CURRENT AFFAIRS N A T I O N A L

1. Giving a big boost to trade and bilateral relations with which neighbouring country, did the Government of India on Au­gust 1, 2012 notify law permit­ting investments by citizens and companies of that coun­try? ( l )S r i Lanka (2) Pakistan (3) Nepal (4) Bangladesh

2. India and which country on August 2, 2012 entered into a memorandum of understand­ing (MoU) for launching a pro­gramme that would promote collaborative research across a wide range of disciplines from medical and information tech­nology to social sciences, hu­manities and arts? ( l )USA (2) Israel (3) Russia (4) Britain

3. The Union Cabinet on August 3, 2012 fixed a reserve (mini­mum) price of how much for 5 MHz of pan-India 2G spectrum in the 1800-MHz GSM band for auctioning spectrum to be vacated by companies whose 122 licences were cancelled by the Supreme Court? (1) Rs. 5,000 crore (2) Rs. 10,000 crore (3) Rs. 14,000 crore (4) Rs. 18,000 crore

4. The Union Cabinet in August 2012 cleared the Indian Space Research Organisation's mis­sion to Mars in 2013. Which of the following countries have already undertaken this effort? (1) United States

(2) Russia (3) Europe, Japan and China (4) All of the above

5. The Cabinet Committee on Po­litical Affairs (CCPA), headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in August 2012, ap­proved the longstanding de­mand of the people of Karna-taka to provide special status, under which of the Constitu­tion? (1) Article 269 A (2) Article 321 C (3) Article 371 D (4) Article 382 A

6. Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi was anointed an Election Commis­sioner of India on August 7, 2012. He is a .1976 batch IAS officer of which state cadre? (1) Uttar Pradesh (2) Jammu & Kashmir (3) Andhra Pradesh (4) Gujarat

7. Sushil Kumar Shinde was in August 2012 made the new Leader of the Lok Sabha, the first Dalit to hold that job . Which of the following state­ments is/are correct regarding him? (1) He presented nine consec­

utive budgets in Maharash­tra as Finance Minister

(2) He has been Chief Minis­ter of Maharashtra and Gove rnor o f Andhra Pradesh

(3) At present, he represents Maharashtra's Solapur Lok Sabha constituency

(4) All of the above 8. United Progressive All iance

nominee Hamid Ansari was re­elected Vice-President on Au­

gust 7, 2012, becoming only the second Vice-President to get a second consecutive term after S. Radhakrishnan, who enjoyed two terms from (1) 1947-1957 (2) 1950-1960 (3) 1952-1962 (4) 1956-1966

9. The National Centre for Bio­logical Sciences (NCBS) signed a joint agreement with the In-stitut Curie in Paris and the Centre National de la Recher­che Scientifique (CNRS) in Au­gust 2012 on collaborative re­search. Where is NCBS based? ( l )Pune (2)Panaji (3) Bangalore (4) Hyderabad

10. Which High Court of India, on August 8, 2012 approved guide­lines for the media for report­ing matters related to children? (1) Delhi (2) Allahabad (3) Calcutta (4) Madras

11. The Supreme Court on August 9, 2012 directed which of the following to take immediate steps for disposal of toxic waste lying in and around the Union Carbide factory in Bho-pal in six months? (1) Union government (2) Madhya Pradesh (3) National Pollution Control Board (4) Only 1 and 2

12. The Planning Commission in August 2012 gave thumbs up to which state government's move to involve private enti­ties in supply of water in sev­eral areas of the city on the lines of power sector? (1) Maharashtra (2) Gujarat (3) Delhi (4) West Bengal

13. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) on August 10, 2012 accorded which much-awaited approval for Reactor I at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project? (1)'Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) (2) First Approach to Critical-

ity (FAC) (3) Isotope production (4) Both 1 and 2

14. Press Council of India Chair­man Markandey Katju in Au­gust 2012 denounced Chief Minister of which of the fol­lowing Indian states as "total­ly dictatorial, intolerant, and whimsical"? (1) Gujarat (2) West Bengal (3) Karnataka (4) Uttar Pradesh

15. The 2012 Sastra Ramanujan Prize was in August 2012 an­nounced to be conferred on Professor Zhiwei Yun in De­cember 2012 in New Delhi. In which year was the Sastra Ra­manujan Prize established? (1) 1988 (2) 1996 (3)2005 (4)2010

16. Which Indian state decided to clamp a complete ban on food articles containing nicotine and tobacco from August 15, 2012? (1) Haryana (2) Delhi (3) Bihar (4) Uttar Pradesh

17. The Indian Institute of Soil Sci­ence in Augus t 2012 an­nounced to have developed a web-based system that calcu­lates the quantum and quali­ty of fertilizers that should be applied to the soil for targeted yield. Where is it based? (1) Hyderabad (2) Lucknow (3) Bhopal (4) Kolkata

18. The government in August 2012 moved The Whistleblow-ers Protection Bill, 2011, which the Lok Sabha has already passed, in the Rajya Sabha with an amendment . What does this Bill seek?

a. It seeks to keep issues relating to national security, sover­eignty and integrity out of its ambit.

b. It seeks to protect public ser­vants exposing corruption. Select the correct answer us­ing the codes given below: (1) Both a and b (2) Neither a nor b (3) Only a (4) Only b

19. Much against the wishes of wh i ch Sta te g o v e rnmen t , Union Minister for Environ­ment and Forests (MoEF) Jay-anthi Natarajan announced in Parl iament in August 2012 that final approval had been accorded to dec lare Ku-dremukh National Park as a tiger reserve? (1) Andhra Pradesh (2) Chhattisgarh (3) Karnataka (4) Madhya Pradesh

20. In a rare honour, the name of which eminent Indian Urdu lit­terateur figured in the list of civilian honours announced by Pakistan on the eve of its In­dependence Day in August 2012? (1) Gopi Chand Narang (2) Josh Malihabadi (3) Krishna Pal Sharma

m (4) Ajit Kumar Chauhan 21. In a study published in The

Lancet on August 17, 2012, what was the global rank of India in terms of number of tobacco users? (1) First (2) Second (3) Third (4) Fifth

22. The Union Government in Au­gust 2012 approved the Street Vendors (Protection of Liveli­hood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012. As per the Bill, anyone over what age can apply and register as a street vendor with the respective T o w n Vend ing Commi t t e e (TVC) on payment of a one­time fee? (1) 16years (2) 18years (3) 21 years (4) 24 years

23. V.V.S. Laxman, India's man for crisis situations, bid adieu to international cricket in Hy­derabad on August 18, 2012. Laxman is the great grand nephew of which former Presi­dent of India? (1) Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrish-

nan (2) Varahagiri Venkata Giri (3) Basappa Danappa Jatti (4) Ramaswamy Venkatara-

man 24. India and which country, at

two high-level meetings on the eve of the Non-Aligned Move­ment (NAM) Summit on Au­gust 30, 2012, resolved to step up economic ties, especially in stabilising Afghanistan and shoring up Indian exports? (1) Pakistan (2) Iran (3) China (4) Japan

25. India in August 2012 offered Bangladesh a $take in the Rs. 15,000-crore Tipaimukh hydroelectric project on the Barak river in (1) Assam

^ (2) Arunachal Pradesh ~ (3) Manipur

(4) Tripura

STATES

26. The Cabinet of which Indian state on August 1,2012 decid­ed to exempt single phase do­mestic consumers using up to 120 un i ts of e lectr ic i ty a month from the power tariff hike? (1) Andhra Pradesh (2) Bihar (3) Kerala (4) Gujarat

27. Which State government in August 2012 decided to reserve three per cent of all contrac­tual jobs and jobs that were being outsourced for the phys­ically challenged persons? (1) Delhi (2) Odisha (3) Maharashtra (4) West Bengal

28. Which state government an­nounced in August 2012 that unmarried daughters of retired government employees wil l now be entitled to a share in the family pension even after the age of 25 as per a proposed amendment in State pension rules?

