Questions from the prelims of the Pearl Farewell Quiz 2016 conducted on 18th March at BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus.

2. Q : The BPHC Quiz Fest
Pearl 2016
The Farewell Quiz
Prelims

3. Content and Presentation
Sameer Dharur
Ranganathan Ramkumar

4. Acknowledgements
Suraj Menon.
The Hashmi Brothers.
Raghav Pandey.
Rama Subramanian.

5.  40 questions.
 Top 8 teams to make the finals.
 For questions with two parts, each part carries half a point.
 Questions 15-26 are starred and will be used to break ties.
 No negatives. Feel free to take guesses for every question.
 Malpractice is too much effort. Don’t bother trying.
The Deal

6. Scores
Top score – 32.5
Cutoff – 22.5

7. 1.
The following temple has been thronged by several people from its state
since the turn of the millennium, especially youngsters, and has acquired
a unique reputation of ensuring a common wish among people of this
age – that has seen some controversy and bad news for Indians following
a recent announcement.
i. Where would you find this temple?
ii. What does it supposedly guarantee?

9. 2.
This video was released earlier this year by the Jamaican Health Ministry.
What is the subject of this video?

11. 3.
The following are a few images from the tourist attraction Boulevard
Henri IV, popular since 1899 because of the deposition of these stones –
which are objects of national heritage and the only remnants of a famous
location, sourced while constructing the city’s metro lines.
Using the following video as a clue, what famous location is being
referred to?

15. 4.
Following studies at the National Institute of Health Research in Birmingham
last year on this grave and sensitive matter, it was decided that the immediate
official response to these incidents would henceforth be to halt proceedings
and ask questions such as – “What venue are we at today? Which session are
we in? Who is in action at the moment? Whom were you up against last week,
and how did you perform?”
The effort was initiated as a necessary safeguarding mechanism, in the light of
the increasing number of fatalities in the ‘field’, the most prominent being one
in December 2014.
What are these questions intended for? OR What are they in response to?

16. 5.
Aishwarya Parashar, a class six student from Lucknow, made national news in 2012
for posting an RTI query that stumped the Prime Minister’s Office. Aroused with
curiosity by contents from her Social Studies textbook, the query – which was
subsequently redirected in vain to the National Archives of India – sought an
official copy of a Government Order to validate a long held honorific.
History suggests that this came into being courtesy Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose’s address on the Singapore Radio on July 6, 1944 and subsequently carried
on by Sarojini Naidu on 28 April, 1947 at a conference featuring key dignitaries
after which it gained widespread popularity.
What did this RTI query seek proof for?

17. 6.
One of the USA’s most enduring mysteries is the legend of the Georgia
Guidestones, a six-piece granite monument perched atop a hill in the
town of Elberton in Georgia, that supposedly contains post-apocalyptic
messages for the world.
Recently, a few locals are reported to have observed occult or sacrificial
rituals and even picked up traces of blood on the stones – which instantly
made commentators draw parallels with another prehistoric monument
across the Atlantic that was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1986.
What was this place compared to?

20. 7.
In Feb 2016, The Newshour featured a debate on nationalism where
Sambit Patra, a BJP spokesperson committed a gaffe of enormous
proportions.
Looking to score a point over his opponents, he held up his tablet on live
television and showed the audience a photo he described as “Indian
jawans, Indian soldiers dying, but holding up the tricolour, at the border”
Twitterati were quick to pounce and revealed this to be a photo shopped
image of a much more famous photograph. The original photo,
incidentally also features an Indian, but probably not the type Patra meant.
What’s the original photo?

21. 8.
DaCunha Communications is a marketing agency based out of Colaba,
Mumbai that has held a special contract since 1966.
Hired to revive a fledgling business that could once only dish out drab
taglines, the effort was started off by art director Eustace Fernandes with his
polka dot creation and is survived to this date by the company’s owner
Rahul DaCunha, copywriter Manish Jhaveri and artist Jayant Rane who’ve all
become prominent names in the industry owing to this project alone which
was singularly responsible for eliminating competition from the formidable
Polson family in the 60s, and making it the renowned entity it is today.
How do we better know this 50 year old project?

22. 9.
L-Space, short for Library-Space, is a concept derived from Terry Pratchett’s
Discworld series of comic fantasy books that glorifies the importance of libraries
all around the universe and declares that Knowledge is Power. It is accessible
through libraries containing large quantities of books using innate powers of
librarianship taught only to those deemed worthy of it. Owing to its sheer size
and expanse, those venturing into it may not necessarily realize that they’ve
arrived.
Where would you have seen an inspiration of this setting, that served as an
advanced means of communication?

23. 10.
The following images depict a stringed instrument first known for its use in
Greek classical antiquity. It resembles a harp in many ways, but with minor
differences.
While the extent of its usage may have declined over the years, it survives to
this day in the form of a word contributed to the English language that is –
much like the instrument itself – associated with something that carries the
form and the musical quality of a song.
What is the word? OR What is the instrument?

