’s
International Film Festival of India: China
415) Which Cine Star was honoured with Centenary
Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year at the
45th
IFFI: Rajnikanth
416) Which two States have opened the bank accounts
for all households in the state under Pradhan Mantri
Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY): Kerala and Goa
417) 6th
World Ayurveda Congress was held in which
place: New Delhi
418) Durand Cup is related with which sports: Football
419) The 127th
Durand Cup Championship was held at
which place: Goa
420) National Education Day is observed on which date:
November 11
421) Name the India’s first Education Minister in whose
honour National Education Day is observed on
November 11: Maulana Abul Kalam
422) Unnat Bharat Abhiyaan has been launched for what
purpose: To promote role of IITs/NITs in rural
development
423) Name the portal launched to enable students for
selecting the right college for their higher education:
Know Your College
424) Govt. has launched SAMVAY to facilitate students to
switch between education and jobs. The acronym
SAMVAY stands for: Skill Assessment Matrix for
Vocational Advancement of Youth
425) Name the two scholarship schemes launched for
girls pursuing technical education at college level:
Saksham and Pragati
426) ________ has been appointed Chairman of National
Chemical Weapon Convention: G.S. Sandhu
427) National Cancer Awareness Day observed on which
date: 7 November
428) At which place in India Suzlon Energy company
installed the world’s tallest 120 meters high hybrid
wind generator turbines: Kutch, Gujarat
429) As per recent reports from IMF, in October 2014,
which country became the world’s largest economy
in terms of Purchasing Power Parity (PPP): China
430) Name the country who has become the first
European Union (EU) country to officially recognise
the State of Palestine: Sweden
431) Public Service Broadcasting Day is observed on 12th
November to commemorate the first and only visit
of which celebrity to All India Radio: Mahatma
Gandhi
432) Gandhian Philosophy and Public Service
Broadcasting Award 2014 has been won by which
radio station: Radio Kashmir, Jammu
433) Name the world number one Badminton player who
has been suspended due to an apparent anti-doping
regulation violation: Lee Chong Wei
434) What was the name of the first ever manmade
mechanical device landed on a comet: Philae
Probe
435) In the 10 day foreign visit of Prime Minister Modi in
November, which was the first place visited by him:
Nay Pyi Taw
436) How many members are there in the ASEAN group
of nations: 10
437) Summit of ASEAN group of nations in November
was held at which place: Nay Pyi Taw
438) Apart from 10 ASEAN countries, how many more
countries are member of East Asian Summit: 8
439) ASEAN summit 2015 will be held in which country:
Cambodia
440) While visiting Australia in November, Prime Minister
Modi visited which city first of all: Brisbane
441) While visiting Australia in November, which was the
last city visited by the Prime Minister Modi:
Melbourne
442) What was the name of the venue in Sydney where
Mr. Modi addressed Indian diaspora: Allphones
Arena
443) At which place in Australia, Mr. Modi addressed the
Australian Parliament: Canberra
444) Mr. Modi assured of life time visa to PIO and OCI
card holders of Australia. What is the full form of
PIO and OCI: Persons of Indian Origin;
Overseas Citizens of India
445) Who is the constitutional head of Australia: British
Monarch
446) __________ is the Prime Minister of Australia: Tony
Abbott
447) __________ is the President of Myanmar: Thein
Sein
448) Name the Oceanic Island country visited by Mr.
Modi in November: Fiji
449) ___________ is the capital of Fiji: Suva
450) Govt. has notified BIS mark for 15 electronic
products, including mobile phones, power banks and
LED lamps. BIS stands for: Bureau of Indian
Standards
451) Which two countries have agreed on a timetable to
limit emission of greenhouse gases — ending a 20-
year discord between them: China and USA
452) The net own funds – NOF requirements for NBFCs
has been raised from Rs.25 lakh at present to
Rs._____ by March, 2016: One crore
453) As per a recent study, which city in India has the
largest number (16.4 million) internet users:
Mumbai
454) Who has been named as the captain of ICC ODI
Team of the Year 2014: MS Dhoni
455) Who has been appointed as the new Union Financial
Services Secretary (FSS): Hasmukh Adhia
456) Name the winner of 2014 World’s Children Prize:
Malala Yousafzai
457) Name the Governor of South Caorlina state, USA
who visited India recently: Nikki Haley

86. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 85
458) Name the Bollywood actor-director who became the
first man in the history of “UN Women” to be
appointed as its Goodwill Ambassador for South
Asia: Farhan Akhtar
459) Rohit Sharma made history by scoring the highest
individual score of 264 runs. He achieved this feet at
which ground: Eden Garden Stadium, Kolkata
460) Gen. Dalbir Singh Suhag, Indian Army Chief was
conferred the title of honorary rank of General by
which country: Nepal
461) Name the veteran film director from Bollywood,
famous for his tele serial – Mahabharat and movie –
Baghban, who passed away recently: Ravi Chopra
462) The IPI India Award for Excellence in Journalism,
2014, was awarded jointly to which two
publications: Hindustan Times and The Week
463) The Indian army recently test-fired the Prithvi-II
missile. What is the name of its naval version:
Dhanush
464) Name the cricketer who won the International
Cricket Council's (ICC) Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for
the Cricketer of the Year award for 2014: Mitchell
Johnson
465) Mitchell Johnson, winner of the Cricketer of the
Year award for 2014 is from which country:
Australia
466) Name the cricketer who was voted the ODI player of
2014: AB de Villiers
467) AB de Villiers is the batsman of which country:
South Africa
468) 68th Senior National Aquatic Championship was
held at which place: Kolkata
469) Name the tennis star who won the Barclays ATP
World Tour Finals on Nov 16 at London: Novak
Djokovic
470) Name the state that has been chosen for union
government’s Best State Award for Empowerment of
Disabled for year 2014: Madhya Pradesh
471) Which country will host the 16 nation Football
tournament Africa Cup of Nations 2015: Equatorial
Guinea
472) The India Economic Summit, sponsored by the
World Economic Forum was held at which city in
India: New Delhi
473) Govt of India has relaxed Indian citizenship norms
for Hindu and Sikh refugees from which two
countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan
474) Union Ministry of Minorities Affairs launched the
Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills (MANAS)
to impart training to youths in which sector: Health
and Security Sector
475) Which UN organisation released first ever
‘Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality - Household Fuel
Combustion’ to promote use of clean fuels at
household level: World Health Organisation
476) 22nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Summit was held in which place: Beijing
477) The 2015 G 20 summit will be hosted by which
country: Turkey
478) The 2016 G 20 summit will be hosted by which
country: China
479) To help in its efforts to crack down on suspected
black money stashed abroad, India signed which
agreement with Saint Kitts & Nevis: Tax
Information Exchange Agreement
480) With which country India has reached an agreement
on public stockpiling of food in terms of Bali
Package: USA
481) Which UN organisation is the coordinator for the
Trade Facilitation Agreement: WTO
482) International Buddhist Conference was held in which
place: Lumbini, Nepal
483) Men's singles title of the China Open Super Series
Premier (Badminton) was won by: K Srikanth
484) Women’s singles title of the China Open Super
Series Premier (Badminton) was won by: Saina
Nehwal
485) China Open Super Series Premier (Badminton) was
held in which city: Fuzhou, China
486) RBI has asked banks to give liberal loans to landless
farmers to meet the govt’s target of financing five
lakh JLGs in 2014-15. JLG stands for what: Joint
Liability Group
487) Which city in India has set up a kiosk that lets
anyone file an FIR at any time, irrespective of where
an incident took place: Bengaluru
488) The foreign investment promotion board (FIPB) has
allowed which bank to increase foreign investment
in the bank to 74 per cent: HDFC Bank
489) Which senior global leader left the G 20 summit
under protest, before its conclusion: Vladimir
Putin
490) Which country celebrated the 25th anniversary of
the launch of the Velvet Revolution that toppled
communism in 1989: Czech Republic
491) What is the name of the small savings instrument
recently re-launched by the govt: Kisan Vikas
Patra
492) What is the highest denomination in which the Kisan
Vikas Patra will be available: Rs 50,000
493) What is the maturity period for the Kisan Vikas
Patra: 100 months
494) Which major economy of the world shrank for the
second consecutive quarter, slipping it into a
technical recession: Japan
495) Klaus Warren Lohannis has been elected as
President of which country: Romania
496) IIM- JRD Tata Award For Excellence In Corporate
Leadership for 2014 has been won by which person:
C S Verma, Chairman, SAIL
497) Indian cricket team won 5-match ODI series against
Sri Lanka, winning all the five matches. This
achievement is termed as _____: Whitewash

87. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 86
498) What is the objective of the National Bal Swachhta
Mission: To improve over all cleanliness
amongst school children
499) Which programme has been launched to assist girl
students in preparing them for the IIT-JEE while
studying in classes XI and XII: Udaan
500) Prasar Bharti announced to re-launch DD National
with which new tagline: Desh Ka Apna Channel
501) Which country is worst affected by the terrorism as
per the Global Terrorism Index 2014: Iraq
502) As per the Global Terrorism Index 2014, India is the
______ worst affected nation: 6th
503) Indian Air force tested its medium range surface-to-
air anti-aircraft missile ______ with a strike range
of 25 km: Akash
504) International Children’s Peace Prize – 2014 has been
won by Neha Gupta. She is from which country:
USA
505) 2015 IAAF World Athletics Championships will be
hosted by which country: China
506) ______ quit as the Head Coach of the National
Hockey team: Terry Walsh
507) 'Vape' has been chosen by Oxford Dictionaries as its
international word of the year for 2014. What is the
meaning of this word: Smoking electronic
cigarette
508) Name the winner of BCCI’s C.K. Nayudu Lifetime
Achievement Award for 2014: Dilip Vengsarkar
509) Name the winner of BCCI’s Polly Umrigar Award
2013-14 for being India’s best international cricketer
of the year: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
510) A latest UN report says that, India has the world’s
largest youth population-356 million. What is their
age group: 10-24 years
511) The book “Truth Always Prevails” has been written
by Sadruddin Hashwani. He is from which country:
Pakistan
512) Sumitra Charat Ram Award is given in which field:
Art and culture
513) Name the noted Japanese film actor who passed
away recently: Ken Takakura
514) Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd
(IREDA) and US Export-Import (Exim) Bank signed a
MoU for what purpose: For cooperation on clean
energy investment
515) Name the winner of Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development for 2014: Indian
Space Research Organisation – ISRO
516) 18th SAARC Summit was held in _____ on the 26th
and 27th Nov: Kathmandu
517) What is the full form of the acronym SAARC: South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
518) Which major oil company in India won a Rs 18, 000
crore income tax order against it: Shell India
519) World Tour Golf Championship was held in which
city: Dubai
520) UN World Toilet Day is observed on which date:
Nov 19
521) World Women's Boxing Championships was held in
which place: Jiju, South Korea
522) The Union Cabinet has approved "Integrated Power
Development Scheme" for strengthening of
distribution network of electricity in which area:
Urban India
523) Name the bank that has been merged with the
Kotak Mahindra Bank: ING Vysya Bank
524) Name the foreign dignitary who will be the Chief
Guest at India's 2015 Republic Day celebrations:
Barack Obama
525) The third South Asian Football Federation (SAFF)
Women's Championship was held at which place:
Islamabad, Pakistan
526) Name winner of the third South Asian Football
Federation (SAFF) Women's Championship: India
527) Which Indian invention has been listed among the
25 best innovations of 2014 by the Time magazine:
Mangalyaan
528) Which Indian zoo has become the first zoo in the
world to house the critically endangered pig Pygmy
Hog: Guwahati
529) UN Climate Change Summit 2014 was held in which
city: New York
530) The United Nations has adopted the first-ever
resolution calling on governments to stop which
undesirable social practice: Child Marriage
531) Name the eminent Kathak danseuse, Padma sri
awardee, who passed away recently: Sitara Devi
532) Name the grand master who won the World Chess
Championship title defeating five-time champion
Viswanathan Anand: Magnus Carlsen
533) Magnus Carlsen, world chess champion is from
which country: Norway
534) Recent world chess championship was held at which
place: Sochi, Russia
535) Murli Deora, the former union petroleum minister
who passed away recently, was from which field:
Politics
536) Name the British F1 champion who won the Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix as well as the Formula 1 racing
championship title of the year, becoming the first
British to do so since 1971: Lewis Hamilton
537) Which country won the prestigious Davis Cup Tennis
Title – 2014 for the first time: Switzerland
538) Name the player who won four gold medals in the
Track Asia Cup Cycling Championship 2014 held at
New Delhi: Ms Deborah
539) To Indian Christian priests were decorated with
Sainthood by the Pope Francis II. This process is
known as_______________: Canonisation

88. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 87
540) Finals of the World Kabaddi League were played in
which city: Mohali, Punjab
541) Name the football player who became the all-time
highest scorer in La Liga history by scoring 253
goals in first class football: Lionel Messi
542) Name the new Defence Minister of India: Manohar
Parrikar
543) Who has been appointed as the new Union Railway
Minister: Suresh Prabhu
544) Who is the new Information and Broadcasting
Minister of India: Arun Jaitely
545) Name the football superstar who became the all-
time highest scorer in La Liga history by scoring 253
goals: Lionel Messi
546) Which organisation has started a Delhi-Kathmandu
bus service from Nov. 26: Delhi Transport
Corporation
547) World’s longest rail journey, covering 10,000 kms
has been started between which two cities: Yiwu
China and Madrid, Spain
548) Name the book that won the 2014 Shakti Bhatt First
Book Prize: The Scatter Here is Too Great
549) Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of
the Press Council of India: Justice C. K. Prasad
550) Name the U.S. Defense Secretary who was in news
as he resigned from his post: Chuck Hagel
551) The SAARC summit that started in Kathmandu on 26
Nov, was _____ in the series: 18th
552) Who has been named as the new chairman of
SAARC: Sushil Koirala
553) SAARC is a group of how many countries: 8
554) What is the theme of this year’s SAARC summit:
'Deeper Regional Integration for Peace and
Prosperity'
555) First Commonwealth Science Congress was held in
November 2014 at which place: Bengaluru
556) Who is the author of the book titled “The Dramatic
Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years”: Pranab
Mukherjee
557) The three organisations - World Toilet Organisation
(WTO), WASTE and the Financial Inclusion
Improves Sanitation and Health (FINISH) have
joined hands for what purpose: To end open
defecation in India
558) World Fisheries Day is observed on which date: Nov
21
559) Who has been appointed as the new Chairman of
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC): Deepak
Gupta
560) Which UN organisation released a report on the
impact of global warming titled “Turn Down the
Heat: Confronting the New Climate Normal”: World
Bank
561) Nov 25 is observed as International Day for what
purpose: Elimination of Violence Against
Women
562) Name the fund launched by the Central Govt to
build toilets in schools, rural and urban areas:
'Swachh Bharat Kosh'
563) As per the Global Slavery Index 2014, India is home
to about ___ per cent of the people trapped in
modern slavery: 40
564) The H5NI avian influenza virus is spread by which
bird: Poultry birds
565) Name the country's oldest and largest foreign bank
that recently opened its 100th
branch in India:
Standard Chartered Bank
566) The recent meeting of General Council of WTO
was held at which place: Geneva
567) World AIDS Day is observed on which date:
December 1
568) India observes December 16 as Vijay Diwas to
commemorate which event: Victory in 1971
Indo-Pak war
OCTOBER – 2014
569) Fitch has projected that India's growth is expected
to accelerate to 5.6 per cent in the year 2014-15.
What type of organization is Fitch: Rating Agency
570) Core sector growth for the month of August stood at
5.8 percent. How many industries are there in core
sector: Eight
571) The Union Ministry of Culture is observing the year-
long centenary commemoration of the historic
Komagata Maru incident. What / who was Komagata
Maru: Steamer Ship
572) The Komagata Maru incidents took place at which
place in India: Budge Budge Port, Kolkata
573) The US govt has assured its support for
developing_________ smart cities in India: Three
574) Name the three proposed smart cities to be
developed with US assistance: Allahabad, Ajmer
and Visakhapatnam
575) Who has been appointed as new Chairman of
Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA): Hemant Contractor
576) RBI has directed banks to disallow _________ in the
accounts where customers have not fulfilled KYC
norms: Debits
577) What is the formal name of the cleanliness drive
launched by the PM across India, on Gandhi Jayanti:
Swachh Bharat Mission
578) _______ has been named as new Secretary General
of NATO: Jens Stoltenberg
579) In a recent global ranking of universities, ________
secured top position in Indian universities: Panjab
University
580) Name the Chief Executive of the world’s largest e-
tailer _________who visited India to meet our Prime
Minister: Jeffrey P. Bezos, Amazon.com
581) India has imposed anti-dumping duty on
_________imported from the U.S. and Chinese

89. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 88
Taipei to safeguard the interest of domestic
manufacturers: Phenol
582) ATP China open tennis cup 2014 was held at which
place: Beijing
583) _________ won the Men’s singles trophy at ATP
China open tennis cup 2014: Novak Djokovic
584) Novak Djokovic is from which country: Serbia
585) _________ won the Women’s singles trophy at ATP
China open tennis cup 2014: Maria Sharapova
586) Maria Sharapova is from which country: Russia
587) Martin Perl, Nobel Prize-winning physicist from USA
was in news for what reasons: He passed away
588) Which country has test fired a new variant of its
10,000 km range missile - Dongfeng-31B: China
589) At which place in the world, students are leading a
prodemocracy protest – “occupy central”: Hong
Kong
590) In which part of the world a mass public protest is
going on nick named as ‘umbrella revolution’: Hong
Kong
591) Name the Indian-American professor from USA
honoured with National Medal of Science: Thomas
Kailath
592) Which country secured highest number of medals in
17th
Asian Games: China, 342
593) India was placed at 8th
rank in the 17th
Asian
Games, securing ________medals: 57
594) Indian sportspersons won _______ gold medals in
the 17th
Asian Games: 11
595) Indian sportspersons won _______ silver medals in
the 17th
Asian Games: 10
596) _________ , the Japanese swimmer, was named as
the “Most Valuable Player” of the 17th Asian Games:
Kosuke Hagino
597) The 18th
Asian Games will be held in 2018
in_________, Indonesia: Jakarta
598) ___________became the first Indian woman boxer
to clinch a gold medal at the Asian Games: MC
Mary Kom
599) Indian won the hockey gold medal at Asian Games
by beating which country: Pakistan
600) In which sports India won gold medal in both Men’s
and Women’s category: Kabaddi
601) Name the Indian film celebrity who was honoured
with Global Diversity Award 2014: Shah Rukh
Khan
602) The Global Diversity Award is given by which
organization: British Parliament
603) Name the proposed central govt. programme that
aims at bringing all Indians under health insurance
cover: Universal Health Assurance Mission
604) Name the winner of Champions League Twenty 20,
2014: Chennai Super Kings
605) Country’s first olive oil refinery has been started in
which State: Rajasthan
606) What was the name of the first address of the Prime
Minister over radio broadcasted recently: Mann Ki
Baat
607) Name the social networking site that was closed
recently by Google: Orkut
608) Which metro service in India has been ranked
second among 18 international Metro systems:
Delhi Metro
609) What is the name of the recently launched sedan
car by Maruti Suzuki: Ciaz
610) Strong typhoon Phanfone slammed into which
country, with winds of up to 180 kmph: Japan
611) Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award is given for
excellence in which field: Public Administration,
Academics and Management
612) Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, winner of this year’s Lal
Bahadur Shastri National Award is head of which
national organisation: BrahMos Aerospace.
613) M.V. Kamath, former Prasar Bharati Chairman,
Padmasri awardee from Karnataka, passed away
recently. He was from which field: Journalism
614) _______ would become the first state in India to
have high-speed internet connecting all the
panchayats in the state by March next year: Kerala
615) John O’Keefe of USA, May-Britt & Edward Moser of
Norway won the Nobel Prize 2014 for which field:
Medicine
616) Nobel Prize 2014 for Physics has been won by three
scientists from which country: Japan
617) Eric Betzig, William Moerner and Stefan Hell won the
Nobel Prize 2014 in which field: Chemistry
618) Patrick Modiano, winner of Nobel Prize for literature,
is from which country: France
619) Name the joint winners of this year’s Nobel Peace
Prize: Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi
620) Name the economist who won the 2014 Nobel Prize
for Economics: Jean Tirole, France
621) Union Government has decided to sell ______bulbs
to households at 10 rupees against the market price
of 400 rupees: LED
622) The first-ever Offshore Wind Power Project in India
is to be setup at which place: Along the Gujarat
coast
623) What is the objective of the proposed “Sardar Patel
Urban Housing Mission”: Housing for all by 2022
and a ‘slum free India’
624) Name the Japan’s gymnast who won his fifth
straight all-around world title to become the only
gymnast to win more than three World all-around
titles: Kohei Uchimura
625) Name the super cyclone that caused wide spread
devastation in the coastal part of Andhra Pradesh:
Hudhud
626) Name the city which suffered maximum damage
from the super cyclone Hudhud: Visakhapatnam
627) The name Hudhud has been derived from which
object: National bird of Israel
628) Waislitz Global Citizen Award 2014, won by
___________ for his work in founding Humanure
Power in Bihar in 2011 that builds community
sanitation facilities in rural India: Anoop Jain
629) In which athletics event Indian women’s team won
gold in 17th
Asian Games: 4x400 relay race
630) In which sports Seema Punia won the only gold

90. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 89
medal in athletics for India in the 17th
Asian Games:
Discuss Throw
631) What is the objective of the recently launched
“Swachhta Udyami Yojana - Swachhta Se
Sampannta Ki Aur”: To provide financial
assistance to Safai Karamcharis
632) Name the single premium pension policy for senior
citizens launched for a limited period of one year,
from 15-08-2014 to 14-08-2015: Varishtha
Pension Bima Yojana
633) Leela Samson was in news as she resigned from the
post of Chairperson of Sangeet Natak Akademi. She
is from which field: Eminent Bharatnatyam
dancer
634) Name the plan that has been launched to promote
model villages by each and every MP: Sansad
Adarsh Gram Yojana
635) The village selected under Sansad Adarsh Gram
Yojana should have a population of ______in plain
areas and _____in hilly, tribal and difficult areas.
3000-5000; 1000-3000
636) RBI has restricted free non-home ATM transactions
to three in how many metro cities: Six
637) RBI has allowed how many free non-home ATM
transactions to metro users in non-metro centres:
Two
638) CEO of which international social networking site
recently met Indian Prime Minister in New Delhi:
Facebook
639) Shanghai Rolex Masters is related to which field of
sports: Tennis
640) _________ won the Shanghai Rolex Master- 2014
championship: Roger Federer
641) Which Indian state has launched a health card
scheme to protect grand old trees in public places:
Kerala
642) Indian super league that was launched on 12th
Oct.
in Kolkata is for which sports: Football
643) Name the famous Ghazal and Thumri singer whose
birth centenary is being celebrated in India: Begum
Akhtar
644) President of India recently visited which two
Scandinavian countries: Norway and Finland
645) Name the India’s research station located in the
middle of North Pole and Norway: Himadri
646) With which country India recently signed an
agreement for nuclear cooperation: Finland
647) In which country a 400 kms long railway line
reconstructed with Indian assistance, was
inaugurated recently: Sri Lanka
648) Khaled Bahah has been elected as ______ of
Yemen: Prime Minister
649) Which state govt. has decided to provide free
treatment to every cancer patient in the state:
Kerala
650) As per the Global Hunger Index 2014, India has
been ranked at ______ place: 55th
651) Name the India’s largest real estate company that
was recently barred for three years by SEBI: DLF
652) World's largest online retailer Amazon.com has tied
up with which Indian retailer giant to jointly sell
goods over the Internet: Future Group
653) India’s largest listed retailer, Future Group is known
for which brand name: Big Bazaar
654) The 4th
Sultan Johor Cup is related to which sports:
Hockey
655) The 4th
Sultan Johor Cup was held in which country:
Malaysia
656) Name the country which won the 4th
Sultan Johor
Cup: India
657) 35th Senior National Archery Championship held in
New Delhi, was won by which state: Punjab
658) Shakti Devi, an Indian police inspector won
international Female Police Peacekeeper Award
2014 for her work in which country: Afghanistan
659) 18 year old young boy from Hong Kong – Joshua
Wong was in news for what reasons: He is the
leader of the pro democracy youth movement
in Hong Kong
660) 2014 Man Booker Prize for Literature has been won
by which author: Richard Flanagan
661) Richard Flanagan, winner of Man Booker Prize is
from which country: Australia
662) Name the book by Richard Flanagan that won him
the Man Booker Prize: The Narrow Road to the
Deep North
663) Which Indian Sports Person was chosen as the ‘Most
Valuable Player’ of India at the recent Incheon Asian
Games: MC Mary Com
664) Name the noted Bollywood lyricist who won the
National Kishore Kumar Award: Sameer
665) Name the world famous fictitious character, very
popular amongst children whom Indian President
met recently in Norway: Santa Claus
666) ISRO launched its third navigation satellite
named______on board its PSLV-C26 rocket from
Sriharikota: IRNSS 1C
667) The government has made it mandatory for tobacco
companies to carry health warnings covering at least
_______ of the surface of cigarette packets: 85%
668) Name the project launched by the central govt. that
aims at creating a conducive environment for
industrial development and doing business with
ease: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev
Jayate Karyakram
669) Shramev Jayate Karyakram has been promoted by
which Union Ministry: Labour Ministry
670) Govt. plans to allot Labour Identification Number -
LIN to whom for simplifying business regulations
and securing transparency and accountability in
labour inspections: Industrial Units
671) Name the Unified Labour Portal launched to
facilitate "Labour Inspection Scheme," which aims at
ending arbitrariness in the inspection: Shram
Suvidha
672) Under ________ Yojana govt will reimburse 50 per
cent of the stipend paid to apprentices during first
two years of their training: Apprentice Protsahan
673) Govt. plans to allot Universal Account Number to
which category of workers: Members of

91. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 90
Employees' Provident Fund Organization
(EPFO)
674) Name the India’s largest domestic airline by market
share that has signed a deal to buy 250 latest
Airbus A-320 neo aircrafts: IndiGo
675) Name the international financial magazine that
awarded “Central Bank Governor of the Year Award
2014” to Mr. Raghuram Rajan: Euromoney, UK
676) Who has been appointed as the new Chief Economic
Adviser to the Union Government: Arvind
Subramanian
677) Rajiv Mehrishi has been appointed to which
important position: Union Finance Secretary
678) Name the Australian cricketer who created history
by scoring 341 runs in limited over match: James
Tull
679) Name the Indian nuclear-capable cruise missile
tested successfully recently: Nirbhay
680) How many new non permanent members were
elected recently to the UN Security Council: Five
681) Union government plans to set up a mega
handicraft cluster in_______, Gujarat to promote
handicraft items and craft based textiles: Kachch
682) ____________ has become number one state in the
field of organic farming producing about five lakh
metric ton of farm products: Madhya Pradesh
683) Government has decided to import ______for the
first time to augment domestic availability and to
check its rising prices: Potatoes
684) Which bank has won the IDRBT Banking Technology
Excellence award for 2013-14: Federal Bank
685) The Reserve Bank has signed a pact with Central
Bank of _________ for exchange of information and
supervisory cooperation: Kenya
686) Which country has agreed to sign commercial
contracts for supply of uranium for Indian nuclear
reactors: Canada
687) Which Bank has launched an instant bank payment
product – KayPay for Facebook users to send money
to each other in an instant: Kotak Mahindra Bank
688) Cricket players of which country refused to play in
India due to a pay dispute with their cricket board:
West Indies
689) Union Cabinet has decided to completely deregulate
the prices of which product to link its prices to the
market forces: Diesel
690) The government has launched a new methodology
—National Air Quality Index (AQI) for what purpose:
To create awareness about the quality of air
and its likely health impact
691) The recently launched National Air Quality Index will
categorize air quality into how many categories: Six
692) World Junior Chess title 2014 was held at which
place in India: Pune
693) Central govt has advised all states, union territories
and Central Armed Police Forces to recruit ___ per
cent women in their ranks: 33
694) A five year old Indian boy Harshit Saumitra was in
news for what achievement: For climbing up the
Everest Base Camp
695) India and _____ have agreed to set up hotlines
between their army headquarters: China
696) Which African country has recently been successful
in controlling the spread of deadly Ebola virus:
Nigeria
697) Which state has launched the Farmers
Empowerment Corporation to provide agricultural
debt redemption to farmers: Andhra Pradesh
698) Who has been elected as the new Chief Minister of
Haryana: Manohar Lal Khattar
699) Name the new Chief Minister of Maharashtra:
Devendra Fadnavis
700) India has been re-elected as member of which
important UN organization: UN Human Rights
Council
701) The Union Government has decided to
commemorate October 31 - birth anniversary of
which National Leader as “National Integration
Day”- Rashtriya Ekta Diwas: Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel
702) India and ________ signed a MoU for cooperation in
space and work together in the areas of remote
sensing and satellite communication: Mexico
703) Jagdish Sharan Pande who passed away recently
was a noted ________ from Uttarakhand: Freedom
Fighter
704) Name the Indian boxer who was suspended by the
International Boxing Association for protesting
against a controversial verdict at 2014 Incheon
Asian Games: Sarita Devi
705) Wildscreen Panda Award is given in which field:
Wildlife Photography
706) Name the Indian cueist who won World Billiards
Championships in both – point and time formats at
Leeds, United Kingdom: Pankaj Advani
707) Union Government launched Jammu Kashmir Arogya
Gram Yojna for what purpose: To promote
cultivation of the aromatic and medicinal
plants
708) India and ______ have signed a Power Trade
Agreement to promote cooperation in the field of
production and transmission of electricity: Nepal
709) India has signed the __________Convention on
Mercury to control and reduce emissions from the
power plants: Minamata
710) ___________ won the WTA Finals cup of tennis
at Singapore: Serena Williams
711) Name the Indian golfer who won the Venetian
Macau Open Golf Cup 2014: Anirban Lahiri
712) Which country withdrew its last forces from
Afghanistan, after serving there for 13 years:
Britain
713) Recently a big crude oil discovery was made in the
Cambay basin by a private oil company. It is in
which state: Gujarat
714) Name the Prime Minister of Vietnam who recently
visited India: Nguyen Tan Dung
715) 25th ASEAN Summit will be held on Nov 12-13
at_____________ Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw
716) Dilma Rousseff has been re-elected as the President

92. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 91
of which country: Brazil
717) What is the name of the international infrastructure
development bank that China and 20 other countries
plan to establishes: Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank
718) Which bank has launched an electronic application
‘mPassBook’ for its savings and current accounts:
State Bank of India
719) A World Bank report says that India’s GDP is likely
to expand by ________per cent this fiscal as
reforms gain momentum: 5.6
720) Name the world's tallest statue (182 mts) of India's
first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
proposed in Gujarat: Statue of Unity
721) Sharath Gayakwad, who made history at the Asian
Para-Games in Incheon by winning six medals, is
from which sports: Swimming
722) What is the domain name of the Adhaar based
Biometric Attendance system launched by central
govt. for its employees: attendance.gov.in
723) Who has been appointed as the chairman of Prasaar
Bharati Board: Dr. A Surya Prakash
724) In the Gender Gap Index 2014, India has been
placed at ____rank in a list of 142 countries: 114th
725) World Bank’s “Ease of Doing Business” report places
India at _______ rank among 189 countries
surveyed by it: 142nd
726) ________tops the list for the most equitable sharing
of resources among men and women as per Gender
Gap Index 2014: Iceland
727) In terms of ‘Ease of Doing Business’, _________
stands at no. 1 in the world: Singapore
728) Which organization compiles the Gender Gap Index
report annually: World Economic Form
729) In the recently released Global Innovation Index
2014, India has been placed at which rank: 76th
SEPTEMBER – 2014
730) Padma Bhushan awardee Bipan Chandra was a
authority on economic and political ______ of India:
History
731) Sathiraju Lakshminarayana, Veteran Telugu film
director, artist and cartoonist who passed away
recently, was popularly known as ________: Bapu
732) Name the eminent jurist who has been appointed
Governor of Kerala: P. Sathasivam
733) BWF World Badminton Championship was held at
which place: Copenhagen, Denmark
734) Chen Long who won the men’s singles title at BWF
World Badminton Championship, is from which
country: China
735) Women’s singles title at BWF World Badminton
Championship was won by_______: Carolina
Marin
736) Name the badminton player of India who won the
bronze medal in women’s single title at BWF World
Badminton Championships: PV Sindhu
737) The famous international Nalanda University has
been established at which place: Rajgir, Bihar
738) Who is the chairman of the governing body of the
Nalanda University: Prof. Amartya Sen
739) Prof. Amartya Sen is an eminent scholar of which
field: Economics
740) Nabard has initiated a project on Core Banking
Solutions - CBS for which type of banks:
Cooperative Banks
741) Name the legendary Telugu actor who passed away
in January 2014: Akkineni Nageswara Rao
742) For what reasons Akkineni Nageswara Rao,
legendary Telugu actor was in news recently: U.S.
Post Service has issued a stamp in his honour
743) ‘Odyssey of My Life’ is the autobiography of which
prominent political figure: Shivraj Patil
744) Japan has promised to provide all possible support
to introduce the bullet train, along the Ahmedabad-
Mumbai route. What is its Japanese name:
Shinkansen
745) With which Japanese city India has signed a
partnership agreement for development of Varanasi:
Kyoto
746) What is the popular nick name for the Japanese city
Kyoto: City of Thousand shrines
747) Prime minister of India recently visited Japan to
meet _________, Prime Minister of Japan: Shinzo
Abe
748) The parliament of Japan is named as ______: Diet
749) Name the world champion iconic sprinter who
recently visited India: Usain Bolt
750) Govt has setup Prof. B. N. Goldar committee for
what purpose: To develop the Producer Price
Index
751) Which committee has been setup by the govt. to
develop a new inflation index- Producer Price Index
to replace Wholesale Price Index: B. N. Goldar
Committee
752) What is the purpose of Producer Price Index: To
measure inflation
753) The proposed Producer Price Index aims to replace
which existing index: Whole Sale Price Index
754) What is the most prominent feature of the proposed
Producer Price Index: To cover services sector
also
755) Name the former Attorney-General of India who
passed away recently: G. E. Vahanvati
756) Name the new generation Naval Offshore Patrol
Vessel that has joined Indian Navy recently: INS
Sumitra
757) Which country has unveiled a new surface-to-air
missile - Talash-3: Iran
758) What is the name of the autobiography of the
Sachin Tendulkar: Playing It My Way
759) In terms of global competitiveness, India ranks
________ in world: 71st
760) ____________ is the number one country in the
world in terms of global competiveness:
Switzerland

93. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 92
761) Name the South African fast bowler, oldest surviving
Test cricketer who passed away recently at the age
of 103 years: Norman Gordon
762) What is the special thing about Yashwardhan
Shukla, author of the book ‘Gods of Antractica’: He
is 13 year old school boy
763) The Chabad House in Mumbai that reopened nearly
six years after the 26/11 terror attack in November
2008 is a sacred ___________ of the Jews:
Synagogue
764) Justice H.L. Dattu is the _______Chief Justice of
India: 42nd
765) The historical Omari Mosque that was destroyed in
the recent Israel-Gaza conflict, was in which
country: Gaza
766) With which country India has signed a Land
Boundary Agreement (LBA) to ensure zero border
killings: Bangladesh
767) Recently President released a set of eight
commemorative postage stamps on great
Indian_________: Musicians
768) National Nutrition Week is celebrated every year
from ______September to the ______September:
1st
, 7th
769) What is the theme of the National Nutrition Week
2014: Poshak Ahaar, Desh Ka Adhaar
770) Who is the head of the committee setup to examine
the un-claimed amount in PPF, Post Office and
Savings Schemes: HR Khan
771) Name the Australian Prime Minister who came to
India on a two day visit: Tony Abbott
772) Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has announced
that _______ will be the new capital of Andhra
Pradesh: Vijayawada
773) MS Dhoni has become the most successful Indian
ODI captain with ________ wins to his career: 91
774) Joan Rivers, 81-year-old noted lady comedian and
TV host who passed away recently was from which
country: United State of America
775) India signed a landmark civil nuclear cooperation
agreement with Australia on 5th
September to
ensure supply of ________ for peaceful purposes:
Uranium
776) Prime Minister of which country recently returned
two precious ancient idols of Hindu deities to India
which were allegedly stolen from temples in Tamil
Nadu: Australia
777) The Supreme Court has directed that all ________
prisoners who have been in the prison for a period
more than half of the jail term prescribed for the
offences they had been arrested, should be released
on bail immediately: Under trial
778) According to recent data from CSO,
____________outpaced all the major states to top
the economic growth charts with a scorching 11 per
cent growth in 2013-14: Madhya Pradesh
779) In the recent rescue operations in J & K, hundreds
of NDRF personnel worked round the clock to rescue
thousands of marooned persons. What is the full
form of NDRF: National Disaster Relief Force
780) Which major river of J & K caused heavy damage
due to floods in the State: Jhelum
781) What is the name of the award for best film at the
Venice Film Festival: Golden Lion
782) Name the Swedish film directed by Roy Anderson
that won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival:
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch While Reflecting on
Existence
783) Name the film directed by Indian writer-director
Chaitanya Tamhane that won award for best debut
feature film at the Venice Film Festival: Court
784) Name the tennis star who won men’s single titles at
the US open tennis: Marin Cilic
785) Marin Cilic, winner of US open 2014 is from which
country: Croatia
786) Name the first ever male Asian player to play in the
finals of US Open Lawn Tennis Championship: Kei
Nishnikori
787) Marin Cilic defeated Japan's ________to win men’s
singles title at US open: Kei Nishikori
788) Women’s singles title at the US open tennis
championship was won by_________: Serena
Williams
789) Sania Mirza won which title at the US open tennis
championship: Mixed doubles
790) Midori Prize in Biodiversity is given in which country:
Japan
791) Midori Prize in Biodiversity is given for what
purpose: For outstanding contributions to the
conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity
792) Which Indian scientist and ecologist has won Midori
Prize in Biodiversity for his research on climate
change in the Himalayas: Kamal Bawa
793) Name the author of the book ‘The Lives of Others’:
Neel Mukherjee
794) The book ‘The Lives of Others’ by Neel Mukherjee
was in news for what reasons: it has been
shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize
2014
795) Booker prize for literature are given in which
country: England
796) RBI has fixed _______years as the upper age limit
for managing directors (MDs) and chief executive
officers (CEOs) and other whole-time director of
banks in the private sector: 70
797) Which Union Minister recently visited Afghanistan to
meet President and to review key projects there:
Sushma Swaraj
798) India has signed the _________ (FTA) in services
and investments with 10 ASEAN countries: Free
Trade Agreement
799) Which country launched two satellites - Yaogan-21
and Tiantuo-1 to relay information on natural
resources, disaster management: China
800) With which neighbouring country India signed a

94. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 93
MoU on cooperation in the field of traditional
systems of medicine and homeopathy: Bangladesh
801) China has assured cooperation for setting up a
automobile manufacturing industrial park at which
place in India: Pune
802) Under which Indian law, Govt. of India is the sole
authority to print Rupee one currency note:
Coinage Act, 2011
803) RBI is authorized to issue currency notes upto which
highest denomination:10,000
804) Govt. of India is empowered to issue coins upto
which highest denomination: Rs. 1,000
805) Who has been appointed as head of the Expenditure
Management Commission: Bimal Jalan
806) What is the purpose of setting up of Expenditure
Management Commission: for suggesting ways to
improve fiscal discipline
807) ‘Pehli Udaan’ and ‘Pehal Kadam’ are the names for
which item: Savings account for minors
808) Which bank has started savings account for minors
by the name ‘Pehli Udaan’ and ‘Pehal Kadam’: State
Bank of India
809) Which bank has started cardless cash withdrawal
facility from its ATMs: ICICI Bank
810) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
has approved the sale of stakes in how many PSUs:
Three – ONGC, NHPC and CIL
811) 60th National School Games in six sporting
disciplines will be held in November in which State:
Punjab
812) DRDO successfully test-fired indigenously developed
Agni-I - nuclear-capable missile recently. It is what
type of missile: Surface-To-Surface
813) India’s first coral garden is proposed to be
developed in which State: Gujarat
814) Which public sector bank has declared the Kingfisher
Airlines as the ‘willful defaulter’: United Bank of
India
815) Which State has launched the renovation and
beautification work of the birthplace of famous
author, journalist and critic George Orwell: Bihar
816) Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards are given by
Union Ministry for Information & Broadcasting for
what purpose: For original writing in Hindi
Indian authors on subjects like Journalism
and Mass Communication, National
Integration, Women’s Issues and Children’s
Literature
817) Govt has launched the Reefer Vehicle Call-in-Centre
(RVC) for what purpose: For smooth
transportation of perishable goods
818) Name the prominent Bangladeshi Nazrul Sangeet
singer who passed away recently: Firoza Begum
819) Who is India’s noted snooker and billiards champion
to announce his retirement from the professional
snooker: Pankaj Advani
820) With which country India has signed an agreement
for cooperation in the field of skill development,
solid waste management and cleaning of rivers:
Germany
821) Scientists have warned that millions of lives could be
at risk because of the threat to food crops in ‘Fertile
Crescent’. Where is this area: Middle East Asia
822) H. Devraj Committee has been setup for what
purpose: To examine working of 'C' category
deemed universities
823) Which State has declared 9 September as Himalaya
Diwas to spread the message of conservation of the
Himalayan ecosystems: Uttarakhand
824) Saakshar Bharat Awards are given on which date:
Sep. 8 International Literacy Day
825) Saakshar Bharat Awards are given for what purpose:
For the best performance in the field of adult
education
826) Saakshar Bharat Awards are given by which Union
Ministry: Human Resource Development
827) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Summit
2014 was held in which place: Wales, U.K.
828) ‘Wales Resolution’ is the name given to the
resolutions adopted at the recent summit of which
international organization: NATO
829) Chitresh Tatha, a 12 year old boy is representing
India at the 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, South
Korea in which sports: Optimist Dinghy Race
830) General elections for electing Members of Legislative
Assembly (MLAs) have been declared for how many
states: Two (Haryana and Maharashtra)
831) Davis Cup Commitment Award is given for which
category of Tennis player: Those who have
competed in at least 20 ties
832) Name the winner of the Davis Cup Commitment
award 2014: Rohan Bopanna
833) Country’s first 'Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve'
(CDBR) is to be developed in which place: Spiti in
Himachal Pradesh
834) President Pranab Mukherjee made a four-day state
visit to Vietnam and met his counterpart
__________: Truong Tan Sang
835) What is the currency of Vietnam: Dong
836) _______ is the capital of Vietnam: Hanoi
837) Which public sector organization is celebrating 55
years of its service: Doordarshan
838) First experimental centre of Doordarshan was
established at which place: Delhi
839) Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold championship is
for which sports: Badminton
840) The Indonesian Masters Grand Prix Gold
championship – 2014 was held at which place:
Palembang, Indonesia
841) Name the winner of the Indonesian Masters Grand
Prix Gold championship – 2014: S Prannoy, India
842) FILA Senior World Wrestling Championship held
in_________, Uzbekistan: Tashkent
843) Name the eminent scientist who has been named to
head an expert panel to recommend best

95. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 94
technologies for the "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan”: R A
Mashelkar
844) Which country is helping India to set up 10 centres
of excellence to raise agriculture output and
introduce modern farm technologies: Netherlands
845) Indian Highways Management Company Limited
(IHMCL) has inked a pact with ___________ for
services related to electronic toll collection: Axis
Bank and ICICI Bank
846) Which committee recommended idea of universal
bank accounts that is bank account for every
individual: Nachiket Mor
847) Name the China’s President who recently visited
India: Xi Jinping
848) On which railway corridor China has assured
technological support for achieving speed of 160
kmph: Chennai – Bangalore – Mysore
849) Which Chinese city has signed a “sister city”
agreement with Ahmedabad: Guangzhou
850) China has agreed to opening of a new route to
Kailash Mansarovar via _________ in Sikkim: Nathu
La
851) Which type of power projects are categorized as
Ultra Megha Power Project: Which generate more
than 4000 MW or above electricity
852) Guangdong province of China has agreed to become
partner in cultural and social ties with which State of
India: Gujarat
853) What is the name of currency of China: Renminbi
(Yuan)
854) _______ is the capital of China: Beijing
855) The world’s highest and toughest marathon held at
3,524 meter (11,562 feet) altitude is held at which
place: Leh, J & K
856) Who has been appointed as the new Chairperson of
the National Commission for Women: Lalitha
Kumaramangalam
857) Who has been appointed Chairman, Quality Council
of India: Adil Zainulbhai
858) Manoj Kumar a 2010 CWG boxing gold-medalist was
in news for what reasons: He has been given
Arjun Award on Delhi High Court orders
859) 51st Shooting World Championship was held at
which place: Granada, Spain
860) 20th Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships was
held at_______ : Mumbai
861) A joint 14 days military exercise between the armed
forces of America and India was held at which place:
Ranikhet in Almora district of Uttrakhand
862) What is the name given to the Joint Army Exercise
between armed forces of American and India being
held at Ranikhet, Uttarakhand: Exercise Yudh
Abhyas 2014
863) Govt. has launched India Newborn Action Plan for
what purpose: To achieve the single digit
neonatal mortality and stillbirth rate by 2030
864) The 45th IFFI will be held from 20 to 30 November,
20 14 at which place: Goa
865) IFFI stands for: International Film Festival of
India
866) Which city has been declared as the permanent
venue for the International Film Festival of India
(IFFI): Goa
867) Who has been appointed as new ambassador of
China in India: Le Yucheng
868) Name the Indo-American appointed by USA as its
next ambassador to India: Richard Rahul Verma
869) And then One Day: A Memoir is the autobiography
of which noted film artist: Naseeruddin Shah
870) The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 was won by
which country: USA
871) The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 was held at
which place: Madrid, Spain
872) The Supreme Court has directed Central
Government to ensure ______ percent quota for
disabled persons in all government jobs, including
IAS and promotions: Three
873) Players of which sports have recently been allowed
to wear religious head coverings, such as hijabs or
turbans by Sikhs, on a trial basis: Basketball
874) Sportspersons of which game have now been
allowed to participate in Asian Games under Indian
flag: Boxing
875) The Asian games been held in Incheon, South Korea
are which number in series: 17th
876) Name the sports person who was the flag bearer of
the Indian contingent in the Asian Games: Sardara
Singh
877) Who is Sardara Singh, the flag bearer of the Indian
contingent in the Asian Games: Captain of Indian
Hockey Team
878) Mandolin U. Shrinivas, eminent Carnatic music
exponent from Andhra Pradesh who passed away
recently was famous for what reasons: His expert
use of mandolin, a western instrument, in
Carnatic music
879) Name the international NGO that has agreed to
promote user friendly toilets to improve sanitation
system in India under Swachchh Bharat Mission: Bill
and Milinda Gates Foundation
880) All India Radio has started free SMS service to
provide news in how many languages: Five
881) Recognising the importance of Prime Minister Modi’s
visit to USA, the US Senate has designated
September 30 as ________ day: US-India
Partnership Day
882) Which country voted in a referendum to continue
with UK: Scotland
883) The United Kingdom is a union of how many
countries: Four
884) Which are the four countries comprising the United
Kingdom: England, Scotland, North Ireland and
Wales
885) Alok Shetty the 28 year old has been named ‘Young
Leader of Tomorrow’ by Time magazine for his
pioneering work in designing affordable flood-proof

96. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 95
houses for slum dwellers. He is from which field:
Architecture
886) Name the India’s pistol-shooter who won India's first
gold in the 50m event at Asian Games: Jitu Rai
887) Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and
China Development Bank Corporation have signed
agreements with which Indian banks to facilitate
trade between the two countries: SBI, ICICI Bank
and Axis Bank
888) Name the bank which accounted for half of the total
number of banking transactions done through
mobile phone in June,2014: State Bank of India
889) Who is Jack Ma, whose company recently created
the world record for largest IPO, amassing around
$25 billion from the investors: Chinese founder
and promoter of world’s largest online
shopping portal – Alibaba
890) John Key has been elected as new Prime Minister of
which country: New Zealand
891) Name the World Chess Championship recently won
by Viswanathan Anand: Bilbao Chess Masters
892) Bilbao Chess Masters Finals were held at which
place: Bilbao, Spain
893) Summer Youth Olympic Games 2014 were held at
which place: Nanjing, China
894) Ashraf Ghani has been appointed new President of
which country: Afghanistan
895) Sania Mirza recently won the women’s double title in
which championship at Tokyo, Japan: WTA Toray
Pacific Open
896) U N summit on climate change was held at which
place: New York, USA
897) India’s first National Academy of Athletics has been
established at which place: Kariavattom near
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
898) Apart from India, how many other international
space agencies have been successful in sending a
spacecraft Mars: Three
899) Which Indian film has been selected as India’s entry
for the Oscar Awards in the foreign film category:
Liar’s Dice
900) RBI has formed G Gopalakrishna Committee to give
recommendations on which matter: Capacity
building in banks and streamlining training
intervention
901) __________ appointed as the head coach of the Sri
Lankan cricket team: Marvan Atapattu
902) Which city shall be hosting ICC World Cricket League
Division 3: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
903) Noted Hindi novelist Govind Mishra has been
honoured with which prize: Saraswati Samman
904) What is the title of the book by Govind Mishra for
which he has been awarded Sarswati Samman:
Dhool Paudhon Par
905) Which international Chinese tennis star has
announced her retirement from the sports: Li Na
906) Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana has been launched
for what purpose: To impart skills to rural and
urban poor
907) What is the new name for Aajeevika Skills
Programme aimed at providing skill development to
Rural Youth: Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gramin
Kaushalya Yojana
908) Under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gramin Kaushalya
Yojana the minimum entry age for imparting skill to
rural youth has been reduced from 18 years to
______: 15 Years
909) What is the aim of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gramin
Kaushalya Yojana: To train 10 lacs rural youth
by the end of 12th
Five Year Plan (2012-2017)
910) What is the objective of recently launched “Deen
Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana”: For
skill development of rural youth
911) India’s first National Sports University is going to be
setup in which State: Manipur
912) Name the surface to surface missile recently tested
by Pakistan: Hatf IX
913) _______ and _______ has been named as SAARC
cultural capital for a year beginning April 2015 and
2016-17 respectively: Bamiyan and Dhaka
914) The year _________ has been declared as the
SAARC Year of Cultural Heritage: 2016-17
915) Which country has decided to sell cigarettes in plain
packets to discourage smoking: France
916) Name the industrialist who is the 2nd
richest
billionaire of India: Dilip Shanghvi
917) Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has raised the outlook on
India’s sovereign rating from negative to
_________: Stable
918) Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards are given for
excellence in which field: Science & Technology
919) Name the programme launched by Govt. of India for
making India as future manufacturing hub: Make in
India
920) How many thrust sectors have been identified under
the Make in India campaign: 25
921) The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the
_____ session of United Nations General Assembly
in New York: 69th
922) The six major world powers held the 7th
round of
nuclear talks with which countries: Iran
923) Which state capital has recently started the work on
having a metro rail service: Lucknow
924) Name the State that has recently been put under
presidents rule: Maharashtra
925) Mount Ontake that erupted suddenly, killing over 36
persons is located in which country: Japan
926) In which two events, Indian men’s team won the
gold medal in Asiad 2014: Archery and Squash
927) Name the Indian wrestler who ended a 28-year
drought for gold in wrestling by winning gold at
Asiad 2014: Yogeshwar Dutt
928) _________ won the country’s first-ever silver in the
women’s 20 kms race walk in Asiad: Khushbir
Kaur

97. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 96
929) Saurav Ghoshal won silver in individual _______
event at Asiad 2014: Squash
930) Who has been named as the new Chief Minister of
Tamil Nadu: O Panneerselvam
931) Name the American venue where Prime Minister
Modi addressed a gathering of over 18,000 persons:
Madison Square Garden, New York
932) _________ is the West Asia’s largest consumer IT
and electronics retail show: GITEX Shopper,
Dubai
933) The Prime Minister has assured merger of schemes
for PIOs and OICs. What is the full form of PIOs and
OICs: Persons of Indian Origin, Overseas
Indian Citizens
934) Global Competiveness report is published by which
organization: World Economic Forum
(Switzerland)
935) Global Gender Gap Report is published by which
organization: World Economic Forum
(Switzerland)
936) Which committee has recommended Vijayawada as
capital of Andhra Pradesh: The Sivaramakrishnan
Committee
937) Name the programme launched by Indian Army to
rescue thousands of maroon persons in floods of
Jammu & Kashmir: Operation Megh Rahat
938) In which country the city of Bamiyan is located:
Afghanistan
939) For what reasons is Bamiyan an important city: It
had world’s tallest Buddha Statue which were
destroyed by Taliban in 2001.
940) In which city is the Headquarter of United Nations
situated: New York
941) Who is the President of United Nations General
Assembly: John William Ashe of Antigua and
Barbuda
942) Which day has been declared by US Senate to be
designated as US-India partnership day:
September 30
943) Sarasawati Samman is promoted by which
foundation: K.K. Birla Foundation
944) What is the award amount for the winners of
Saraswati Samman: Rs. 10 lacs
945) What is the prize money for the winners of Shanti
Swarup Bhatnagar Award: Rs. 5 lakh, a citation
and a plaque
AUGUST – 2014
946) John Kerry who visited India recently is the Foreign
Minister of which country: USA
947) Foreign Minister of USA is officially designated as
___________ in USA: Secretary of State
948) Name the village near Pune, Maharashtra that was
almost swept away in a massive mud slide: Malin
Village
949) Name the famous Eminent Hindi litterateur and
novelist from Bihar who passed away recently:
Madhukar Singh
950) Name the exploration rover of NASA that created a
record of travelling maximum distance on Mars:
Opportunity
951) Govt has launched a nationwide scheme by the
name _____________to promote conservation and
development of indigenous breeds of cows in a
focused and scientific manner: Rashtriya Gokul
Mission
952) Name the German player who created a world
record of fastest serve in the women’s tennis by
serving at 131 miles per hour: Sabine Lisicki
953) Recently the Nagoya Protocol was ratified by 51
countries. What is the objective of this protocol:
Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits of
genetic resources
954) What is the total number of total medals won by the
India in 20th
Commonwealth Games: 64
955) India won 64 medals at the Commonwealth Games
2014. Of this how many were gold medals: 15
956) Name the country that won highest number of
medals at the Commonwealth Games 2014:
England
957) England top the Commonwealth Games by capturing
__________ medals: 174
958) Parupalli Kashyap became the first Indian male
player in 32 years to win a gold medal in the
Commonwealth Games in which sports: Badminton
959) Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal won the doubles
gold medal in Commonwealth Games in which
game: Squash
960) Name the Canadian gymnast who was awarded the
David Dixon Award for the best athlete of the
Games: Frankie Jones
961) To whom David Dixon award is awarded: An
outstanding Athlete of Common Wealth Game
962) In which year was this award instituted: 2002
Common Wealth Games in Manchester in
honour of David Dixon Secretary of Common
Wealth Games for 17 years
963) K.V. Chowdary has been appointed chairman of
which important central govt. office: Central Board
of Direct Taxes
964) Country’s first multi-sensor moored observatory
IndARC was successfully deployed in Kongsfjorden
Fjord in which region of the world: Arctic Region
965) 22nd
Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna Award has been
awarded to which personality: Muzaffar Ali
966) Muzaffar Ali, winner of 22nd
Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavna
Award is a prominent person from which field:
Cinema, Film maker
967) The deadly EBOLA virus has claimed hundreds of
lives in Africa. What is the full form of EBOLA: No
full form, it is the name of virus
968) Name African region where Liberia, Guinea and Siera
Leone countries have been attacked by Ebola virus:
West Africa
969) In which country, the Ebola virus was first

98. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 97
discovered nearly four decades ago: Congo
970) The book “The Boys in the boat” has been written
by which author: Daniel James Brown
971) What is the name of the Latest novel written by
Chetan Bhagat: Half Girlfriend
972) Modi suggested “HIT” formula for Nepal’s
development. Expand the acronym HIT: Highways,
I-ways and Transways
973) India to construct a pipeline for supply of _______
from Raxual in Bihar to Amlekhganj in Nepal:
Petroleum products
974) Name the recently appointed new Deputy Governor
of the RBI: S S Mundra
975) S S Mundra, has been appointed Deputy Governor of
RBI for _________ years: Three
976) Name the agreement that was objected to by India
at the recent WTO meet: Trade Facilitation
Agreement
977) In which State of India, world highest pillar railway
bridge is being constructed: Manipur
978) “Pinkathon Delhi 2014” - a run for cause was
organised in Delhi with the slogan "Each One,
Kheench One" urging all men to encourage at least
one special woman in their life to run for a good
cause. What was this cause: Spreading
awareness about breast cancer
979) RBI has reduced the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) of
scheduled commercial banks by 50 basis points.
What is the present rate of SLR: 22%
980) Reduction of SLR by 50 basis points is expected to
release Rs. _________ crore of Banks funds:
40,000
981) Name the number one ranking golfer of the world
who won the elite World Golf Championships held at
Akron, USA: Rory Mcllroy
982) World’s No. 1 golfer Rory Mcllroy is from which
country: Ireland
983) Longtoushan, a town in Ludian county of Yunnan
province of China was in news for what reasons: It
was hit by a severe earthquake
984) Name the eminent Indian cartoonist famous for his
popular comic characters, who passed away: Pran
Kumar Sharma
985) Name the popular comic characters created by late
cartoonist Pran: Chacha Chaudury and Sabu
986) Which Indian bank won the Core Banking System
Imitative Award 2014 at Singapore: Bharatiya
Mahila Bank Ltd.
987) Governor of which Indian State was recently sacked
by the President for her alleged irregularities:
Mizoram
988) As per recent estimates from RBI, the projected GDP
growth rate for year 2014-15, is around _________
per cent: 5.5
989) The Union Cabinet has cleared a historic, all new
juvenile justice law under which _________year olds
who commit heinous offences such as rapes and
robberies can be tried as adults: 16 to 18
990) Govt. has allowed __________ per cent FDI in
defence sector: 49%
991) Nikhil Chandwani who recently won the “Author of
the year” award in USA is also known for his works
in which other fields: Documentary Films
992) Name the US Defence Secretary who visited India
recently: Chuck Hagel
993) What is the name of the recently released
controversial book by Natwar Singh: One Life is
not Enough
994) The World Kabaddi League started in _________ on
August 9: London
995) What is the objective of the proposed Bharat Bill
Payment System: Centralised payment of
various types of bills
996) 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN)
Foreign Ministers meeting held at which place: Nay
Pyi Taw, Myanmar
997) The Reserve Bank has approved the transfer of
surplus (profit) amounting to Rs 526.79 billion for
the year ended June 30, 2014 to__________.
Government of India
998) Name the space ship that created a world record of
travelling longest ever distance of 6.4 billion kms
since its launch in March 2004: Rosetta
999) The space ship Rosetta that created world record for
longest distance covered was launched by which
space agency: European Space Agency
1000) What is the brand name of the new joint venture
airline of the Tata Sons-Singapore Airlines: Vistara
1001) UAE has become the first gulf country to install
reverse vending machines. What is the purpose of
these machines: To collect domestic light bulbs
and batteries for recycling
1002) Haider Al-Abadi has been named as Prime Minister
of which country: Iraq
1003) Who has been elected as Deputy Speaker of Lok
Sabha: M. Thambidurai
1004) The recent Archery World Cup was held at Wroclaw.
It is in which country: Poland
1005) Indian women’s archery team led by ___________
won the gold medal in recurve category: Deepika
Kumari `
1006) Robin Williams who recently died of suspected
suicide was a famous __________ of USA: Comedy
Actor
1007) For which State government announced Central
assistance of Rs. 8,000 crore for four major road
projects connecting it with rest of the country:
Jammu & Kashmir
1008) What is the name of the new bill passed by the
Parliament to scrap the collegium system of
appointing Supreme Court and high court judges:
National Judicial Appointments Commission
Bill, 2014
1009) To give national judicial appointments commission a
constitutional status, __________ Constitution
Amendment Bill was passed: 99th

99. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 98
1010) Which award is popularly known as Nobel Prize of
Mathematics: Fields Medal
1011) Name the Indian Mathematician who won the recent
Filed Medal: Manjul Bhargava
1012) Name the first women to win the Fields Medal award
in Mathematics: Maryam Mizakhani (Iran)
1013) Govt has approved the constitution of the
Expenditure Management Commission to be headed
by which person: Bimal Jalan
1014) What is the purpose of setting up Expenditure
Management Commission: To suggest ways to
reduce subsidies on food, fertilizer and oil
1015) Name the army officer who was decorated with
Ashok Chakra – the highest peace time gallantry
award of the country: Major Mukund Vardarajan
1016) What is the name of the award for the best film at
the famous Locarno International Film Festival:
PARDO d’ORO (Golden Leopard)
1017) The famous Locarno International Film Festival is
held in which country: Switzerland
1018) Who is the new Chairperson Union Public Service
Commission: Rajni Razdan
1019) What is the formal name of the scheme launched to
provide a bank account to every Indian: Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna
1020) Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, every new
bank account opener will also get Accidental life
insurance cover of __________ lakh rupees: One
1021) As per new RBI guidelines, banks are required to
provide their savings bank account holders with at
least ________free transactions per month at their
own ATMs.: Five
1022) The number of free transactions on ATMs set up by
other banks had been reduced to_________, from
five earlier, in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata,
Bengaluru and Hyderabad: Three
1023) Name the JD(U) leader who has been selected for
Outstanding Parliamentarian Award 2012: Sharad
Yadav
1024) Recently, a large number of countries around the
world organized various functions to commemorate
100 years of which major international event:
World War 1
1025) World War I, also called The Great War, took place
in and around Europe from July ______to November
_________: 1914, 1918
1026) Which place of Nepal was in news as a massive land
slide near Mankha on 2 August 2014 blocked the
Sunkoshi River and caused maasive damage to local
settlements, claiming at least 156 lives:
Sindhupalchok
1027) Which country recently unveiled its next generation
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Dongfeng –
41 (DF-41): China
1028) In which Indian State started the The 20-day Nanda
Devi Raj Jat yatra also called the ‘Himalayan
Kumbh,’: Uttarakhand
1029) BKS Iyengar, 96 year old Padmavibhushan Awardee
who passed away recently was a world famous Guru
in which field: Yoga
1030) A Hindu temple - Shree Swaminarayan Mandir,
claimed to be the world's first 'eco-temple' featuring
solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system, has
been opened in which place: London, UK
1031) Among Northeastern States, ________ has been the
first choice of foreign tourist in 2013: Sikkim
1032) Name the human rights activist and former journalist
of Imphal who has been protesting against AFSPA
since November 2000: Irom Sharmila Chanu
1033) What is the full form of AFSPA: Armed Forces
Special Powers Act
1034) General Prayuth Chan-ocha has been proclaimed as
Prime Minister of which country: Thailand
1035) Which neighbouring country of India has decided to
join the newly form BRICS bank: Bangladesh
1036) Who has been appointed as the chairman of the
Public Accounts Committee of Parliament: K. V.
Thomas
1037) Name the CMD of Indian Bank who has been elected
as Chairman of the Indian Banks Association for
2014-15: T M BHASIN
1038) Youth Olympic games 2014 were held at which
place: Nanjing, China
1039) Name the Jnanpith awardee and renowned novelist
and story writer, who passed away recently: U R
Ananthamurthy
1040) U R Ananthamurthy was renowned novelist and
story writer of which language: Kannada
1041) Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister
recently visited which country to promote country’s
Look East Policy: Vietnam
1042) Governor of which State recently quite his office to
protest his transfer to Mizoram: Maharashtra
1043) Which sprint superstar set a new best time record of
9.98 second for the rarely run 100 meter indoors
race: : Usain Bolt
1044) The sprint superstar Usain Bolt is from which
country: Jamaica
1045) Which online shopping portal has signed a MoU with
Union Textile Ministry to provide online marketing
platform to handloom weavers all over India:
Flipkart
1046) Noted film maker and actor Richard Attenborough
who passed away recently, hailed from which
country: Britain
1047) Name the super hit biopic, winner of 8 Oscars,
directed by Richard Attenborough: Gandhi
1048) Which animal has been selected as mascot for the
forthcoming Asian Games: Harbor Seals
1049) The forthcoming Asian Games are which number in
series: 17th
1050) Name the city that is hosting the 17th
Asian Games:
Incheon
1051) Incheon city is located in which country: South
Korea

100. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 99
1052) BJP veteran Kalyan Singh has been appointed
Governor of which State: Rajasthan
1053) Who has been appointed as the new governor of
Maharashtra: C Vidyasagar Rao
1054) Vajubhai Vala, a senior BJP leader from Gujarat has
been made Governor of which State: Karnataka
1055) Deputy Prime Minister of which country recently
visited India to promote mutual economic and social
ties: United Kingdom
1056) Name the Deputy Prime Minister of UK who recently
visited India: Nick Clegg
1057) Who is the Prime Minister of United Kingdom: David
Cameron
1058) What is the official name of the currency of United
Kingdom: UK Pound
1059) With which country India conducted its first ever
joint Air Force exercise: Russia
1060) What is the name of the joint Air Force exercise
conducted with Russia: Avia Indra-2014
1061) Avia Indra-2014 is being conducted in ________
region located North of the Caspian Sea: Astrakhan
1062) Of the total 943 million telephone users of India,
roughly _____ per cent are from urban area: 60%
1063) On which route India’s first sea plane service has
been launched: Mumbai-Lonavala
1064) What is the title of the recent book launched by
Vinod Rai, former CAG of India: Not Just An
Accountant
1065) Ahmet Davutoglu has been appointed Prime Minister
of which country: Turkey
1066) India’s first Indian Institute of Engineering Science
and Technology (IIEST) has been established at
which place: Shibpur, West Bengal
1067) Which international organization has called for a ban
on the use of e-cigarettes indoors and its sale to
children: World Health Organization
1068) BWF World Badminton Championship was held in
which country: Denmark (Copenhagen)
1069) Indian domain names now can make their names
with extension _______ in Devnagri Script: .Bharat
1070) The 2018 Commonwealth Games will be hosted by
which country: Australia
1071) V K Duggal recently resigned as Governor of which
State: Manipur
1072) Which international organization has appointed Shah
Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador for it project
“Turn Back Crime”: Interpol
1073) Govt. has setup R. Ramanujam Committee for what
purpose: To identify obsolete laws
1074) The popular “Ice Bucket Challenge” is aimed at
collected charity to fight which decease:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
1075) Under Pradhanmantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the account
holders will also be provided Rs. _________
accidental cover insurance: One lac
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101. GENERAL AWARENESS – MARCH 2015 100
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