(1) Haryana (2) Himachala Pradesh (3) Rajasthan (4) Punjab

29. Which state government in August 2012 signed a Memo­randum of Unders tand ing (MoU) with KfW, Germany's development bank, for secur­ing a loan of Rs. 357.58 crore for infrastructure develop­ment? (1) Odisha (2) Jammu Kashmir (3) Bihar (4) Uttar Pradesh

30. The Madras High Court Bench in Madurai, on August 3, 2012 banned sand quarrying from 15 sites that were under operation for more than five years on the course of Rivers Cauvery and Ko l l i dam f lowing through which of the following dis­tricts? (1) Nagapattinam (2) Thanjavur (3) Karur and Tiruchi (4) All of the above

31 . Which state government, in August 2012, adopted a new policy for transfer of criminal cases from one investigating officer to another to prevent delay in probe and avoid dis­crepancies in multiple inves­tigations? (1) Assam (2) Rajasthan (3) Tamil Nadu (4) Madhya Pradesh

32. Which state government an­nounced in August 2012 to provide free of cost medical treatment to students up to 18 years of age enrolled in govern­ment schools and Anganwadi

centres under the Indira Bal Swasthya Yojna? (1) Himachala Pradesh (2) Chhattisgarh (3) Haryana (4) Jharkhand

33 . The Planning Commission in August 2012 approved a Plan outlay of Rs. 16,300 crore for 2012-13 for which state , rep­resenting an increase of 25 per cent over the previous fiscal? (1) Bihar (2) Jharkhand (3) Odisha (4) Karnataka

34. Which state announced in Au­gust 2012 to soon introduce adolescent educat ion with emphasis on adolescent repro­ductive health from Class VIII to XII? (1) West Bengal (2) Andhra Pradesh (3) Maharashtra (4) Bihar

35. Which state government in August 2012 came out with a draft norm making it manda­tory for one toilet and one uri­nal per 40 students on school premise? (1) Odisha (2) Punjab (3) Gujarat (4) Delhi

36. The Delhi Cabinet on August 13, 2012 approved the "Dilli Annashree Yojana" that aims to provide food security to two lakh households not covered under BPL schemes through monthly cash transfers of (DRs.250 (2)Rs.400 (3)Rs.600 (4) Rs. 1,000

37. The good old house sparrow was declared the state bird by which state government on August 14, 2012 as part of a new campaign to save the spe­cies and enhance awareness about their life and habitat? (1) Rajasthan (2) Uttar Pradesh (3) Delhi (4) Tamil Nadu

38. The Mamata Banerjee govern­ment in Augus t 2012 an­nounced to soon roll out an

investment policy which will also outline the contours of the government policy on (1 j Non-resident Indians (2) Industry (3) Software development (4) All of the above

39 . The Odisha Departments of Tourism and Culture in Au­gust 2012 decided to create a heritage corridor comprising tourism sites between the cap­ital city of Bhubaneswar and the pilgrims' paradise of (1) Ajmer (2) Puri (3) Kedarnath (4) Haridwar

40. Which Indian state/Union Territory in August 2012 an­nounced to raise a memorial to commemorate the memory of all Punjabis who had lost their lives during the Partition of the country in 1947? (1) Chandigarh (2) Punjab (3) Haryana (4) Jammu Kashmir

INTERNATIONAL 4 1 . The Obama administration, on

August 1, 2012 with its own history of support to the Paul Kagame regime and joined oth­er Western nations in an ef­fort to cut off military aid to Kigali. Which country is in ref­erence here? (1) Rwanda (2) Uganda (3) Democrat i c Republ ic of Congo (4) Tanzania

42 . President Barack Obama in August 2012 announced a de­cision to impose sanctions on any institution that his ad­ministration suspected of en­gaging in trade with Iran. Which of the following insti­tut ions did he specif ically mention in this regard? (1) Bank of Kunlun in China (2) Elaf Islamic Bank in Iraq (3) Union Bank of Russia (4) Only 1 and 2

43. The Constituent Assembly of which country in August 2012 endorsed a draft constitution billed as a key step to ending decades of civil war? (1) Somalia (2) Kenya (3) Morocco (4) Algeria

44. Which of the following coun­tries, in August 2012, sought immediate food assistance from the United Nations after heavy rains killed scores of people and submerged vast swaths of farmland? (1) Bangladesh (2) North Korea (3) Myanmar (4) Thailand

45. The President of which coun­try, on August 2, 2012 swore in Cabinet that retained mili­tary chief Field Marshal Mo-hamed Hussein Tantawi as Defence Minister while giving the Islamists and their allies several portfolios? (1) Syria (2) Oman (3) Egypt (4) Jordan

46. The U.N. General Assembly in August 2012 overwhelmingly adopted a resolution on Syria that expressed "grave concern" at the escalat ing v io lence . What is the total strength of the General Assembly? (1) 189 (2) 191 (3) 193 (4) 197

47. Laisenia Qarase, the last dem­ocratically elected leader in a coup-plagued. South Pacific nation, was sentenced to 12 months-jail in August 2012 after being found guilty of cor­ruption. Which country is in reference here? (1) Guatemala (2) Chile (3) Fiji (4) Venezuela

48. The Parliament of which coun­try in August 2012 announced p lans to inves t i ga te the $15,000 monthly pension that lawmakers earlier approved for the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo? (1) West Indies (2) Trinidad and Tobago

(3) Guyana (4) Ivory Coast

49. Sudan and which country, in August 2012, hammered out a deal over oil, one of a series of bitter disputes that brought the rivals to the brink of all-out war earlier in 2012? (1) Egypt (2) Kenya (3) South Sudan (4) Tanzania

50. Hundreds of archaeological treasures looted from Afghan­istan were returned to the war-torn country's National Muse­um on August 5, 2012 after being recovered with the help of the (1) Sotheby's (2) British Museum (3) National Museum of India (4) Federal Museum of Paki­stan

51. At least 19 worshippers were killed when members of a rad­ical Islamist sect Boko Haram opened indiscriminate fire at an evangelical church during a service in Northern (1) Nigeria (2) Morocco (3) Mali (4) Tanzania

52. Which country in August 2012 announced to build a string of naval bases along its northern coast as it prepared to claim a vast swath of the energy-rich Arctic? (1) Japan (2) Norway (3) Russia (4) Denmark

53. South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, on August 10, 2012 paid a surprise visit to islands at the centre of a de­cades-long territorial dispute with Japan, which recalled its ambassador from Seoul in pro­test. Which is that island? (1) Sakhalin (2) Dokdo (3) Kyushu (4) Iwo Jima