26. 11.
Often seen in the world of sports, the following type of graph in the field
of statistics is a scatter plot, typically used to display data with a large
number of data-points having non-zero amplitude and wide range of
values.
It gets its colloquial name from its resemblance to a real world place that
is marked by certain distinctive zeniths that tower above a range of lower
counterparts.
What is such a graph called?

29. 12.
The origins of the Koch Brothers, widely regarded as the most powerful non-
political people in the USA, are rooted in contentious pacts.
Their father, Fred Koch, had invented an improved process for refining crude oil
into gasoline. This would be of great use to a country that had just liberated itself
from a revolution that causes chronological confusion to historians. Resisting
ideological inhibitions, Koch signed a huge deal with the newly elected leader.
Next, he turned to another leader who had busy expansion plans to turn his
capital city into an engineering marvel, besides requiring high-octane gasoline for
fighter jets. Koch went on to lavish heavy praise on this country in comparison to
the disdain he had for FDR’s sluggish New Deal – only to regret it later.
Which two leaders?

30. 13.
The following video contains the opening credits of Kings Row, a 1942
Warner Brothers film.
The music of the opening credits scored by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
became so popular it inspired the creation of another iconic theme 3
decades later. Besides, this music was also used at the 40th edition of a
famous recurring ceremony in 1981, that happened on the West Front of
one of USA’s most iconic buildings for the first time and revolved around
the film’s leading protagonist.
i. What was this other theme it inspired?
ii. What recurring ceremony? OR Who was this protagonist?

32. 14.
The SS Eastland was a ship used for tours on the Great Lakes near Chicago. In
1915, the ship rolled over while tied to a dock in Chicago River. This disaster led
to the loss of close to 800 lives. While initially the sinking was blamed on
passengers rushing the top deck, investigators later ruled that the actual cause
was an increase in weight due to the addition of a certain something to the ship.
Ironically, the addition of this item(s) was a direct consequence of a similar
tragedy a few years prior to the Eastland tragedy.
What event? OR What was brought on the Eastland that made it sink?

33. 15.*
Daniel Richter – now a renowned mime artist – spent much of his time in the
1960s as a small time street mime in London, where he was approached for a
high profile project by a famous visitor who wanted his work to be free of the
Hollywood clichés of animal depiction.
Richter spent hours in the London Zoo everyday to meet the expectations
required of him in this project, as an actor as well as a choreographer.
i. Who was this famous visitor?
ii. Using the following recent tribute as a clue, what was this project?

35. 16.*
One of the worst victims of climate change, this city sinks an average of 3
inches – some areas on the coast even as much as 11 inches – every year,
with about 40% of the city already below sea level.
In an attempt to halt this damage, the authorities have decided to build a
gigantic wall off the city’s coast with 17 artificial islands which will have
luxury homes, offices and shopping malls. Though expensive, this is
expected to be cheaper than the cost of flooding. When completed, the
whole structure is expected to resemble the country’s national symbol of
mythical origins.
i. Which capital city is this?
ii. What is the intended symbolic resemblance?

37. 17.*
The Institute of Digital Archaeology plans to soon erect these full size replicas of a
UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Trafalgar Square in London and in New York
using the world’s largest 3D printer.
The move is intended to be an act of defiance, and bring to light the dangerous
times faced by the region where this structure was the centre of religious life
since time immemorial.
i. What structure are these replicas of?
ii. Why did the structure make news last year? OR Why are the replicas being
erected?

40. 18.*
In January 1991, US President George HW Bush announced a controversial
military operation into Kuwait with the intention of driving out the Iraqi forces in
the country. With more than 900,000 troops and casualties running in tens of
thousands, they were successfully able to effect a cease-fire and swiftly cleansed
the country of its Iraqi invaders.
This operation shares its name with a set of back-to-back famous events from a
completely different field that occurred in April 1998 on a city across the Persian
Gulf, and were named so partly due to a meteorological phenomenon that had
briefly disrupted proceedings.
Using the images of the operation as a clue, what two-word name do these
incidents share?

44. 19.*
During the years of the Napoleonic Wars, the larger armies of the period
required increased and sustained supplies of quality food – a rarity back
in the time. The French government then decided to offer a hefty reward
of 12,000 francs to anybody who could help solve this problem.
The efforts of a certain Nicolas Appert in 1809 then developed a solution
that would eventually spawn a worldwide industry which reported a 11%
rise in sales in the US during 2009’s recession period.
How did he tackle the problem?

45. 20.*
The following image from the US Presidential campaign trail in a sports
center in New Hampshire in February stirred up some interest.
Owing to the location and the visual similarity of a chorus of raised arms
directed at a central and elevated figure, observers likened it to be the
modern version of a famous unfinished work that depicted the advent of
a different kind of an uprising more than two centuries ago.
What was it compared to?

