GK - 2009

N.D. Tiwari was Governor of Andhra Pradesh during 2007-2009. This is a time-sensitive current affairs question correct for its period.

China began laboratory tests of A(H1N1) flu vaccine in 2009 during the swine flu pandemic. China was among the first countries to initiate H1N1 vaccine development and testing programs. India was not the first to begin testing.

National Sports Day is observed on August 29 in India, marking the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. This day was designated to honor his contributions to Indian hockey and to promote sports awareness nationwide. The other dates are incorrect.

Puducherry (Pondicherry) is the only union territory with territorial areas spread across three states - Tamil Nadu (Pondicherry and Karaikal), Kerala (Mahe), and Andhra Pradesh (Yanam). Delhi is a single entity, Chandigarh serves two states but isn't spread across three, making Puducherry the unique answer.

Sitara Devi, the renowned Kathak exponent, was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna) in 2008. She was celebrated as the 'Empress of Kathak' for her revolutionary contributions to classical dance. The other names listed are incorrect recipients for this honor in 2008.

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Lord's to win the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup. This was Pakistan's first T20 World Cup victory.

Rajasthan Governor approved 5% reservation for Gujjars in 2009 under the Gujjar Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti agreement. This was a special quota beyond existing OBC reservations.

Earth Hour is about climate change awareness and energy conservation. While 'energy crisis' is not the modern framing, the event emphasizes reducing energy consumption. The answer is technically correct as the event relates to energy issues.

INS Arihant is India's first indigenous nuclear-powered submarine. The name means 'destroyer of enemies' in Sanskrit. It was launched in 2009 and commissioned in 2016.

India hosted 29 matches during the 2011 ICC World Cup. The tournament was co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, with India staging the most matches including the final at Mumbai.

Yuvraj Singh hit 16 sixes in the 2009 ICC T20 World Cup, the most by any player. He was instrumental in India's campaign and was known for his six-hitting ability.

Women's Equality Day is observed on August 26 in the United States, commemorating the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. It was first celebrated in 1971.

World Photography Day is observed on August 19, commemorating the announcement of the daguerreotype process in 1839. It celebrates photography as an art form and means of communication.

Swine flu (H1N1) spreads primarily through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Drinking impure water is not a transmission mode for influenza viruses, which is why it's the correct 'not a cause' answer.

Amitav Ghosh wrote 'The Glass Palace' (2000), a novel set in Burma and India during British colonial rule. It explores themes of imperialism, migration, and family across generations.

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (1922-2009) was one of India's most celebrated classical musicians and is universally recognized as the maestro of the sarod, a string instrument. He trained under his father Ustad Allauddin Khan and popularized the sarod globally through numerous concerts and recordings.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the Australian Open mixed doubles title in 2009, defeating the team of Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram in the final. This was a significant achievement for Indian tennis, as both players represented India on the international stage.

Salman Rushdie, the British-Indian novelist, wrote 'Fury' published in 2001. The novel explores themes of anger, love, and identity through the story of a professor who moves to New York City. Rushdie is known for works like 'Midnight's Children' and 'The Satanic Verses'.

Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, wrote 'Nicomachean Ethics' and 'Politics' as separate but related works. The title 'Ethics and Politics' likely refers to these two treatises collectively. Aristotle's ethical theory explores virtue and the good life, while 'Politics' examines governance and constitutions.

Rajeev Ram won his first ATP title at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport, Rhode Island in 2009, defeating Sam Querrey in the final. This grass-court tournament is held at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was Ram's breakthrough win on the ATP Tour.

Element 112 (copernicium, Cn) was officially named in 2009 after Nicolaus Copernicus, the astronomer who proposed the heliocentric model. It was first synthesized in 1996 at the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany. The name honors Copernicus' revolutionary contribution to our understanding of the solar system.

'Smile Pinki' (2008) won the Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) in 2009. It's a 39-minute documentary by Megan Mylan about a young girl with a cleft lip in rural India who receives life-changing surgery through a charitable hospital. The category is for documentaries under 40 minutes, hence 'Small documentary' refers to this.