General Awareness - Current Affairs 2009-10

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.

A Task Force under Prof. M.M. Sharma was constituted by the Union Government for basic Scientific Research in universities. The Task Force was recently converted into an Empowered Committee for monitoring the implementation of its recommendations. A number of schemes have been implemented by UGC as per guidelines formulated by the Prof. M.M. Sharma's Empowered Committee. Award of 500 Post-doctoral Fellowships in all areas of Science designated as “Dr. D.S. Kothari Post - doctoral Fellowships” has been launched.

Arabinda Rajkhowa, the chairman of the banned militant outfit ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom), was handed over to India by Bangladesh in 2009. This extradition was part of Bangladesh's cooperation with India in combating terrorism and was a significant development in India's northeast security efforts. Nepal and China were not involved in this specific handover.

Dr. Srikumar Banerjee was the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) from April 30, 2004 to May 19, 2010 and the Secretary of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on April 30, 2012. He retired as the Chairman Atomic Energy Commission of India (AECI)
 

In the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, the Shiv Sena candidate was elected as Mayor. Shiv Sena has traditionally been a dominant force in Mumbai's civic politics for decades. The BJP, Congress, and other parties were not successful in this particular mayoral election.

In 2004, Magnus Carlsen became a Grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 148 days, making him the third youngest Grandmaster in history

All three statements about the 40th IFFI awards are correct. The Golden Peacock for Best Film carried Rs 40 lakh, the Silver Peacock for Best Director carried Rs 15 lakh, and the Special Jury Award winning film received both a Silver Peacock and Rs 15 lakh cash prize. These award categories and their associated cash prizes were standard for IFFI at that time.

The government has projected a 21.07 million tonne (mt) fall in the kharif food grain output from 117.70 mt in 2008-09 to 96.63 mt in 2009-10. Production of rice, pulses, oilseeds and sugarcane is expected to decline.

Siemens Project Ventures held the largest 40% stake in Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL). GVK Power & Infrastructure was in the news for acquiring L&T's 17% stake, making them a significant shareholder but not the largest. Zurich Airport and other entities held smaller stakes. This ownership structure was part of the public-private partnership model for airport development.

Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi has been named European Footballer of the Year to win the prestigious Ballon d'Or award (Golden Ball award) given by French magazine France Football. Last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal was second while Spain's Xavier Hernandez was third. Messi was part of the Barcelona squad that won the treble of Champions League, the Spanish Championship and Spanish Cup last season. Messi also becomes the first Argentine winner of the award.

The World Wide Fund for Nature - India along with the Ministry of Environment and Forests jointly announced the youth delegation that will be a part of the Indian Contingent for COP 15 - The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Copenhagen, Denmark from December 7-18, 2009.

The Union government has decided against making rural posting of doctors mandatory to pursue Postgraduate Medical Degree courses. The Sambasiva Rao Committee had recommended that one year rural posting may be made mandatory for the MBBS doctors desirous of pursuing Postgraduate Medical Degree courses. This information was given by Dinesh Trivedi, Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare in Lok Sabha recently.

The K.K. Murthy Memorial T. Chowdiah Awards   were   conferred   on   Carnatic   vocalist   M. Balamuralikrishna   and   instrumentalist   (saxophone) Kadri Gopalanath in Bangalore on November 29, 2009. The annual awards instituted by the Bangalore-based Academy of Music (AoM) carry a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh, a citation, a memento and a shawl each.

Statements I and III are correct. The amended MCI regulations provided 50% reservation in PG Diploma courses (not Degree courses) for government medical officers serving at least 3 years in remote areas, and an incentive of 10% marks per year of service up to 30% maximum for PG entrance tests. Statement II about PG Degree courses is incorrect as the reservation was specifically for Diploma courses.

The political impasse in the Darjeeling hills arises   from   the   GJM's   demand   for   a   separate Gorkhaland State comprising Darjeeling district and certain   areas contiguous to   it.   The West Bengal government has categorically ruled out the creation of any such State.

The Parliament passed the Legal Metrology Bill, 2008 recently. It provides for regulation of weight or measure used in transactions; approval of model of weight or measure; verification of prescribed weight or measure by government approved test centre; exempting regulation of weight or measure or other goods meant for export; levy of fees for various services; nomination of a director by a company who will be responsible for complying with the provisions of the enactment; penalty for offences and appeal against decision of various authorities.

Mrinal Sen was selected for the Lifetime Contribution to World Cinema award by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. Sen was a legendary Bengali filmmaker known for his realistic and socially relevant films. Other directors listed like Nihalani, Benegal, Gopalakrishnan, and Azmi are also renowned but were not the recipients of this specific award.

es in Pakistan, Najam Sethi received the 'Golden Pen of Freedom' Prize of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) at the 62^nd World Newspaper Congress and 16^th World Editors' Forum in Hyderabad on 1 December, 2009.

