General Awareness

SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) established the Investor Protection Fund to protect investors' interests in the Indian securities market. The fund compensates investors in case of default by trading members or other malpractices.

The National Knowledge Commission, constituted in 2005, was headed by Sam Pitroda. The commission was established to advise the Prime Minister on building a knowledge-based society and improving education systems in India.

Abdullah Gul became the President of Turkey in August 2007. He was a prominent Turkish politician and served as the 11th President of Turkey, succeeding Ahmet Necdet Sezer.

Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) was born in Germany and served as Pope from 2005 to 2013. He was the first Pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415. His predecessor Pope John Paul II was from Poland, and Pope Francis is from Argentina.

"The World Is Waiting" was a media campaign launched by British Airways to promote their global connectivity and services. The campaign emphasized BA's extensive international network and positioned the airline as connecting people across the world.

India celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Civil Disobedience Movement, which was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930 with the Dandi March. This movement was a major part of India's freedom struggle against British rule.

India launched the Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft), which is one of the smallest combat aircraft in the world. Developed by HAL and DRDO, it is a single-engine, delta wing, multirole light fighter designed for the Indian Air Force.

Lord Hardinge (Charles Hardinge) was the Viceroy of India who shifted the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. The decision was announced at the Delhi Durbar to commemorate the coronation of King George V, and the capital was officially relocated in 1931.

Goverdhan Mehta, a renowned Indian chemist, was elected as President of the International Council for Science (ICSU, now ISC). He served as the President of the Indian National Science Academy and has contributed significantly to scientific research and policy.

A Golden Handshake refers to a financial incentive or lump sum payment offered to employees who voluntarily accept early retirement or separation. It is a goodwill gesture from the employer to reduce workforce without layoffs. The term specifically denotes voluntary retirement benefits, not general retirement benefits or other concepts.

Prithvi was India's first indigenously developed surface-to-surface missile, tested in 1988. It was a short-range ballistic missile developed by DRDO. Trishul and Akg are other missile systems but were not the first surface-to-surface missile.

The African Union had 53 member states at the time this question was framed (before South Sudan's independence in 2011). The G-4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) sought AU support for UN Security Council expansion. The current strength is 55 members post-2011.

Kamal Nath, as India's Commerce and Industry Minister, was recognized for his role in promoting FDI inflows into India during the UPA government. He was instrumental in liberalizing FDI policy across sectors. The award recognized his contribution to making India an attractive FDI destination.

Kalhana, a 12th-century Kashmiri scholar, wrote Rajtarangini, which chronicles the history of Kashmir from ancient times. It is considered the first genuine historical work by an Indian author as it follows a critical historical methodology. The other options were poets or writers but not historians.

Karl Marx advocated Scientific Socialism, which analyzes social and economic development through historical materialism and class struggle. In contrast, Robert Owen, Saint Simon, and Proudhon were Utopian Socialists who envisioned ideal societies without scientific analysis of capitalism's contradictions.

Articles 36 to 51 of the Indian Constitution contain the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP). These are guidelines for the government to establish a just society. They are non-justiciable but fundamental in governance. Articles 26-30 deal with religious freedom, not DPSP.

Fa-Hien, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, visited India during Chandragupta II's reign (c. 380-415 CE), known as the Golden Age of the Gupta Empire. He documented Buddhist sites and practices. Kanishka ruled earlier, and Harshavardhana ruled later in the 7th century.

Mist forms when water vapor in air condenses into tiny water droplets suspended near the ground. This occurs when warm moist air cools rapidly, typically at night or over cold surfaces. Dry ice and solid carbon monoxide are unrelated to natural mist formation.

The 11th Five Year Plan (2007-2012) approved by the Planning Commission in November 2007 projected a 9% annual economic growth rate. This was an ambitious target building on the high growth of the 10th Plan. The actual achievement averaged around 7-8%.

Pascal Lamy served as Director-General of the World Trade Organization from 2005 to 2013. He was a French former European Commissioner for Trade. The other names are not associated with WTO leadership - Thaksin is former Thai PM, Paul Wolfowitz was World Bank President.

INS Tarangini is the Indian Navy's only sailing ship, a three-masted barque used for training cadets. It circumnavigated the globe in multiple voyages including a 10-month expedition returning to Kochi. INS Viraat is an aircraft carrier, Vibhuti and Prabhat are not naval ships.

Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, authored the autobiography 'My Life' published in 2004. The book covers his life from childhood through his presidency. Option B contains a spelling error (Hillory should be Hillary)

CECA stands for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, which is a bilateral trade agreement. India has signed CECAs with countries like Singapore and Malaysia to boost economic ties. The agreement aims to reduce tariffs and promote trade in goods and services.

Ibn Battuta visited India during Muhammad bin Tughlaq's reign in the 14th century, which was before the Vijayanagara Empire was established in 1336. The other travelers - Abdur Razzaq, Domingo Paes, and Fernao Nuniz - all visited Vijayanagara during its peak and wrote about its magnificence. Note: Option D has 'Nuziz' but should be 'Nuniz'