Bank GK Test 26

The Union government constituted a tribunal to settle the dispute over Mahadayi's waters between Karnataka and Goa (where it is called Mandovi). Inter-State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956 comes into picture when the Union Government receives request under Section 3 of the Act from any of the basin States with regard to existence of water dispute. Inter-state water disputes presently referred to the Central Government under ISRWD Act-1956 are related to Cauvery, Krishna, Ravi & Beas, Mahadayi and Vansadhara Rivers. The Act provides for settlement of disputes by negotiations failing which referring such dispute to a tribunal for adjudication. The decision of the tribunal shall have same force as an order or decree of the Supreme Court.

Kalamkari is a traditional Indian textile art form that literally means 'pen craft' (kalam = pen, kari = work). It involves hand-painting or block-printing on cotton fabric using natural dyes. This art form has been practiced for centuries in the region of Andhra Pradesh, particularly in Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam. The Andhra Pradesh government has been working to preserve and promote this traditional craft, which is why a postage stamp was issued to recognize its cultural significance.

India follows the Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards for vehicular pollution, which are based on European norms. The implementation was phased across major cities first. On April 1, 2010, fourteen largest cities including the four metropolitan cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata) upgraded from Bharat Stage III to Bharat Stage IV norms. This was part of a planned environmental policy to reduce vehicular emissions in densely populated urban areas. BS-IV introduced stricter limits on pollutants like carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides.

 A World Hindi Secretariat has been set up in Mauritius with effect from 11th February 2008. The Secretariat has a Governing Council, and an Executive Board and is headed by a Secretary General. 

During 2009-10, the Indian Navy adopted the theme 'Power-Packed Force for a Strong Nation' as its motto. This was part of the Navy's public communication and recruitment efforts to emphasize its role in national security. Each branch of the armed forces periodically adopts themes or mottos for specific years to highlight their capabilities and commitment to the nation's defence. The Indian Army and Air Force have their own distinct themes for different periods.

AOSIS stands for Alliance of Small Island States. It is an intergovernmental organization of low-lying coastal and small island countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, especially sea-level rise. Established in 1990, AOSIS serves as a coalition to represent these nations' interests in international climate negotiations, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process. The group advocates for ambitious climate action to protect island nations from existential threats posed by global warming.

The BASIC group is an alliance of four major developing nations - Brazil, South Africa, India, and China - formed to coordinate their positions in international climate negotiations. The name BASIC comes from the first letters of these four countries. Britain is NOT a member of this group. Britain is a developed country and part of the European Union bloc (at the time), with different interests and commitments in climate negotiations. The BASIC countries often negotiate as a bloc to ensure that any climate agreement takes into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Polly Umrigar Award is given to India's Best International Cricketer of the Year. Madhavrao Scindia Awards are given to highest total of runs and number of wickets in Ranji Trophy. Col C.K. Nayudu Award is given for Lifetime Achievement.

Hardeep Singh Puri served as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2009 to 2013. A veteran diplomat, he represented India in various international forums during this period. The other options were all prominent diplomats but held different positions: Ronen Sen was Ambassador to the US, Kamalesh Sharma was High Commissioner to the UK, Shivshankar Menon was Foreign Secretary, and Nirupama Rao was Foreign Secretary later. This question tests knowledge of key diplomatic appointments from the 2009-10 period.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) announced Mobile Number Portability (MNP) which allows users to switch mobile service providers while retaining their existing phone number. TRAI initially set the portability fee at Rs 19 for this service. This fee was to be paid by the subscriber when requesting the transfer. MNP was implemented to increase competition among telecom operators and give consumers more choice. The service was first launched in Haryana in late 2010 and then rolled out across the country in phases.

The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen countries

Ryan Giggs was named the 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year. The Welsh footballer, who spent his entire career at Manchester United, received this prestigious public-voted award in recognition of his outstanding achievements that year, including helping Manchester United win the Premier League and reach the Champions League final. At 36 years old, he became one of the older recipients of the award, which was particularly meaningful as he had never won it before despite his long and distinguished career.

A rail link has re-opened between the capitals of Serbia and Bosnia, almost 17 years after it was cut during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The line between Belgrade and Sarajevo was damaged in the fighting between Serbs, Croats and Bosnian Muslims.

Amol Muzumdar broke the record held by Amarjeet Kaypee (7,623 runs)

USHA stands for 'Urban Statistics for HR (Human Resources) and Assessments'. The Union government scheme is under implementation by National Building Organisation (NBO) under the purview of Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. The scheme aims at the development and maintenance of national database on urban poverty, slums, housing, construction and other urbanization-related statistics.

Jacob Zuma, then President of South Africa, was conferred with the honorary title of 'referee' by FIFA in 2010. This was a symbolic gesture by FIFA President Sepp Blatter as South Africa prepared to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup - the first World Cup held on the African continent. The honorary referee title was part of FIFA's efforts to honor the host nation's leadership and build excitement for the tournament. It was a ceremonial recognition rather than an actual refereeing appointment.

The first-ever Lok Adalat for grievance redressal on National Rural Employment Guarantee Act was convened by the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority in Latehar District in February 2009

Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10 worldwide. This date was chosen to commemorate the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on December 10, 1948. The UDHR is a foundational document that established fundamental human rights to be universally protected. December 10 was formally designated as Human Rights Day by the UN in 1950 and has been observed annually since then, with themes focusing on various human rights issues each year.

Ny-Alesund is a research station located in Svalbard, which is an archipelago under Norwegian sovereignty in the Arctic Ocean. India's 'Himadri' research base was established there in 2008 as part of international Arctic research collaboration. Finland, Sweden, and Iceland are all Arctic nations but Svalbard specifically belongs to Norway.