54. Which of the following cities hosted the two-day conference of the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in August 2012? (1) Riyadh (2) Cairo (3) Mecca (4) Baghdad

55. A federal court in which coun­try ordered the suspension of work on the huge Belo Monte hydro-electric dam in the Am­azon in August 2012 which is the third largest dam in the world? {1) Argentina (2) Paraguay (3) Brazil (4) Venezuela

56. Legislation to allow the trans­fer of boatpeople seeking asy­lum to Paci f ic states was cleared in the Lower House of which of the following coun­try in August 2012? (1) Australia (2) Indonesia (3) Japan (4) South Korea

57. At least 35 people died in which country when police fired live ammunition at miners taking part in an illegal strike at the Lonmin Pic mine in August 2012? (1) Panama (2) South Africa (3) Uruguay (4) Congo

58. T IME and CNN reinstated which of the following writers/ journalists of Indian origin in August 2012 after he had been sacked from his post in the two companies on the allegations of plagiarism? (1) Fareed Zakaria (2) Jubin Patel (3) Mahesh Shekhawat (4) Arvind Pandey

59. The government of which coun­try formed a commission in August 2012 to investigate the causes of recent sectarian vio­lence in which at least 83 peo­ple were killed? (1) China (2) South Korea (3) Myanmar (4) Cambodia

60. In which country in August 2012 did anti-Japan protest­ers smashed Japanese cars and attacked restaurants in sever­al areas over the Japanese de­cision to raise its flag over the disputed Diaoyu or Senkaku islands in the East China Sea?

(1) North Korea (2) Indonesia (3) China (4) South Korea

61. The Prime Minister of which of the following countries an­nounced in August 2012 that it will w i thdraw its troops from Afghanistan earlier in 2013 than planned? (1) Canada (2) France (3) New Zealand (4) Australia

62. The Constitutional Court ruled of which country ruled on Au­gust 21, 2012 that a referen­dum to impeach the country's President was invalid, leaving Traian Basescu in power after months of political turmoil? (1) The Czech Republic (2) Ukraine (3) Romania (4) Poland

63. French prosecutors, on August 29, 2012 opened a murder en­quiry into Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's death near Par­is. In which year did he die? (1)2001 (2)2004 (3) 2006 (4) 2008

64. To a roaring applause from a sea of delegates at the Repub­lican National Convention in Tampa in August 2012, Mitt Romney officially secured his place as the challenger tq Pres­ident Barack Obama in the race for the White House in November 2012. In which US state is Tampa located? (1) Florida (2) California (3) Ohio (4) Kansas

65. At the NAM Summit on Au­gust 30, 2012, which of the fol­lowing countries said it con­sidered the use of nuclear, chemical and similar weapons as a "great and unforgivable sin" but that did not mean it would forego its right to peace­ful use of nuclear power and production of nuclear fuel? (1) Syria (2) Israel (3) India (4) Iran

ECONOMY & BUSINESS 66. The Reserve Bank of India, on

August 1, 2012 constituted a committee to suggest ways to strengthen the rural co-oper­ative credit structure. Who heads this committee? (1) Prakash Bakshi (2) Arun Majumdar (3) Montek Singh Ahluwalia (4) C. Rangarajan

67. Mobile phone networks opera­tor Telenor, in August 2012, moved a step closer to push­ing out its joint venture part­ner in India with a view to re­building the business after the loss of its radio frequency op­erat ing l icences . In which country is it based? (1) France (2) Sweden (3) Norway (4) Britain

68. As per data released in August 2012, Indian exports came under tremendous pressure for the second consecutive month with shipments declining by 5.45 per cent in June 2012 to $25 b i l l i on . S l o w d o w n in which of the following regions explain this decline? ( l )U .S . (2) Eurozone (3) China and Japan (4) All of the above

69. According to official data re­leased by the Commerce Min­istry in August 2012, exports during the April-June quarter of 2012-13 dipped by what per cent to $75.2 bill ion, from $76.5 billion in the same peri­od last fiscal? (1) 1.1 percent (2) 1.7 per cent (3) 2.2 per cent (4) 3.1 per cent

70. According to official data re­leased by the Commerce Min­istry in August 2012, which of the following was/were top exporting commodities during the April-June quarter of 2012-13?

(1) Rice (2) Iron ore and Oil meal (3) Spices (4) All of the above

71. According to official data re­leased in New Delhi in August 2012, the growth of eight core sectors slipped to 3.6 per cent in June 2012 weighed down by contraction in the output of which of the following sectors?

(1) Natural gas (2) Fertilizer (3) Steel (4) All of the above

72. Which of the following com­prise core industries which have a weight of 37.9 per cent in the overall Index of Indus­trial Production (IIP)? (1) Crude oil and petroleum re­

finery products (2) Coal and electricity (3) Cement and finished steel (4) All of the above

73. Which of the following orga­nizations/bodies/ministries/ departments notified new for­eign direct investment (FDI) rules in August 2012 whereby corporate debt restructuring (CDR) undertaken by banks owned by non-residents will not be hit by sectoral FDI cap? (1) Reserve Bank of India (2) Planning Commission of India (3) Industry Department (4) SEBI

74. Which bank, on August 2, 2012 lowered the interest rate on domestic term deposits of five-year maturity and above to 8.5 per cent? (1) State Bank of India (2) Punjab National Bank (3) Bank of Baroda (4) Canara Bank

75. India, in August 2012, invited which country to invest in the upcoming national manufac­turing and investments zones (NMIZs) with a focused ap­proach in energy, water dispos­al as well as treatment, and research and training?

(1) Britain (2) Belgium (3) Brazil (4) South Africa

76. The National Housing Bank (NHB) , in A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 . slashed the interest rate up to one percentage point on refi­nance to banks and housing finance companies to promote affordable finance for low in­come group dwelling in urban areas. Refinance will be ex­tended for tenures ranging be­tween (1) 2-5 years (2) 4-8 years (3) 5-15 years (4) 10-20 years

77. To check price rise, commodi­ty bourses MCX and NCDEX, on August 3, 2012 decided to hike the initial deposit money (margin) to what per cent for sugar and wheat traders? (1 )2 per cent

(2) 5 per cent (3) 10 per cent (4) 15 per cent

78. In a notification on August 3, 2012 the Reserve Bank of In­dia said that all registered non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) intending to convert themselves into non-banking financial company-micro fi­nance inst i tut ions (NBFC-MFIs) must seek registration with immediate effect. The NBFCs have to maintain how much net-owned funds (NOF) by March 31, 2013? (1)Rs. 1 crore (2) Rs. 3 crore (3) Rs. 5 crore (4) Rs. 10 crore

79. Highlighting the need for a shift from cash to electronic payment sys tems, Reserve Bank of India Governor D. Subbarao, in August 2012, stressed the expansion of the use of which of the following in f ras t ruc ture in sma l l e r towns and villages?