47. 21.*
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri visited Mumbai last
year to launch his book on relations between the two countries.
At the launch, he made a revelation about a certain locally dwelling cultural
icon who made visits on secret missions twice for the Indian government –
once during the Zia Ul Haq regime and another more recently during the
Musharraf regime.
Whom was he talking about, a man whose roots coupled with his immense
popularity on both sides of the border, made him a natural choice?

48. 22.*
The two people featured in these videos are – an artist whose 2009 release
featuring the place shot him to limelight and a sportsman who chose to
conclude the 2011 season with this feat.
What place? Who are the two people?

50. 23.*
On the 16th of December last year, as part of a 242 year commemorative
ceremony, members of the Old South Association in Massachusetts – an
organization that was primarily responsible for the original occurrence –
converged on the harbor to carry it out and were, for the first time, aided
by 200 pounds of a specific product shipped from an appropriate source
across the Atlantic Ocean.
What was the ceremony all about? Who shipped this product?

51. 24.*
The following painting – in the custody of USA’s National Parks Service –
has recently been picked up for restoration, as it is the only remnant of a
fateful night in the country’s history.
Painter Carl Bersch, a German immigrant in DC in the 1860s, recalls –
“The tarrying at the curb and the slow, careful manner in which he was
carried across the street, gave me ample time to make an accurate sketch
of that particular scene. Altogether it was the most tragic and impressive
scene I have ever witnessed.”
What event was the painting trying to capture?

53. 25.*
In 1966, authorities announced plans to build this famous statue in Central
Park, New York.
“Just like how Lady Liberty held the torch, we shall have her hold – what else –
an umbrella. And a carpetbag in the other hand, of course.” A certain Miss
Travers was even asked to pose for the statue – on tiptoe, to get the ‘balance’
right.
Reactions to the statue were bad with many people complaining that the face
looked just like a certain actress who had portrayed her in the movie version.
After further deliberation, plans to build this statue were shelved permanently.
Who was the subject of this statue? Who was the actress in question?

54. 26.*
__ ____ was an evil character introduced by British author Sax Rohmer in
the early 20th century in a series of novels. Over the years, he has become
an archetype of the evil criminal genius and has featured extensively in
cinema, literature, music while also lending his name to a type of
moustache.
Although this character has come under fire in recent years for the
supposedly racist portrayal of the East, characters based on Rohmer’s
initial depiction are still commonly found in popular culture.
Which character, whose name you could easily mistake for an item on a
Chinese takeout menu?

55. 27.
During Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s maiden visit to the USA last week,
President Obama joked about some differences between the two
countries that are unlikely to ever be resolved.
In doing so, he referred to an annual tradition between the nations that
has existed since 1892, and whose trophy is passed around every year
with the addition of a new band to indicate the latest winner. He also
added that it currently resided at his place of origin.
What event was he referring to? How is it at his place of origin?

56. 28.
Earlier this year, anticipating a rise in interest for this particular item, The South
Dakota Cultural Heritage Centre brought this item out of its archives and put it up
for display.
As predicted, there was an increase in footfall around January this year. The item
in question, features a letter addressed to the parents of a certain John Gardner
to inform them of their son’s death.
Who was the writer of the letter? OR Why did the public take a sudden interest in
this man?

58. 29.
Raj Rajaratnam is a Sri Lankan-American hedge fund manager who
founded a certain hedge fund that is now closed after its founder was
convicted of insider trading in 2009. At the time, the prosecuting
authorities claimed that this was the largest insider trading case ever – in
terms of profits for the defendants.
Raj’s group was named for a trading vessel that was used by European
countries in the 16th-18th centuries and also features as a word used by JK
Rowling in the Harry Potter series to denote a unit of – aptly – currency.
What was the name of the hedge fund?

60. 30.
The latest book of a former chess champion considered to be one of the
greatest of all times is titled: ______ __ ______: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies
of the Free World Must Be Stopped.
The title of the book is a direct reference to a certain hit TV show and is
especially fitting given the harsh weather conditions in the author’s homeland.
On this show this phrase is used to denote the ‘arrival of bad times’.
Using the following image as a clue, who is this person? What is the title of the
book?

62. 31.
The first version of this video game came out in 1994 and was backed by a well
known American sporting personality. Featuring this man as the titular
character, this game was lampooned for its childish plot and is considered to be
one of the worst games of all time.
In 2014, plans for a sequel were revealed and a crowdfunding page was started
on Indiegogo.
Using the following trailer for the game as a clue, who is the personality behind
this game?