The Maysan oil field is located on the border between Iraq and Iran. Both countries have claimed ownership and been involved in disputes over this resource. The field has been a point of contention in Iraq-Iran relations, especially given its strategic importance. Iran-Pakistan, Iraq-Turkey, Iraq-Kuwait, and Iran-UAE borders have different oil field configurations.

Article 156(1) of the Constitution states that a Governor shall hold office during the pleasure of the President, meaning the Union Government can remove a Governor without assigning any reasons. This provision was used in the case of ND Tiwari's resignation controversy. Other articles listed deal with different constitutional provisions unrelated to Governor removal.

India's biggest innings wins:

Pakistan was the first South Asian neighbour to receive the Saab-2000 Erieye airborne early warning and control aircraft from Sweden under a defence agreement signed in 2006. This acquisition significantly enhanced Pakistan's air defence surveillance capabilities. Bangladesh, China, Sri Lanka, and Nepal were not the initial recipients of this particular Swedish aircraft.

President Pratibha Patil attended the closing ceremony of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of the Indian National Science Academy at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata on December 7, 2009.

India's Defence Offset Policy (DOP) 2006 mandated that foreign contractors must source at least 30% of the order value from Indian vendors for defence orders exceeding Rs 300 crore. This policy aimed to boost domestic defence manufacturing and technology transfer. The policy has since undergone revisions but 30% was the initial threshold.

Wireless subscriber base - 506.04 Million

The World Bank on December 2, 2009 announced a soft loan of $ 1 billion to be provided over the next 4 to 5 years for the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) launched recently. The initial phases of this loan would focus on building and strengthening the NGRBA and related institutions, including a Ganga Knowledge Centre. Under the 'Mission Clean Ganga,' the NGRBA has resolved that by year 2020 no untreated municipal sewage or industrial effluents will be discharged into the Ganga.

Raj Rajaratnam (founder of Galleon Group hedge fund), Anil Kumar, and Rajiv Goel were arrested in 2009 for insider trading in what became known as one of the largest hedge fund scams in US history. They were accused of obtaining confidential information and trading on it for illegal profits. This was not a pension fund, junk bond, sub-prime, or oil bonds scam.

The six-member government panel headed by D. Swarup, Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority had given its recommendations on common minimum standards for financial advisors (insurance agents).

The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle with each year dedicated to a specific animal. 2010 was the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese calendar. This tradition is central to Chinese culture and astrology. India, Russia, and Iran do not follow the Chinese zodiac system for their official cultural celebrations.

For the 2010 wheat crop (harvested from April 2010), the Union government fixed the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at Rs 1,100 per quintal. MSP is a government-guaranteed price to protect farmers from price fluctuations. The higher options (Rs 1,200, Rs 1,290, Rs 1,320) were not the MSP for that specific year.

The BCCI expelled Services from this year’s Ranji Trophy cricket tournament after they forfeited their first-round match against Jammu and Kashmir at Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar citing security reasons. The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) cricket team was scheduled to play a Ranji Trophy game against Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) at Srinagar from Nov. 3 to 6, 2009.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises is implementing the “Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)” for regeneration of traditional industry clusters in khadi, village industries and coir sectors.

Tata Teleservices became India's first service provider to launch Photon TV, offering mobile TV services on high-speed broadband wireless. This innovative service allowed users to access TV channels on desktops and laptops, pioneering converged entertainment in India. MTNL, Vodafone Essar, and Shyam Sistema were not the first to launch this specific service.

The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) is based in Mysore (Mysuru), Karnataka. It develops specialized food products for defence personnel, including this notable innovation of one-year shelf-life non-vegetarian food for high-altitude areas. The DRDO has multiple laboratories across India, and DFRL Mysore specializes in food technology for the armed forces.

“Any person applying for the pension should had been at least 15 years old at the time of participating in the freedom struggle,” UP Principal Secretary (Home) said in a notification issued recently.

Michel Jarraud served as the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialized UN agency for weather, climate, and water. The WMO coordinates global meteorological research and operations. The other options are different UN organizations - ECOSOC, WHO, etc. - but Jarraud specifically led the WMO from 2004-2015.

The Maharashtra government received the Kumud Bansal Committee report, which was formed to draft a policy for regulating school fees in private schools. This committee was constituted in response to parental concerns about arbitrary fee hikes. Other states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Delhi have their own mechanisms but did not receive this specific committee's report.

United Commercial Bank (UCO Bank) was founded by Ghanshyam Das Birla in 1943. The 67th anniversary reference suggests this question is from around 2010. UCO Bank is indeed a public sector bank founded by the renowned industrialist.

The government is planning to impose a strict regulatory regime to check the easy availability of ammonium nitrate, which is a preferred ingredient in improvised explosive devices (lEDs) used in terror strikes. The Draft Ammonium Nitrate Rules, 2009, prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), seeks to regulate and put restrictions on the loading and unloading of bulk ammonium nitrate from a ship, its import, export, transport, possession for sale and use, except as permitted under the rules. The use of ammonium nitrate, also commonly used as fertiliser, has been reported in bomb explosions in Varanasi, Lucknow, Jaipur, Faizabad, Hyderabad and the serial blasts in Bangalore.

Indian Railways introducing dedicated timetables for freight trains would be a significant operational reform. Freight trains typically run on variable schedules, so a fixed timetable represents modernization of railway logistics.

NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) is a premier medical institution located in Bangalore (Bengaluru). It is one of India's foremost mental health and neuroscience institutes.