(1) ATMs

(2) PoS (point of sale) terminals (3) Micro-ATMs and hand-held

device (4) All of the above

80. Which rating agency in August 2012 cut Arcelor Mittal's long-term debt to junk status and said uncertainty about the debt reduction plans of the world 's largest steel-maker and a weak sector outlook meant it could cut further? (1) Fitch (2) Moody's (3) Standard & Poor's (4) Morgan & Stanley

81. As per an a n n o u n c e m e n t made in August 2012, the Ap­parel Export Promotion Coun­cil (AEPC) has set an ambitious target of exporting readymade garments worth this fiscal. How much is the target? (1) $10 billion (2) $15 billion (3) $18 billion (4) $24 billion

82. Rating agency Crisil Research, on August 7, 2012 cut India's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for 2012-13 to (1) 4.5 per cent (2) 5.5 per cent (3) 6.5 per cent (4) 7.5 per cent

83. The government, on August 8, 2012 maintained that even as it had been taking a number of fiscal and administrative measures to contain the price spiral, a single factor had been contributing to inflationary pressures. Which is that fac­tor? (1) Rupee depreciation (2) Increase in Statutory Li­

quidity Ration (3) Trade deficit (4) Poor Monsoon

84. Which of the following bodies/ organizations in August 2012 announced its plans to intro­duce a risk index that will help the country's banks take quick­er dec is ions on extending loans to corporates and busi­ness houses?

( l ) SEBI (2) Union Finance Ministry (3) CIBIL (4) Reserve Bank of India

85. FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) company Emami, in August 2012, announced its plans to set up a new unit in Assam. It has in its fold which of the following brands? (1) Zandu Balm and Navarat-

na Oil (2) Fair and Handsome (3) Boroplus Antisceptic cream (4) All of the above

86. As per official data released in New Delhi in August 2012, in­dustrial growth contracted by what per cent in June 2012 pulled down by a dismal show by the manufacturing sector, especially capital goods? (1) 1.12 percent (2) 1.8 percent (3) 2.1 percent (4) 3.3 per cent

87. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), in August 2012, announced the biggest quarterly net loss of Rs.22,451 crore. Which of the following related state­ments is/are correct regarding Indian oil companies and the government's subsidy bill?

a. Hindustan Petroleum Corpo­ration Limited (HPCL) posted a net loss of Rs.9,249 crore in April-June 2012.

b. The government has not com­pensated oil marketing compa­nies (OMCs) for selling diesel, domestic LPG and kerosene be­low cost this year. Select the correct answer us­ing the codes given below: (1) Only a (2) Only b (3) Both a and b (4) Neither a nor b

88. India Post chose which of the following as its technology and consulting partner on August 9, 2012 to integrate its deliv­ery of financial products across its network of 1.5 lakh post offices in the country?

(1) Tata Consultancy Services (2) Infosys (3) Wipro Technologies (4) Bhara t Sancha r N i gam Limited

89. State Bank of India (SBI), on August 10, 2012 reported a net profit of Rs.3,752 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2012. Which of the following was termed as "nemesis", by Pratip Chaudhuri, Chairman SBI, in August 2012? (1) NPAs with regard to large

corporates (2) Mid-corporate sector (3) Small and medium enter­

prises (4) Both 2 and 3

90. According to figures released in August 2012, Indian exports to China fell by what per cent in July — the biggest decline in Chinese imports from any ma­jor country? (1 )5 per cent (2) 8 per cent (3) 12 percent (4) 16 per cent

91. The Reserve Bank of India, on August 10, 2012 asked banks to drop the 'no-frills' tag from which of the fol lowing ac­counts/deposits as the no­menclature has become a stig­ma? (1) Basic saving accounts (2) Current accounts (3) Time deposits (4) All of the above

92. Termed as one of the biggest realty deals in the country, DLF, on announced to have entered into a deal with Lodha Developers for sale of 17 acres of prime land in which place for a whopping Rs.2,700 crore? (1) NOIDA (2) Mumbai (3) Gurgaon (4) Hyderabad

93. Which of the following in Au­gust 2012 asked banks to re-frame their cheque collection policies (CCP) to include com­pensation payable for the de­layed period in the case of col­lection of local cheques?

(1) Reserve Bank of India (2) Union Minsitry of Finance (3) Planning Commission of India (4) SEBI

94. As per WPI {wholesale price indexjdata released on August 14, 2012 headline inflation eased by a larger-than-expect-ed margin to 6.87 per cent in July from 7.25 per cent in the previous month. This drop was on account of a decline in (1) Vegetable prices (2) Electricity and water bills (3) Government subsidy on oil

and diesel goods (4) All of the above

95. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in August 2012, asked banks

a. To have a board-approved transparent policy on pricing of liabilities.

b. To ensure that variation — be­tween retail and bulk — in in­terest rates on single term de­pos i ts of 'Rs .15 lakh and above' and other term depos­its is minimal. Select the correct answer us­ing the codes given below: (1) Both a and b (2) Neither a nor b (3) Only a (4) Only b

96. The Reserve Bank of India, on August 16, 2012 maintained that improvement in govern­ment finances would be the best way to avert the possibility of a sovereign rating down­grade by global rating agencies such as Moody's and Fitch. How can the government fi­nances be improved as per RBI? (1) Fiscal consolidation (2) Import substitution (3) Decreasing non-utility ser­

vices payments (4) Market borrowings

97. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), in a move to increase the partici­pation of retail investors, mod­ified the share allotment sys­

tem in August 2012. The min­imum application size for all investors was increased to (1) Rs. 5000-7,5000 (2) Rs. 7.500-10,000 (3) Rs. 10,000-15,000 (4) Rs. 15,000-20,000

98. The 'Economic Outlook 2012-13' which was released on Au­gust 17, 2012, (1) Projected a higher than

hitherto anticipated growth rate of 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal year

(2) Pitched for implementation of a slew of bold reforms aimed at containing the twin deficits on the fiscal and the current account front

(3) Called for returning to the path of fiscal consolidation

(4) All of the above 99. Finance Minister P. Chidam­

baram, on August 18, 2012 di­rected public sector banks to cut interest rates and provide cheaper credit at lower EMIs (equated monthly instalments) to consumers so as to

(1) Induce spending on durable goods

(2) Kick-start the manufactur­ing growth engines

(3) Help rev ive inves tment across the board

(4) All of the above 100. Finance Minister P. Chidam­

baram, in August 2012, asked officials to expedite the pro­cess of disinvestment so that state-owned companies could hit stock markets in time and help the government achieve the target. What is the disin­vestment target in the current fiscal? (1) Rs. 10,000 crore (2) Rs.20,000 crore (3) Rs.30,000 crore (4) Rs.50,000 crore

101.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the guidelines on securitisation of standard assets (loans), which had ear­lier been issued to banks, to

(1) Private banks I (2) Non-banking finance com­

panies (3) Self Help Groups (4) State Financial Corpora­

tions 102. Which bank, on August 22,

2012 became the first lender to come out with a floating rate deposit product after the Re­serve Bank of India nudged banks to switch to such mode of deposits in July 2012? (1) State Bank of India (2) IDBI Bank (3) Punjab National Bank (4) Oriental Bank of Commerce

103. In its Annual Report 2011-12 released on August 23, 2012, the Reserve Bank of India said that Current account deficit (CAD) had widened to unsus­tainable levels in 2011 -12 as it reached historical high of 4.2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). This was main­ly due to high imports of

(1) Oil and gold (2) Luxury goods (3) Hardware components (4) All of the above

104. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), in August 2012, cleared five more oil and gas blocks. The major winners included U.K.'s BG Exploration & Production and BHP Billiton Petroleum (Inter­national Exploration) of