64. 32.
Lebrensraum is a German ideology that was followed by the Nazi Party. It
advocated settling new lands to meet the agricultural demands of the growing
German population.
In practice, Hitler would send his tanks into neighbouring states without
warning. Many of the smaller governors would not fight back, fearing the
might of the German Army and would let the invading Germans take over a
portion of their crop yielding lands.
When Indian newspapers heard about Hitler’s move, what Vedic ritual did they
compare it to?

65. 33.
Sudder Street is a street in Kolkata that is now famous for its cheap hotels
targeted at foreign tourists and illegal drug trades. However it wasn’t always
such a wretched hive of scum and villainy.
10, Sudder Street was once the residence of Jyotindranath Tagore, the elder
brother of Rabindranath Tagore. In an attempt to revive local interest in
Rabindranath Tagore and his works, a businessman T.S. Walia has opened a
museum on this road to commemorate his achievements.
The entrance to the museum reads, “I read Rabindranath every day, to read one
line of his is to forget all the troubles of the world”
Which Irish poet and Nobel laureate, who contributed to the foreword of
Gitanjali is this quote attributed to?

66. 34.
The Hunting Ground is a 2015 documentary about a certain issue that has
raised a lot of debate in the US over the last few years. The documentary
was brought into public consciousness in late Feb this year due to a certain
performance.
During this performance, many of the people affected by this issue marched
onto the stage and demonstrated their resilience and fortitude in a very
visible manner.
What is The Hunting Ground about? Which performance brought it into the
limelight?

68. 35.
Thomas Graham is a 19th century Scottish chemist famous for his work on
dialysis and diffusion of gases. He came up with Graham’s law, a mathematical
equation relating the rate of effusion of gases with their molecular mass.
His work on colloids also helped him give a thorough scientific treatment to a
certain natural phenomenon. He analysed the flow of solar winds and the effect
of magnetic fields on the loss of energy in the electrons and protons that make
up this solar wind.
Using his nationality as a clue, what natural phenomenon did he study?

69. 36.
Originally named Daisy Lake, this ski resort near Vancouver bid unsuccessfully
for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Since then, it has only been downhill for this
town, with authorities ordering an evacuation of the town in the 1990s due to
the presence of a lava dam nearby that acted as a geohazard.
This place shares its name with an Italian nationalist who was often called the
“Hero of Two Worlds” because of his military exploits in Brazil, Uruguay and
Italy.
What is the town called?

70. 37.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit based out of the USA.
Its flagship vessel operates in the southern hemisphere near the Antarctic as a
part of their operations to stop whaling.
They are known for their aggressive operations against whalers, even those
who have got permits. Some of their tactics include throwing acid on board
whaling vessels, shining laser lights on them and destruction of drift nets.
Which wildlife expert and conservationist is their ship named after, partly due to
the fact that he was supposed to join them on a trip to the Antarctic before he
died?

71. 38.
A regular feature around the month of March every year, this place has special
horticultural officers stationed specifically to oversee the recruitment and growth
of certain flowers – of which 135 varieties of roses, primulas and tulips of
different colours flown in all the way from Holland, whose number has gone up
from 5000 to 12000 this year, are of special importance.
It takes seventy-odd gardeners to work round the clock for a few months to get
things in shape, in the 15 acres that house flowers in this massive official
property.
Where exactly would you find this collection, a prominent tourist destination at
this time of the year?

75. 39.
Fenqing is a commonly used abbreviated slang term in Chinese jargon to
refer to left-wing nationalist youth who are typically known to hold
positions that make them come across as apologists to Mao Zedong,
staunchly opposing harmonious relationships with countries like Japan
and USA and labelling everybody who disagrees as ‘traitors’.
In complete contrast, an English translation of this term was a huge hit in
Indian popular culture in the 1970s – created, according to the writer duo,
to tap into the angst of the Emergency period which saw several youth
strongly advocate more freedom.
What popular three word phrase is the English translation?

76. 40.
As part of an ongoing online campaign, the following images reference
which forthcoming event that has been a subject of much controversy?

82. Answers

83. 1.
The following temple has been thronged by several people from its state
since the turn of the millennium, especially youngsters, and has acquired
a unique reputation of ensuring a common wish among people of this
age – that has seen some controversy and bad news for Indians following
a recent announcement.
i. Where would you find this temple?
ii. What does it supposedly guarantee?

85. The Answer is …

86. The Chilkur Balaji Temple in Telangana.

87. US Visas.

89. 2.
This video was released earlier this year by the Jamaican Health Ministry.
What is the subject of this video?

91. The Answer is …

92. The Zika Virus.

93. 3.
The following are a few images from the tourist attraction Boulevard
Henri IV, popular since 1899 because of the deposition of these stones –
which are objects of national heritage and the only remnants of a famous
location, sourced while constructing the city’s metro lines.
Using the following video as a clue, what famous location is being
referred to?

