Indian Government Committees and Commissions Quiz

In Calvin and Hobbes, the principal of Calvin's elementary school is Principal Spittle. He appears occasionally in the comic as the authority figure who must deal with Calvin's misbehavior, often with a weary and resigned attitude typical of the strip's portrayal of school administrators.

In Calvin and Hobbes, Rosalyn's boyfriend is named Charlie. This is mentioned in strips where Rosalyn talks about her personal life, often serving as a contrast to Calvin's chaotic world. Charlie represents the normal, stable adult life that Calvin finds terrifyingly boring.

The final panel of the last Calvin and Hobbes comic (published December 31, 1995) indeed ends with the line 'It's a magical world, Hobbes, ol' buddy... Let's go exploring!' as they sled down a hill into the snowy woods. This iconic closing line captures the essence of the strip's celebration of imagination and wonder.

In Hindu mythology, Satyavati was the mother of Vyasa (also called Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa). She was the queen of Hastinapura and grandmother of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Satyavati's story is central to the Mahabharata's epic narrative, particularly through her son Vyasa who authored the epic.

In the Mahabharata war, Shakuni was killed by Sahadeva, the youngest Pandava. This happened on the 18th day of the Kurukshetra war. Sahadeva took revenge for Shakuni's role in the dice game that led to the Pandavas' exile and humiliation. Shakuni, the maternal uncle of the Kauravas, was known for his cunning and manipulation.

In Vamanavataram (the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Vishnu appeared as a dwarf brahmin named Vamana. This incarnation is famous for the story of King Bali, where Vamana requests three paces of land and then reveals his cosmic form (Trivikrama) to measure the entire universe in just three steps.

In Hindu mythology, Arun (or Aruna) is the charioteer of Surya, the sun god. He is the elder brother of Garuda and son of Kashyapa and Vinata. The other options - Arjun, Karna, and Jallandhar - are different figures from the Mahabharata and other Puranic stories.

Partha is an epithet for Arjuna, meaning 'son of Pritha' (Pritha being another name for Kunti, his mother). Arjuna is one of the Pandava brothers and central hero of the Mahabharata. Bheema, Karna, and Duryodhana have different epithets.

Roberto Benigni won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in 'Life is Beautiful' (1997), an Italian tragicomedy film. Benigni also directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay. Russell Crowe won for 'Gladiator', Adrien Brody for 'The Pianist', and Michael Douglas for 'Wall Street'.

Kevin Spacey won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Lester Burnham in 'American Beauty' (1999). The film also won Best Picture. Robert Duvall, Geoffrey Rush (winner for 'Shine'), and William Hurt are accomplished actors but did not win for this film.

Denzel Washington won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Detective Alonzo Harris in 'Training Day' (2001), playing a corrupt LAPD narcotics officer. This was his second Oscar (first for 'Glory'). Ben Kingsley won for 'Gandhi' and F. Murray Abraham for 'Amadeus'.

Ben Kingsley won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi in 'Gandhi' (1982). The film also won Best Picture. Kingsley's performance was acclaimed for its authenticity and transformation. Nicolas Cage, Paul Newman, and Daniel Day-Lewis are Oscar winners but not for this role.

Russell Crowe won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in 'Gladiator' (2000). The epic historical drama also won Best Picture. Al Pacino, Nicolas Cage, and Henry Fonda are all Oscar-winning actors but not for this film.

A young salmon is called a 'parr' - the stage in its lifecycle after it becomes a fry and develops distinctive dark vertical bars. 'Par' is a misspelling. 'Eft' and 'newt' refer to stages in a newt's lifecycle, not salmon. The salmon lifecycle includes egg, alevin, fry, parr, smolt, and adult stages.

Robin Soderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of the 2009 French Open, marking Nadal's first ever loss at Roland Garros. This was a historic upset as Nadal had been undefeated in Paris until that match. Note that while Soderling was the first, he was not the 'only' person to beat Nadal at French Open - Djokovic and others have done so since.

The Thakkar Commission (formally known as the Thakkar-Natarajan Commission) was constituted in 1998 to investigate the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The commission submitted its report in 2000. The Jain Commission was related to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, while the Sachar Committee dealt with the minority community's status.

The Yashpal Committee (officially the 'Committee on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education') was constituted in 2008 under the chairmanship of Prof. Yashpal when Kapil Sibal was the HRD Minister. It recommended reforms in higher education structure including creation of a National Commission for Higher Education and Research.

The Muthukumaran Committee (officially the 'High Level Committee for Revamping School Education in Tamil Nadu') was constituted by the Tamil Nadu government under the chairmanship of Dr. A. Muthukumaran. It recommended major reforms including equitable standard of education and common syllabus across schools in the state.

The Jain Commission was constituted in 1991 to investigate the conspiracy aspects of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. Headed by Justice M.C. Jain, it examined the larger conspiracy angle and foreign involvement, submitting its report in multiple parts during 1997-1998. The Nanavathi Committee probed the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, not Rajiv Gandhi's case.

The Nanavathi Commission (officially the 'Justice G.T. Nanavati Commission') was constituted in 2000 to investigate the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that followed Indira Gandhi's assassination. It was the third inquiry into the riots after the earlier Mishra and Kapur-Mittal commissions. The commission submitted its report in 2005.