(1) USA (2) Nicaragua (3) Australia (4) South Africa

105. In its report suhrnitiecLtQ_.Ef-_ nance Minister P. Chidam­baram on August 27, 2012, the venture capital panel pitched for the setting up of a 'fund of funds'. The corpus of this 'fund of funds' will be (1) Rs. 1,000 crore (2) Rs. 3,000 crore (3) Rs.5,000 crore (4) Rs. 10,000 crore

SPORTS

106. China's Li Xiaoxia, on August 1, 2012 clinched the women's individual table tennis gold in London Olympics defeating compatriot and favourite (1) Ding Ning (2) Bai Xue (3) Chen Jingwen

• (4) He Zi 107. Lucie Decosse, in August 2012,

won the women's 70-kg judo gold at the London Olympics after a final marked by aggres­sive grabbing and pulling that sometimes resembled a school­yard fight. Which country is she from? (1) France (2) Australia (3) Romania (4) Spain

108. Who, on August 2, 2012 be­came the first male swimmer to win the same event at three successive Olympics when he clinched the men's 200 metres individual-medley gold medal at the London Games? (1) Michael Phelps (2) Peter Swindler (3) Ryan Lochte (4) Brian Murphy

109. South Korea's Ki Bo-Bae add­ed the women's individual ar­chery gold of the London Olym­pics to her team title victory in August 2012 when she de­feated Aida Roman in the fi­nal. The defeated player was from (1) Mexico (2) Brazil (3) Portugal (4) Poland

110. Which National champion GM won the sixth Kavala Interna-* imwiiii~brfesV xuurnamem m August 2012? (1) Abhijeet Gupta (2) S.P. Sethuraman (3) Ashwin Jayaram (4) Mrinal Swamy

111.At the London Olympics on , August 3,2012 Tirunseh Diba-

ba became the first back-to-back women's 10,000 metres champion. She is from

(3) Kenya (4) Nigeria 112.Vijay Kumar, on August 3,

2012 lifted the sagging spirit of the Indian camp with a sil­ver medal in rapid fire pis­tol at the Royal Artillery Bar­racks in London Olympics. (1) 10m (2) 18m (3) 25m (4) 36m

113.SainaNehwal, in August 2012, vital Ucve. b^dvMkYAsw\ ta the women's singles as Wang Xin of China retired with a painful knee while leading 21-18, 1 -0. Saina became only the second Indian woman after we ight l i f t e r Karnam Mall-eswari in Sydney in (1)1992 (2)1996 (3) 2000 (4) 2004

114. Serena Wil l iams in August 2012 became only the second woman to complete a career Golden Slam when she won her first Olympic singles gold medal by beating (1) Maria Sharapova (2) Victoria Azarenka (3) Maria Kirilenko (4) Kim Clijsters

115. Andy Murray in August 2012 demolished Roger Federer 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 in the men's tennis final to win his first gold med­al. Which country is he from? ( l )USA (2) Spain (3) Britain (4) Australia

116. Which country, on August 7, 2012 won the duets synchro­nised swimming gold for the fourth consecutive Olympic Games while Spain snatched silver from China? (1) Russia (2) Sweden (31Greece. Australia.

117. China, on August 8, 2012 com­pleted a sweep of all four golds in table tennis at the London Olympics with a 3-0 victory over which of the following countries in the men's team final? (1) South Korea (2) Japan (3) Malaysia (4) Indonesia

118. Usaln Bolt in August 2012 be­came the first man in history to win back-to-back gold med­als in the 100 and 200m in the Olympics. Which country is he from? (1) Jamaica (2) USA (3) Cuba (4) Canada

119. The women's football team of which country won its third straight Olympic gold medal on August 9, 2012 beating Japan 2-1 in a re-match of the 2011 World Cup final and avenging the most painful loss in its history? ( l ) U S A (2) Australia (3) Britain (4) Germany

120. Nicola Adams in August 2012 became the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title by bul­lying her way to victory over China's Ren Cancan, taking the f lyweight go ld . Wh ich country is she from? (1) Britain (2) USA (3) South Africa (4) Australia

121. Which country won its second successive women's Olympic hockey gold by beating world champion Argentina 2-0 on August 10, 2012 with both goals scored from second-half penalty corners? ( l ) The Netherlands (2) Australia (3) Spain (4) China

122. Which country, on August 11, 2012 stunned Brazil to win its first gold in the Olympic men's football tournament as Oribe Peralta's double clinched a shock 2-1 victory? (1) Mexico (2) Argentina (3) Chile (4) Greece

123.Who, on August 12, 2012 blitzed the field at the PGA Championship, claiming his second major t i t le w i th a record-setting eight-shot victo­ry on the wind-swept Ocean Course? (1) Rory Mcllroy (2) Luke Donald

(3) Damien Croft (4) Peter Hanson

124. The United States beat which country 107-100 in a fast-paced match to win the Olym­pic gold medal in men's bas­ketball at North Greenwich Arena in August 2012? (1) Spain (2) Russia (3) Brazil (4) South Africa

125. World Cup-holder Russia came from two sets down to beat which country in a thrilling Olympic men's volleyball final at the London Olympics in August 2012? (1) Brazil (2) Norway (3) USA (4) Denmark

126. Former Wimbledon winner Pe-tra Kvitova, on August 13, 2012 claimed her first title of 2012 as she won a battle of ex-Grand Slam champions, beat­ing China's Li Na 7-5,2-6, 6-3 at the (1) Rome Masters (2) Montreal Masters (3) Shanghai Open (4) Seattle Open

127. Whom did Roger Federer defeat to win a sixth title this sea­son at the ATP/WTA Cincin­nati Masters on August 19, 2012? (1) Novak Djokovic (2) Robert Lindstedt (3) Horia Tecau (4) Carlos Rodriguez

128. Nicol David won her second Australian Open crown in Au­gust 2012 when she defeated England's Laura Massaro in straight games, saying it was "heartbreaking" that squash was not in the O l ymp i cs . Which country is she from? (1) South Africa (2) Malaysia (3) Australia (4) Sweden

129. Match List I (Athletes who made news in August 2012) with List II (Nationality) and select the correct answer us­ing the codes given below the list:

List I A. Churandy Martina B. Yohan Blake C. Tyson Gay D. Paul Kipsiele Koech List II 1. Holland 2. Jamaica 3. USA 4. Kenya Codes :

A B C D (1) 1 2 3 4 (2 )2 3 4 1 (3 )3 4 1 2 (4)4 1 2 3

130. Unmukt Chand led from the front with a magnificent hun­dred as the India under-19 team lifted its third World Cup title after beating which for­midable defending champion by six wickets in the final in Townsville in Australia on Au­gust 26,2012?

(1) Australia (2) South Africa (3) Pakistan (4) New Zealand

PERSONS, PLACES & AWARDS

131. Which of the following foreign cities hosted the 'India Show' in August 2012 which was at­tended by Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma? (1) Durban (2) Sao Paulo (3) Colombo (4) Islamabad

132. Social networking major Face-book, on Augus t 7, 2012 launched its first ever online gambling app in which coun­try that allows people to stake cash? (1) Belgium (2) Sweden (3) United Kingdom (4) Japan

133. The outgoing head of the Brit­ish Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) was named Chief Executive of The New York Times Co. on August 14, 2012. Who is he?