97. The Answer is …

98. Bastille.

100. 4.
Following studies at the National Institute of Health Research in Birmingham
last year on this grave and sensitive matter, it was decided that the immediate
official response to these incidents would henceforth be to halt proceedings
and ask questions such as – “What venue are we at today? Which session are
we in? Who is in action at the moment? Whom were you up against last week,
and how did you perform?”
The effort was initiated as a necessary safeguarding mechanism, in the light of
the increasing number of fatalities in the ‘field’, the most prominent being one
in December 2014.
What are these questions intended for? OR What are they in response to?

101. The Answer is …

102. To test for concussions on a cricket field.

104. 5.
Aishwarya Parashar, a class six student from Lucknow, made national news in 2012
for posting an RTI query that stumped the Prime Minister’s Office. Aroused with
curiosity by contents from her Social Studies textbook, the query – which was
subsequently redirected in vain to the National Archives of India – sought an
official copy of a Government Order to validate a long held honorific.
History suggests that this came into being courtesy Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose’s address on the Singapore Radio on July 6, 1944 and subsequently carried
on by Sarojini Naidu on 28 April, 1947 at a conference featuring key dignitaries
after which it gained widespread popularity.
What did this RTI query seek proof for?

105. The Answer is …

107. 6.
One of the USA’s most enduring mysteries is the legend of the Georgia
Guidestones, a six-piece granite monument perched atop a hill in the
town of Elberton in Georgia, that supposedly contains post-apocalyptic
messages for the world.
Recently, a few locals are reported to have observed occult or sacrificial
rituals and even picked up traces of blood on the stones – which instantly
made commentators draw parallels with another prehistoric monument
across the Atlantic that was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
1986.
What was this place compared to?

110. The Answer is …

111. Stonehenge.

113. 7.
In Feb 2016, The Newshour featured a debate on nationalism where
Sambit Patra, a BJP spokesperson committed a gaffe of enormous
proportions.
Looking to score a point over his opponents, he held up his tablet on live
television and showed the audience a photo he described as “Indian
jawans, Indian soldiers dying, but holding up the tricolour, at the border”
Twitterati were quick to pounce and revealed this to be a photo shopped
image of a much more famous photograph. The original photo,
incidentally also features an Indian, but probably not the type Patra meant.
What’s the original photo?

114. The Answer is …

115. Raising the Flag at Iwo Jima.

116. 8.
DaCunha Communications is a marketing agency based out of Colaba,
Mumbai that has held a special contract since 1966.
Hired to revive a fledgling business that could once only dish out drab
taglines, the effort was started off by art director Eustace Fernandes with his
polka dot creation and is survived to this date by the company’s owner
Rahul DaCunha, copywriter Manish Jhaveri and artist Jayant Rane who’ve all
become prominent names in the industry owing to this project alone which
was singularly responsible for eliminating competition from the formidable
Polson family in the 60s, and making it the renowned entity it is today.
How do we better know this 50 year old project?

117. The Answer is …

118. The Amul ads.

120. 9.
L-Space, short for Library-Space, is a concept derived from Terry Pratchett’s
Discworld series of comic fantasy books that glorifies the importance of libraries
all around the universe and declares that Knowledge is Power. It is accessible
through libraries containing large quantities of books using innate powers of
librarianship taught only to those deemed worthy of it. Owing to its sheer size
and expanse, those venturing into it may not necessarily realize that they’ve
arrived.
Where would you have seen an inspiration of this setting, that served as an
advanced means of communication?

121. The Answer is …

122. The Tesseract in Interstellar.

123. 10.
The following images depict a stringed instrument first known for its use in
Greek classical antiquity. It resembles a harp in many ways, but with minor
differences.
While the extent of its usage may have declined over the years, it survives to
this day in the form of a word contributed to the English language that is –
much like the instrument itself – associated with something that carries the
form and the musical quality of a song.
What is the word? OR What is the instrument?

126. The Answer is …

127. Lyric, from Lyre.

128. 11.
Often seen in the world of sports, the following type of graph in the field
of statistics is a scatter plot, typically used to display data with a large
number of data-points having non-zero amplitude and wide range of
values.
It gets its colloquial name from its resemblance to a real world place that
is marked by certain distinctive zeniths that tower above a range of lower
counterparts.
What is such a graph called?

131. The Answer is …

132. Manhattan.

133. 12.
The origins of the Koch Brothers, widely regarded as the most powerful non-
political people in the USA, are rooted in contentious pacts.
Their father, Fred Koch, had invented an improved process for refining crude oil
into gasoline. This would be of great use to a country that had just liberated itself
from a revolution that causes chronological confusion to historians. Resisting
ideological inhibitions, Koch signed a huge deal with the newly elected leader.
Next, he turned to another leader who had busy expansion plans to turn his
capital city into an engineering marvel, besides requiring high-octane gasoline for
fighter jets. Koch went on to lavish heavy praise on this country in comparison to
the disdain he had for FDR’s sluggish New Deal – only to regret it later.
Which two leaders?