Winners of the National Law Day awards given by the Indian Council of Jurists:

The Centre for Social Research launched the online course on political leadership for women. This initiative was a joint venture involving multiple organizations including the Government of India, UN Democracy Fund, UNDP, and Women Power Connect. The CSR is a Delhi-based organization focused on social research and women's empowerment.

Playback singer Lata Mangeshkar has been conferred France's highest civilian award, the Insignia of 'Officier de la Legion d'Honneur' (Officer of the Legion of Honour). Oscar winning director Satyajit Ray and actor Amitabh Bachchan are previous Indian recipients of the award. The legion d'Honneur (Legion of Honour) is the highest distinction that is conferred by the French Republic on a French citizen as well as on a foreigner.

The country's total forest and tree cover is 78.37 million hectares which is 23.84 per cent of geographical area, according to the India State of Forest Report 2009. India's net addition to its forest cover has broadly been 0.3 million hectares per year in the last 10 years. India's forests serve as a natural carbon sink that neutralise more than 11 per cent of India's greenhouse gas emissions. About 34 per cent of the country's forests fall in the tropical moist deciduous category, 30 per cent in the tropical dry deciduous, 11 per cent in Himalayan temperate, nine per cent in the tropical wet evergreen category, 6 per cent in subtropical pine and about 5 per cent in the tropical thorn category, says the report. The report has mapped India's forests into 16 forest type groups.

IIT Kanpur has decided to build a 'time capsule' which will be inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil on February 22, 2010. The time capsule would store the details of all the research activities, academic tie-ups and other achievements of the institute over the past fifty years. The capsule has been built as part of golden jubilee celebrations of IIT Kanpur.

Arunachal Pradesh will get its first rail link by 2012 when a 33-km rail line run by Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) would connect Itanagar with Harmuti in Assam. Currently Assam is the only state in North East to have railway network. The foundation stone at a proposed bridge site on Dikrong River at Doimukh was laid recently.

No one was founded suitable for the prize in Engineering Sciences categories.

The Union government has government has decided to increase the annual batch-size of the Indian Police Service (IPS) from 130 to 150. The decision is based on the recommendations of the Kamal Kumar Committee that was tasked with drawing up a recruitment plan for IPS officers till 2020.

The Indian Railways will build ten automobile hubs across the country in collaboration with the Society of Indian Automobiles Manufacturers (SIAM) on the surplus land available with the ministry, informed Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee who laid the foundation stone for the country's first auto-hub on a five-acre plot of railway land at Shalimar in Howrah district of West Bengal. Railways plans to invite entrepreneurs to build an automobile ancillary industry in the adjacent land owned by the ministry.

The Karnataka government has signed six memoranda of understanding with the Mayor of San Francisco and other officials of the US city in various spheres, including culture, trade, tourism and education. This was part of the “sister city programme” between Bangalore and San Francisco. The US city has become the third city to have the “sister city relationship” with Bangalore, after Minsk City in Belarus and the City of Reno, Nevada.

The India Regional Climate Centre (IRCC) was launched in Sirsi, Karnataka. This center was promoted by the Earthwatch Institute of London, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, and HSBC. Sirsi, located in Uttara Kannada district, was chosen for its ecological significance and biodiversity. Other options like Konnur, Badami, Hassan, and Chitradurga are not the correct location.

Maharashtra's Agriculture Department won the Shining World Leadership Award for promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices. This award by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association recognizes efforts in sustainable and environmentally conscious farming. Haryana, Punjab, and Andhra Pradesh were not the recipients of this specific award.

The 2^nd Lancers (Gardner's Horse), which was raised by Lt Col William Linnaeus Gardner on 12 May 1809 for Revenue and Police duties in the Gangetic Plains, observed its Bicentenary recently. The Regiment gave the Indian Army its first Chief of the Army Staff in Gen Maharaj Rajendra Singhji who was also the first Indian to command an Armoured Regiment in 1943. The Regiment celebrated its 'Bicentenary Anniversary of Raising' recently. Chief of the Army Staff, Gen Deepak Kapoor released the First day Cover and a commemorative Postage Stamp on the occasion

December 3, 2009 was observed as World Conservation Day. This day raises awareness about the need for environmental protection and conservation of natural resources. Other options like World Environment Day (June 5), World Wildlife Day (March 3), World Migratory Birds Day (second Saturday in May), and World Oceans Day (June 8) are observed on different dates.