(1) Mark Thompson (2) Nick Roy (3) Steven Patel (4) Daniel Hess

134. India 's l ead ing car maker Maruti Suzuki India, on Au­gust 16, 2012 announced ter­mination of services of 500 reg­ular workers and resumption of normal operations from Au-

. gust 21 at its v io lence-hi t plant at (1) Gorakhpur (2) Manesar (3) Sahibabad (4) Chandigarh

135. In the first overseas acquisi­tion by the company, Cairn India, on August 16, 2012 an­nounced to have bought 60 per cent interest in a deep-sea gas discovery block on the west coast of (1) Chile (2) Mexico (3) South Africa (4) Canada

136. The Obama administration, in August 2012, announced set­ting up of National Additive Manufacturing Innovation In­stitute (NAMII ) , which wil l help prevent jobs going to In­dia and China. Where will it be based? (1) Nebraska (2) California (3) Ohio (4) Texas

137. A consortium of Indian com­panies, which has joined the global race for acquiring cop­per deposits in Afghanistan, decided in August 2012 to bid for only one area against the four that were on offer. Which is that area? (1) Shaida (2) Qandahar (3) Kabul (4) Ghazni

138. Volkswagen, on August 22, 2012 appointed ex-Hyundai Motor India marketing and sales head Arvind Saxena as its Managing Director of pas­senger cars business in India, in which country is Volk­swagen based? (1) Italy (2) Germany (3) Switzerland (4) Canada

139. Finance Minister P. Chidam­baram was in August 2012 ap­pointed as India's Governor on the Board of Governors of the (1) Asian Development Bank (2) In te rnat i ona l Monetary

Fund (3) African Development Bank

and African Development Fund

(4) World Bank 140. The former chief economist of

the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) , who assumed charge as the Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) in the Ministry of Finance on August 29, 2012 is (1) Raghuram G. Rajan (2) Anil Mathur (3) Sunil Manchandani (4) Deepak Rastogi

141. East Bengal accorded its high­est order of merit — Bharat Gaurav — to one of its finest forwards, on the club's 93rd Foundation Day, in Kolkata on August 1, 2012. Who is the awardee? (1) Ahmed Khan (2) Tapan Bose (3) Sudhendu Mitra (4) Sukumar Banerjee

142 .Josefa Idem, on August 7, 2012 became the first woman to compete in eight Olympic Games. Which country is she from? (1) Italy (2) Russia (3) Romania (4) Germany

143. Who, in August 2012, was an­nounced to head a 15-member committee to select the award-ees for this year's Rajiv Gan­dhi Khel Ratna Award and Ar-juna Award? (1) Rajyavardhan Rathore (2) Baichung Bhutia (3) Ravi Shastri (4) Aparna Popat

144. Which sportsperson was con­ferred the 'Himachal Gaurav Samman' in Shimal on August 15,2012? (1) Sushil Kumar (2) Vijay Kumar (3) Gagan Narang (4) Sumant Singh

145. Who is India's top-ranked ta­ble tennis player who won the Mamallan Award at the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association's annual general meeting at the Nehru Stadium on August 18, 2012? (1) Sharath Kamal (2) Jayaveena Vijayakumar (3) K. Manikandan (4) H. Balasubramani

146. Who in August 2012 made his­tory by becoming the youngest-ever player to score in La Liga football, grabbing the only goal as Malaga clinched a 1 -0 vic­tory at promoted Celta Vigo? (1) Fabrice Olinga (2) Iker Muniain (3) Din Suleiman (4) Akbar Fahim

147. The BCCI's working committee, which met in Chennai on Au­gust 22, 2012, decided to ex­tend its one - t ime benefit scheme to (1) G.R. Viswanath (2) Mohinder Amarnath (3) Di l ip Vengsarkar , and

S.M.H. Kirmani (4) All of the above

148. One of the best-known cyclists and most accomplished ath­letes in recent history, surren­dered on August 23, 2012 end­ing his fight against charges that he used performance-en­hancing drugs. Who is he? (1) Lance Armstrong (2) Peter Parker (3) Robert Sting (4) Michael Finn

149 .Which of the following spo r t spe r sons was/were awarded the National Sports Awards at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Au­gust, 2012? (1) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Award: Vijay Kumar (shoot­ing), Yogeshwar Dutt (wres­tling)

(2) Arjuna award: Deepika Ku-mari, Laishram Bombayla Devi (all archery)

(3) Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: Steel Authority of

India Ltd, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Services Sports Control Board and Air India Sports Promotion Board

(4) All of the above 150. Match List I (Arjuna Award

Winners at the Nat iona l Sports Awards ceremony held on August 29, 2012) with List II (Sports) and select the cor­rect answer using the codes given below the list: List I List II

A. Yashpal 1. Judo Solanki

B.Sudha Singh 2. Athletics C. Aditya Mehta 3. Snooker D.SamirSuhag 4. Polo

Codes : A B C D

(1)4 1 2 3 (2)3 4 1 2 (3) 1 2 3 4 (4 )2 3 4 1

151. India's Sushil Kumar lost to energetic Japanese, Tatsuhiro Yonemitsu, as well as to a bout of dehydration before the final, in which category of freestyle wrestling at the ExCel Arena to pick up a silver medal in the London Olympics? ( l ) 5 6 k g ' (2) 62 kg (3) 66 kg (4) 72 kg

152. A grandson of ex-U.S. Presi­dent, who ordered the atomic bombings of Japan during World War II, visited Hiroshi­ma in August 2012 to attend a memorial service for the vic­tims. Who is he? (1) Clifton Truman Daniel (2) Alex Truman (3) Neil Nixon (4) Peter Roosevelt

153. Republican presidential candi­date Mitt Romney in August 2012 named Congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate. Ryan is a Congressman from (1) Wisconsin (2) North Dakota (3) Missouri (4) Kansas

154. The Sikh Temple at Oak Creek, near Milwaukee, resumed reg­ular services on August 12, 2012, a little more than a week after Wade Michael Page, an ex-military man with white-supremacist links, shot dead six worshippers at the gurd-wara. Which US state is in ref­erence here? (1) Wisconsin (2) Iowa (3) Minnesota (4) California

155. The author of Sex and the Sin­gle Girl and the Editor of Cos­mopolitan magazine died in New York on August 13,2012. Who was she? (1) Helen Gurley Brown (2) Carla Brown (3) Mena Clarke (4) Susan Suvari

S C I E N C E & T E C H N O L O G Y

156. The Ordnance Factory Board of India on 27 August 2012 signed a Memorandum of Un­derstanding for a Joint Venture with M/s Rosoboronexport, Russia and M/s Splav "SPA", Russia to manufacture five versions of which of the follow­ing rockets? ( l )BrahMos (2) Scud (3) Smerch (4) Zenith

157. The Air Force version of micro-light pilot-less target aircraft Lakshya-1 was successfully test-flown from Chandipur, Orissa on 23 August 2012. Lakshya has been inducted into the Indian Air Force since (1)1996 (2)2000 (3) 2003 (4) 2007