134. The Answer is …

135. Stalin, Hitler.

137. 13.
The following video contains the opening credits of Kings Row, a 1942
Warner Brothers film.
The music of the opening credits scored by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
became so popular it inspired the creation of another iconic theme 3
decades later. Besides, this music was also used at the 40th edition of a
famous recurring ceremony in 1981, that happened on the West Front of
one of USA’s most iconic buildings for the first time and revolved around
the film’s leading protagonist.
i. What was this other theme it inspired?
ii. What recurring ceremony? OR Who was this protagonist?

139. The Answer is …

140. The Star Wars theme.

141. The Presidential inauguration of Ronald Reagan.

143. 14.
The SS Eastland was a ship used for tours on the Great Lakes near Chicago. In
1915, the ship rolled over while tied to a dock in Chicago River. This disaster led
to the loss of close to 800 lives. While initially the sinking was blamed on
passengers rushing the top deck, investigators later ruled that the actual cause
was an increase in weight due to the addition of a certain something to the ship.
Ironically, the addition of this item(s) was a direct consequence of a similar
tragedy a few years prior to the Eastland tragedy.
What event? OR What was brought on the Eastland that made it sink?

144. The Answer is …

145. Sinking of the Titanic.
Additional lifeboats brought on to the Eastland contributed
to the excess weight that caused it to topple over.

146. 15.*
Daniel Richter – now a renowned mime artist – spent much of his time in the
1960s as a small time street mime in London, where he was approached for a
high profile project by a famous visitor who wanted his work to be free of the
Hollywood clichés of animal depiction.
Richter spent hours in the London Zoo everyday to meet the expectations
required of him in this project, as an actor as well as a choreographer.
i. Who was this famous visitor?
ii. Using the following recent tribute as a clue, what was this project?

148. The Answer is …

149. Stanley Kubrick.

150. 2001 : A Space Odyssey.

152. 16.*
One of the worst victims of climate change, this city sinks an average of 3
inches – some areas on the coast even as much as 11 inches – every year,
with about 40% of the city already below sea level.
In an attempt to halt this damage, the authorities have decided to build a
gigantic wall off the city’s coast with 17 artificial islands which will have
luxury homes, offices and shopping malls. Though expensive, this is
expected to be cheaper than the cost of flooding. When completed, the
whole structure is expected to resemble the country’s national symbol of
mythical origins.
i. Which capital city is this?
ii. What is the intended symbolic resemblance?

154. The Answer is …

155. Jakarta.

156. Garuda.

158. 17.*
The Institute of Digital Archaeology plans to soon erect these full size replicas of a
UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Trafalgar Square in London and in New York
using the world’s largest 3D printer.
The move is intended to be an act of defiance, and bring to light the dangerous
times faced by the region where this structure was the centre of religious life
since time immemorial.
i. What structure are these replicas of?
ii. Why did the structure make news last year? OR Why are the replicas being
erected?

161. The Answer is …

162. The Temple of Palmyra in Syria.

163. Destroyed by ISIS.

165. 18.*
In January 1991, US President George HW Bush announced a controversial
military operation into Kuwait with the intention of driving out the Iraqi forces in
the country. With more than 900,000 troops and casualties running in tens of
thousands, they were successfully able to effect a cease-fire and swiftly cleansed
the country of its Iraqi invaders.
This operation shares its name with a set of back-to-back famous events from a
completely different field that occurred in April 1998 on a city across the Persian
Gulf, and were named so partly due to a meteorological phenomenon that had
briefly disrupted proceedings.
Using the images of the operation as a clue, what two-word name do these
incidents share?

169. The Answer is …

170. Desert Storm.

172. 19.*
During the years of the Napoleonic Wars, the larger armies of the period
required increased and sustained supplies of quality food – a rarity back
in the time. The French government then decided to offer a hefty reward
of 12,000 francs to anybody who could help solve this problem.
The efforts of a certain Nicolas Appert in 1809 then developed a solution
that would eventually spawn a worldwide industry which reported a 11%
rise in sales in the US during 2009’s recession period.
How did he tackle the problem?

173. The Answer is …

174. Introduced canning of foods.

177. 20.*
The following image from the US Presidential campaign trail in a sports
center in New Hampshire in February stirred up some interest.
Owing to the location and the visual similarity of a chorus of raised arms
directed at a central and elevated figure, observers likened it to be the
modern version of a famous unfinished work that depicted the advent of
a different kind of an uprising more than two centuries ago.
What was it compared to?

179. The Answer is …

180. The Tennis Court Oath in Versailles.

181. 21.*
Former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri visited Mumbai last
year to launch his book on relations between the two countries.
At the launch, he made a revelation about a certain locally dwelling cultural
icon who made visits on secret missions twice for the Indian government –
once during the Zia Ul Haq regime and another more recently during the
Musharraf regime.
Whom was he talking about, a man whose roots coupled with his immense
popularity on both sides of the border, made him a natural choice?