December 5 is observed as International Volunteer Day. This day recognizes and promotes the contributions of volunteers worldwide. Other options like International Day of Older Persons (October 1), International Migrants Day (December 18), International Mother Language Day (February 21), and International Day of Non-Violence (October 2) are observed on different dates.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management is contemplating setting up a gemmology laboratory at the temple of Lord Venkateswara in Tirumala Hills in Andhra Pradesh. The Thiruvabharanam' register being maintained by the temple authorities in the event of receipt of precious articles merely contains the name of the donors, date of donation and the nature of the article. The register does not have any value-based accounts of the donated articles.

The Chennai Corporation on December 3, 2009 received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2009, for its work in the creation of barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities from President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi. Mayor M. Subramanian received the award. The national award has been instituted by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Ibrahim Gambari was appointed as the head of the UN-AU Peacekeeping Force in Darfur. Gambari is a Nigerian diplomat and has served in various high-level international positions. The other names listed are also prominent Nigerian figures but were not appointed to this specific Darfur peacekeeping role.

The Nagaland Assembly on December 4, 2009 unanimously adopted a resolution in which the House recognised the Naga undergrounds' commitment towards peace and understanding by “signing the Covenant of Reconciliation on September 23, 2003 at Chiang Mai, Thailand.” The resolution was introduced by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

T. Venkattram Reddy served as President of The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) in 2009-10. He is the Chairman of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, which publishes Deccan Chronicle - one of India's largest circulated English newspapers. The Hindu is published by Kasturi & Sons Ltd, Malayala Manorama by Manorama Group, and Ananda Bazaar Patrika by ABP Group.

John Demjanjuk was a Ukrainian-born auto worker in the US who was deported to Germany in 2009 to stand trial on charges of war crimes. He was accused of being a guard at the Sobibor death camp in Poland where approximately 27,900 Jews were murdered during World War II. The other options are not relevant to this specific case.

Congress in Honduras has voted overwhelmingly against allowing ousted President Manuel Zelaya of the Liberal Party to serve out the last two months of his term. Zelaya was removed from office in June 2009. Meanwhile Porfirio Lobo of the National Party won the Presidential elections organised on November 29, 2009. Zelaya was forced into exile on 28 June, 2009.

Finland is the fifth country

The Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) at Rawatbhata was built with Canadian assistance and began operations in 1968 as India's first nuclear power station with Canadian technology (CANDU-type reactors). After Pokhran-I in 1974, Canada ended nuclear cooperation with India. The 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal paved the way for Canada to resume civil nuclear cooperation. Narora (UP), Tarapur (Maharashtra), Kakrapar (Gujarat), and Kaiga (Karnataka) were built with other international assistance.

 The Prabha Dutt Fellowship 2009 was awarded to Kanchan Vasdev, the Ludhiana bureau chief of The Tribune. The fellowship is granted for a period of 10 months and offers an amount of Rs 1,00,000. 

Jose Mujica, a former guerrilla leader, was elected as President of Uruguay in 2009 and took office in 2010. He represented the Broad Front coalition and became known for his humble lifestyle and progressive policies. Luis Alberto Lacalle was a former president, Tabare Vazquez was Mujica's predecessor, Aparicio Mendez was a 1970s-era president, and Jorge Batlle was president before Vazquez.

Priyanka Singha was crowned Miss India America at the beauty pageant for Indian-origin women held in Tampa, Florida. This pageant celebrates Indian-American women and their cultural heritage. The other names listed are prominent Indian-American women but not the winner of this specific pageant.

Noble laureates Rajendra Kumar Pachauri and Amartya Sen, noted columnist C. Raja Mohan and environmentalist Sunita Narain are four Indians to figure in the list of top 100 global thinkers for the year 2009, of the US Foreign Policy magazine. US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tops the list followed by US President Barack Obama in the second position.

Amitabh Bachchan received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cinema spanning several decades. The DIFF honors global cinema icons. Mani Ratnam, Yash Chopra, and Dilip Kumar are legendary filmmakers and actors but were not the recipient of this specific award at that time.

European Union's Lisbon Treaty came into force on December 1, 2009 following its ratification by all the 27 member states. Czech Republic became the last of the member states to ratify it in November. The treaty is designed to streamline decision-making and give the EU greater influence in world affairs. It creates two new posts - president of the European Council and a high representative for foreign affairs. EU later chose Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy to be the first permanent European Council President. Baroness Catherine Ashton from the UK was appointed the High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
One of the treaty's key areas is the removal of national vetoes in a number of areas. These include the fight against climate change, energy security and emergency aid. The provision of National Veto has been retained in taxation, foreign policy, defence and social security issues.