158. In a major setback to the pro­duction of genetically modified (GM) foods in the country, a parliamentary panel on agri­culture, in August 2012, asked the government to ban all field trials of GM crops. In which year was permission granted for the commercialisation of Bt brinjal? (1)2003 (2)2006 (3) 2009 (4) 2011

159. India on 9 August 2012 suc­cessfully test-fired domestical­ly built surface-to-surface two stage Agni-11 ballistic missile from Wheeler Island off Odis­ha coast. The nuclear capable missile with a strike range of 2000 km was first test fired on 11 April (1) 1991 (2) 1996 (3) 1999 (4) 2002

160. Scientists, in August 2012, an­nounced to have for the first time found evidence of anoth­er oxidant, which plays an important role in the forma­tion of gaseous sulphuric acid in the atmosphere. This oxi­dant is named ( l ) O Z (2 )X (3) IP (4) SR

161. The Ring-planet Saturn and Red planet Mars came togeth­er in Western Sky after sunset on (1) 15August2012 (2) 11 august 2012 (3) 19 august 2012 (4) 4 august 2012

162. Scientists at the Internation­al Rice Research Institute (IRRI) announced in August 2012 to have deve loped a strain of rice that grows well in soils lacking the nutrient phosphorus, a feat that could boost crop yields for some farmers by as much as a fifth. Where is IRRI based? (1) Kuala Lumpur (2) Manila (3) Jakarta (4) Seoul

163. In an event of historic signifi­cance, on which date was the first recorded human voice that travelled from Earth to Mars and then back to Earth was released at NASA's Jet Pro­pulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California? (1) August 14, 2012 (2) August 19, 2012 (3) August 27, 2012 (4) August 31, 2012

164. Paucidentomys vermidax, a unique species of near-tooth­less rat that lives off earth-

worms and doesn't chew or gnaw was seen in which coun­try in August 2012? (1) Laos (2) Indonesia (3) South Africa (4) .Mali

165 .X-51A Waver ider , an un­manned U.S. military jet de­signed to fly at hypersonic speeds and travel from London to New York in just 45 min­utes, failed during a trial as it crashed into the Pacific Ocean within seconds of its launch on August 15, 2012. What was its velocity? ( l ) M a c h 4 (2) Mach 5 (3) Mach 6 (4) Mach 7

166. The $2.5-billion Mars Science Laboratory and Curiosity rov­er touched on the surface of the Red Planet on which recent date, breaking new ground in the U.S.-led search for signs of alien life? (1) August 3, 2012 (2) August 14, 2012 (3) August 6, 2012 (4) August 26, 2012

167. Scientists, in August 2012, an­nounced to have discovered the origin of singing mice that use songs to communicate. The singing mice are brown fur rodents instead of the normal white ones, they are found in the tropical cloud forests in the mountains of

(1) Brazil (2) New Zealand (3) Costa Rica (4) Malaysia

168. The Indian Institute of Soil Sci­ence recently announced to have developed a web-based system for advising farmers the right quantity of fertilizers that they should use in their soils for a particular type of crop. In how many states of India is this system presently available district-wise? (1) Four states (2) Seven states (3) Eleven states (4) Nineteen states

169. In the recent studies conduct­ed by the researchers of which of the following countries was it found that tumors contain their own pool of stem cells that can multiply and keep fueling the cancer, seeding re-growth? (1) American (2) Belgian (3) British and Dutch (4) All of the above

170. The government of India on 29 August 2012 approved a 14000 crore rupees fund to spur the production of hybrid and elec­trical vehicles in the country. According to the new policy, automobile companies and the government plan to put six mill ion electric vehicles on road by (1)2015 (2)2018 (3) 2020 (4) 2024

MISCELLANEOUS 171. The Reserve Bank of India, on

August 1, 2012 constituted a committee to suggest ways to strengthen the rural co-oper­ative credit structure. Which of the following statements is correct regarding this commit­tee?

a. It wi l l rev iew the ex ist ing short-term co-operative credit structure (STCCS), focussing on structural constraints in the rural credit delivery system.

b. It will explore ways to strength­en the rural co-operative cred­it architecture. Select the correct answer us­ing the codes given below: (1) Both a and b (2) Neither a nor b (3) Only a (4) Only b

172. The first 'made-in-India' Cen­tre Wing Box for the Hercules C-130 aircraft made by Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostruc-tures Ltd., (TLMAL) at its fa­cility, was delivered to Lock-' heed Martin in August 2012. Where is this facility located?

( l )Pune (2) Hyderabad (3) Bangalore (4) Chennai

173.As per an announcement made by Commerce Minister Anand Sharma in Colombo on August 3, 2012, India will help Sri Lanka establish a special economic zone to manufacture auto components in (1) Colombo (2) Kandy (3) Pallekele (4) Trincomalee

174. Reliance Industries limited (RIL), in August 2012, slashed its gas reserves in its main pro­duction fields, by 70 per cent to 3.10 trillion cubic feet (tcf) citing "unforeseen geological surprises." Which oil field is in reference here? (1) KG-D6 block (2) KG-D9 block (3) KG-D3 block (4) KG-D7 block

175. Which of the following inter­national lenders, on August 14, 2012 agreed to pay $340 million to New York's bank reg­ulator over transactions linked to Iran? (1) Citibank (2) Standard Chartered Pic (3) Royal Bank of Scotland (4) ABN Amro Bank

176. After 18 years of negotiation, which country, on August 22, 2012 entered the World Trade Organizat ion (WTO), which restricts import duties and subsidies in an attempt to cre­ate a level-playing field for in­ternational trade? (1) China (2) Canada (3) Russia (4) North Korea

177. Which of the following banks recently filed an application to open branches in Lahore and Karachi, a move that can sig­nal wider range of trade and financial ties between India and Pakistan? (1) Bank of Baroda (2) Canara Bank (3) Punjab National Bank (4) State Bank of India

178. India and w h i c h count ry , on Augus t 27 , 2 0 1 2 ag reed to set u p a j o i n t w o r k i n g g r o u p ( J W G ) t o l o ok i n t o no t on l y t rade- re la ted i s sues bu t a lso inves tments?

(1) Un i t ed K i n g d o m

(2) C h i n a

(3) J a p a n

(4) Russ ia

179. G A I L ( India) and G D F S U E Z , in A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 , a n n o u n c e d to

I have en te red into a m e d i u m -term L N G supply agreement for

\ supply of 12 cargoes f rom 2013 to 2014 . G D F S U E Z is a c o m ­pany o f (1) F rance (2) I taly (3) N e w Zea l and

(4) Kenya

180. D ip ika Pal l ika l on A u g u s t 17, 2 0 1 2 b e c a m e the first Ind ian to e n t e r the s e m i f i n a l s o f a Gold Ser ies squash event w h e n s h e r e c o r d e d a n w i n o v e r A m a n d a Sobhy in the quar t e r ­f inals o f w h i c h t o u r n a m e n t ? (1) Aus t ra l i an O p e n (2) Ma lays i an O p e n (3) Indones ian O p e n