182. The Answer is …

183. Dilip Kumar.

184. 22.*
The two people featured in these videos are – an artist whose 2009 release
featuring the place shot him to limelight and a sportsman who chose to
conclude the 2011 season with this feat.
What place? Who are the two people?

186. The Answer is …

187. Burj Al Arab.

188. Adam Young (Owl City), Rory McIlroy.

189. 23.*
On the 16th of December last year, as part of a 242 year commemorative
ceremony, members of the Old South Association in Massachusetts – an
organization that was primarily responsible for the original occurrence –
converged on the harbor to carry it out and were, for the first time, aided
by 200 pounds of a specific product shipped from an appropriate source
across the Atlantic Ocean.
What was the ceremony all about? Who shipped this product?

190. The Answer is …

191. The Boston Tea Party.

192. Tea shipped by London’s East India Company.

193. 24.*
The following painting – in the custody of USA’s National Parks Service –
has recently been picked up for restoration, as it is the only remnant of a
fateful night in the country’s history.
Painter Carl Bersch, a German immigrant in DC in the 1860s, recalls –
“The tarrying at the curb and the slow, careful manner in which he was
carried across the street, gave me ample time to make an accurate sketch
of that particular scene. Altogether it was the most tragic and impressive
scene I have ever witnessed.”
What event was the painting trying to capture?

195. The Answer is …

196. Lincoln’s assassination.

198. 25.*
In 1966, authorities announced plans to build this famous statue in Central
Park, New York.
“Just like how Lady Liberty held the torch, we shall have her hold – what else –
an umbrella. And a carpetbag in the other hand, of course.” A certain Miss
Travers was even asked to pose for the statue – on tiptoe, to get the ‘balance’
right.
Reactions to the statue were bad with many people complaining that the face
looked just like a certain actress who had portrayed her in the movie version.
After further deliberation, plans to build this statue were shelved permanently.
Who was the subject of this statue? Who was the actress in question?

199. The Answer is …

200. Mary Poppins.

201. Julie Andrews.

202. 26.*
__ ____ was an evil character introduced by British author Sax Rohmer in
the early 20th century in a series of novels. Over the years, he has become
an archetype of the evil criminal genius and has featured extensively in
cinema, literature, music while also lending his name to a type of
moustache.
Although this character has come under fire in recent years for the
supposedly racist portrayal of the East, characters based on Rohmer’s
initial depiction are still commonly found in popular culture.
Which character, whose name you could easily mistake for an item on a
Chinese takeout menu?

203. The Answer is …

204. Fu Manchu.

205. 27.
During Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s maiden visit to the USA last week,
President Obama joked about some differences between the two
countries that are unlikely to ever be resolved.
In doing so, he referred to an annual tradition between the nations that
has existed since 1892, and whose trophy is passed around every year
with the addition of a new band to indicate the latest winner. He also
added that it currently resided at his place of origin.
What event was he referring to? How is it at his place of origin?

206. The Answer is …

209. 28.
Earlier this year, anticipating a rise in interest for this particular item, The South
Dakota Cultural Heritage Centre brought this item out of its archives and put it up
for display.
As predicted, there was an increase in footfall around January this year. The item
in question, features a letter addressed to the parents of a certain John Gardner
to inform them of their son’s death.
Who was the writer of the letter? OR Why did the public take a sudden interest in
this man?

211. The Answer is …

212. Hugh Glass, The Revenant.

213. 29.
Raj Rajaratnam is a Sri Lankan-American hedge fund manager who
founded a certain hedge fund that is now closed after its founder was
convicted of insider trading in 2009. At the time, the prosecuting
authorities claimed that this was the largest insider trading case ever – in
terms of profits for the defendants.
Raj’s group was named for a trading vessel that was used by European
countries in the 16th-18th centuries and also features as a word used by JK
Rowling in the Harry Potter series to denote a unit of – aptly – currency.
What was the name of the hedge fund?

215. The Answer is …

216. Galleon.

217. 30.
The latest book of a former chess champion considered to be one of the
greatest of all times is titled: ______ __ ______: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies
of the Free World Must Be Stopped.
The title of the book is a direct reference to a certain hit TV show and is
especially fitting given the harsh weather conditions in the author’s homeland.
On this show this phrase is used to denote the ‘arrival of bad times’.
Using the following image as a clue, who is this person? What is the title of the
book?

219. The Answer is …

220. Garry Kasparov.

222. 31.
The first version of this video game came out in 1994 and was backed by a well
known American sporting personality. Featuring this man as the titular
character, this game was lampooned for its childish plot and is considered to be
one of the worst games of all time.
In 2014, plans for a sequel were revealed and a crowdfunding page was started
on Indiegogo.
Using the following trailer for the game as a clue, who is the personality behind
this game?

