Business & Politics Current Affairs

This question refers to a specific controversy (Amitabh Bachchan criticizing Slumdog Millionaire) but has a typo ('slamed' should be 'slammed'). While this may have been factually correct when written, it's a poor GK question because it tests knowledge of a transient media controversy rather than enduring knowledge. Celebrity opinions change and such questions date quickly.

Sanjay Dutt did contest his first election on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 2007 (Lucknow parliamentary seat), though he did not win. The question is factually correct about the party, though it should be noted he lost that election.

The blast occurred at the German embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. This was part of the series of attacks on diplomatic and government targets in Kabul during the conflict period. Islamabad is in Pakistan, while Taliban refers to a group not a location.

Oil prices did fall to around $36 per barrel in late 2008/early 2009 during the global financial crisis. This was a significant drop from the mid-2008 peak of over $140 per barrel. The question reflects a specific moment in oil price history.

Michael Griffin was the NASA Administrator from 2005 to 2009 and resigned during the presidential transition period. He was indeed the administrator who left office around the time this question was framed (early 2009).

F.H. Major (Fali Homi Major) was the Air Chief Marshal of India from 2007 to 2009. Deepak Kapoor was Army Chief, S.P. Tyagi was a previous Air Chief (2004-2007), and A.Y. Tipnis was even earlier (1998-2001).

In 2008, Royal Bank of Scotland reported record losses approaching 9 billion pounds for the full year. This was during the global financial crisis when major banks worldwide suffered massive losses.

US Airways Flight 1549 crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York on January 15, 2009, in what became known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson'. The answer has a typo - it should be 'Hudson' not 'Hudsan'.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath had stated that India's economy was expected to grow at around 7% for that fiscal year (2008-2009). This was a downward revision from earlier projections due to the global financial crisis.

UBS acquired AIG's commodity index business in 2008 as part of AIG's efforts to raise capital during the financial crisis. Note that option C should read 'Merrill Lynch' not 'Maryl lynch', and option A should be 'ING Vysya' not 'ING vyasya'.

After the Satyam scandal broke in January 2009, Reliance Capital replaced Satyam in the Nifty index. Nifty periodically reviews and replaces stocks based on market capitalization and trading volumes.

Toyota unveiled its third-generation Prius hybrid car around 2009, which was marketed as an environmentally friendly 'green car'. The Prius has been Toyota's flagship hybrid vehicle through multiple generations.

Vinod Dham, known as the 'Father of the Pentium Chip', resigned from Sasken Communication Technologies in 2009. He was a board member at Sasken, not at Satyam, Wipro, or TCS.

Satyam Computer Services Ltd had announced plans to establish an IT Park in Kapuluppada village near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. This was part of the company's expansion infrastructure initiatives before the corporate scandal. The other locations (Chintapalle, Anandapuram, Paravada) were not associated with Satyam's IT Park projects.

United Bank of India (UBI) cut its Prime Lending Rate (PLR) by 150 basis points (1.5%). In banking terminology, basis points (bps) are used - 100 bps equals 1%. So a 150 bps reduction equals 1.5%, not 0.5%, 0.7%, or 1%.

Prince Albert II of Monaco became the first reigning monarch to reach the South Pole when he completed a two-day cross-country ski trip across Antarctica in 2009. The question specifically refers to this historic expedition. Albert I and Albert III were previous monarchs, but only Albert II made this journey.

HDFC Bank slashed its auto loan interest rates by 150 basis points (1.5%) in 2012. This was a significant reduction to stimulate car loan demand during a slowdown period. SBI, ICICI, and Axis Bank did not announce such steep cuts at that time.

General Ashfaque Parvaiz Kayani was Pakistan's Army Chief from 2007 to 2013, succeeding Pervez Musharraf. He was a key figure in Pakistan's military and political landscape. General Ayub Khan was an earlier ruler (1958-1969), and A.R. Qureshi is not a known Pakistani military leader.

China is the world's third-largest economy by nominal GDP (after USA and Japan during the period referenced). The United States is first, Japan second, China third, and the UK is much smaller - around 6th or 7th. India has grown significantly but was not the third-largest at the time this question was framed.