224. The Answer is …

225. Shaquille O’Neal.

226. 32.
Lebrensraum is a German ideology that was followed by the Nazi Party. It
advocated settling new lands to meet the agricultural demands of the growing
German population.
In practice, Hitler would send his tanks into neighbouring states without
warning. Many of the smaller governors would not fight back, fearing the
might of the German Army and would let the invading Germans take over a
portion of their crop yielding lands.
When Indian newspapers heard about Hitler’s move, what Vedic ritual did they
compare it to?

227. The Answer is …

228. Ashvamedha Yagna.

229. 33.
Sudder Street is a street in Kolkata that is now famous for its cheap hotels
targeted at foreign tourists and illegal drug trades. However it wasn’t always
such a wretched hive of scum and villainy.
10, Sudder Street was once the residence of Jyotindranath Tagore, the elder
brother of Rabindranath Tagore. In an attempt to revive local interest in
Rabindranath Tagore and his works, a businessman T.S. Walia has opened a
museum on this road to commemorate his achievements.
The entrance to the museum reads, “I read Rabindranath every day, to read one
line of his is to forget all the troubles of the world”
Which Irish poet and Nobel laureate, who contributed to the foreword of
Gitanjali is this quote attributed to?

230. The Answer is …

231. WB Yeats.

232. 34.
The Hunting Ground is a 2015 documentary about a certain issue that has
raised a lot of debate in the US over the last few years. The documentary
was brought into public consciousness in late Feb this year due to a certain
performance.
During this performance, many of the people affected by this issue marched
onto the stage and demonstrated their resilience and fortitude in a very
visible manner.
What is The Hunting Ground about? Which performance brought it into the
limelight?

234. The Answer is …

235. Sexual assaults on college campuses.

237. Lady Gaga at the Oscars.

238. 35.
Thomas Graham is a 19th century Scottish chemist famous for his work on
dialysis and diffusion of gases. He came up with Graham’s law, a mathematical
equation relating the rate of effusion of gases with their molecular mass.
His work on colloids also helped him give a thorough scientific treatment to a
certain natural phenomenon. He analysed the flow of solar winds and the effect
of magnetic fields on the loss of energy in the electrons and protons that make
up this solar wind.
Using his nationality as a clue, what natural phenomenon did he study?

239. The Answer is …

240. Aurora Borealis.

241. 36.
Originally named Daisy Lake, this ski resort near Vancouver bid unsuccessfully
for the 1980 Winter Olympics. Since then, it has only been downhill for this
town, with authorities ordering an evacuation of the town in the 1990s due to
the presence of a lava dam nearby that acted as a geohazard.
This place shares its name with an Italian nationalist who was often called the
“Hero of Two Worlds” because of his military exploits in Brazil, Uruguay and
Italy.
What is the town called?

242. The Answer is …

243. Garibaldi.

244. 37.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit based out of the USA.
Its flagship vessel operates in the southern hemisphere near the Antarctic as a
part of their operations to stop whaling.
They are known for their aggressive operations against whalers, even those
who have got permits. Some of their tactics include throwing acid on board
whaling vessels, shining laser lights on them and destruction of drift nets.
Which wildlife expert and conservationist is their ship named after, partly due to
the fact that he was supposed to join them on a trip to the Antarctic before he
died?

245. The Answer is …

246. Steve Irwin.

247. 38.
A regular feature around the month of March every year, this place has special
horticultural officers stationed specifically to oversee the recruitment and growth
of certain flowers – of which 135 varieties of roses, primulas and tulips of
different colours flown in all the way from Holland, whose number has gone up
from 5000 to 12000 this year, are of special importance.
It takes seventy-odd gardeners to work round the clock for a few months to get
things in shape, in the 15 acres that house flowers in this massive official
property.
Where exactly would you find this collection, a prominent tourist destination at
this time of the year?

251. The Answer is …

252. The Mughal Gardens at Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

253. 39.
Fenqing is a commonly used abbreviated slang term in Chinese jargon to
refer to left-wing nationalist youth who are typically known to hold
positions that make them come across as apologists to Mao Zedong,
staunchly opposing harmonious relationships with countries like Japan
and USA and labelling everybody who disagrees as ‘traitors’.
In complete contrast, an English translation of this term was a huge hit in
Indian popular culture in the 1970s – created, according to the writer duo,
to tap into the angst of the Emergency period which saw several youth
strongly advocate more freedom.
What popular three word phrase is the English translation?

254. The Answer is …

255. Angry Young Man.

257. 40.
As part of an ongoing online campaign, the following images reference
which forthcoming event that has been a subject of much controversy?

263. The Answer is …

264. The 2022 Qatar World Cup.

265. Finals to follow shortly!