(4) R o m e O p e n 181. W r e s t l e r Y o g e s h w a r D u t t i n

A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 c l i n c h e d t h e b r onze m e d a l in w h i c h ca t ego ­ry o f the m e n ' s f reesty le ca te ­gory, w i n n i n g three r o u n d s o f r epe chage after los ing to four-t i m e w o r l d c h a m p i o n B e s i k Kudukhoy of Russ ia in the pre-quar ter f ina ls? ( 1 ) 4 8 kg (2) 60 kg

j (3) 72 kg (4) 81 kg i 182. 138 skydivers formed a mass ive

snowf lake f o rmat ion over Ot ­tawa in the Un i ted S ta t e s set­t ing a wor ld record in ver t ica l skyd iv ing on A u g u s t 3 , 2 0 1 2 . W h i c h U.S. s tate is in re fer­ence here? (1) D a k o t a (2) Ca l i f o rn i a (3) I l l ino is (4) O h i o

183. W h i c h o f the fo l lowing F r ench c i t i e s m a d e i n t e r n a t i o n a l head l ines in A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 on accoun t o f t w o n i gh t s o f r i o t ­ing that left F rance aga in ask­

i n g i t s e l f w h a t t o d o a b o u t m a r g i n a l i s e d u r b a n n e i g h ­b o u r h o o d s that have regular ly e rupted into v io l ence? (1) A m i e n s (2) C a n n e s (3) Par is (4) S t rasbourg

184. W h o a m o n g the fo l lowing w a s a w a r d e d N ishan-e - Imt iaz , the h ighes t c iv i l ian awa rd o f Pak i ­s tan on its I n d e p e n d e n c e Day in A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 ? ( l ) S a a d a t H a s a n M a n t o (2) M e h d i H a s a n (3) V i c t o r H u g o (4) On ly 1 and 2

185. C h i n a ' s W e n X i a Y u w a s c r owned M iss Wor ld 2 0 1 2 a t the D o n g s h e n g F i tness Cen t e r S t a d i u m in w h i c h nor theas t ­e rn c i ty o f C h i n a in A u g u s t 2012?

( l ) O r d o s (2) H a i n a n (3) Be i j ing (4) S h a n g h a i

186. W h i c h p r o m i n e n t H o l l y w o o d f i lm director , w h o s e s i gna ture w o r k s i n c l u d e d T o p G u n , j u m p e d to h is dea th f rom the V i n c e n t T h o m a s B r i d g e ove r Los A n g e l e s H a r b o u r in S a n Pedro , Los Ange l e s , Cal i fornia, on A u g u s t 19, 2 0 1 2 ? ( l ) T o n y Sco t t

(2) R id ley Sco t t (3) S a m M e n d e s (4) C l in t Eas twood

1 8 7 . M e l e s Zenaw i , the P r ime M in ­ister o f wh i ch o f the fo l lowing count r i es s ince 1995, d ied af­ter a pro t rac ted bat t le w i t h an und i sc l osed i l lness in a hos ­p i t a l i n B r u s s e l s i n A u g u s t 2012?

(1) G a m b i a (2) G h a n a (3) E t h i o p i a (4) S o m a l i a

188. On 17 A u g u s t 2 0 1 2 , L a k h d a r B rah im i w a s appo in t ed by the U n i t e d N a t i o n s a s t h e n e w peace enyoy to Syr ia , rep lac ­ing Kofi Annan . To wh ich coun­try does he be l ong?

(1) M o r o c c o (2) Egypt (3) A lge r ia (4) Iraq

189. W h i c h o f the fo l lowing c o u n ­tr ies ca l led on Br i ta in in A u ­gus t 2 0 1 2 to re tract a threat t o a r r es t W i k i L e a k s f o u n d e r Ju l i an A s s a n g e a t its e m b a s s y in L o n d o n ?

(1) Ch i l e (2) Ecuador (3) A rgen t ina (4) Venezuela

190. A Norweg ian court , on August 2 4 , 2 0 1 2 s e n t e n c e d A n d e r s Behr ing Bre iv ik to pr ison for the m a s s a c r e o f 77 peop le at w h i c h o f the fo l lowing is lands in Ju l y 2 0 1 1 ? (1) Utoya Is land (2) C a n a r y Is land

(3) Ant i l ia Is land

(4) Fa lk land Is land

191 . T h e S u p r e m e Cour t o f India on 22 A u g u s t - 2 0 1 2 ex tended the ban on tour ism activities in the core a reas o f

(1) Al l Nat iona l Parks

(2) Al l Fores t Reserves

(3) T i ge r reserves

(4) J a r a w a tr ibes

192. A rchaeo log i s t s in Augus t 2 0 1 2 d i s c o v e r e d a 2 0 0 0 - y e a r - o l d s cu lp ture of a j a g u a r in Izapa. In w h i c h count ry w a s this im­por tan t f inding m a d e ?

(1) M e x i c o

(2) Braz i l

(3) S o u t h A f r i ca

(4) D e n m a r k

193. I n t h e l a t e s t po l l o f t he 50 g rea tes t f i lms of all t ime con­duc t ed by the Br i t ish F i lm In­s t i t u t e ' s r e p u t e d m a g a z i n e S ight & S o u n d pol l , w h i c h film of l egendary f i lm-maker Satya-j i t Ray w a s placed a t 4 2 " d rank?

(1) Pa ther Pancha l i

(2) J a l s h a g h a r

(3) A p u

(4) B a n d i n i

194. I n d i a n C o u n c i l for C u l t u r a l R e l a t i o n s p r e s i d e n t K a r a n S ingh on A u g u s t 2 , 2 0 1 2 pre­s en t ed K u s u m a n j a l i S a h i t y a S a m m a n t o

(1) H ind i nove l is t U s h a Kiran K h a n (2) T a m i l wr i t e r K. V i t la l Rao

(3) Mara th i wr i t e r Vital Rao

(4) On l y 1 a n d 2

195. T h e f ounder and ch ie f patron o f B h a g w a n M a h a v e e r V ik lang S a h a y a t a Sami t i w a s i n A u ­gus t 2 0 1 2 selected lor the 2012 Rajiv G a n d h i Nat iona l S a d b -h a v a n a Puraskar . W h o i s h e?

178. India and which country, on August 27, 2012 agreed to set up a j o in t wo rk ing g roup (JWG) to look into not only trade-related issues but also investments? (1) United Kingdom (2) China (3) Japan (4) Russia

179. GAIL (India) and GDF SUEZ, in August 2012, announced to have entered into a medium-term LNG supply agreement for supply of 12 cargoes from 2013 to 2014. GDF SUEZ is a com­pany of (1) France (2) Italy (3) New Zealand (4) Kenya

180. Dipika Pallikal on August 17, 2012 became the first Indian to enter the semifinals of a Gold Series squash event when she recorded an win over Amanda Sobhy in the quarter­finals of which tournament? (1) Australian Open (2) Malaysian Open (3) Indonesian Open (4) Rome Open

181. Wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt in August 2012 c l inched the bronze medal in which catego­ry of the men's freestyle cate­gory, winning three rounds of repechage after losing to four-time world champion Besik Kudukhoy of Russia in the pre-quarterfinals? ( l ) 4 8 k g (2) 60kg

j (3) 72 kg (4) 81 kg i 182.138 skydivers formed a massive

snowflake formation over Ot­tawa in the United States set­ting a world record in vertical skydiving on August 3, 2012. Which U.S. state is in refer­ence here? (1) Dakota (2) California (3) Illinois (4) Ohio

183. Which of the following French c i t ies made in t e rna t i ona l headlines in August 2012 on account of two nights of riot­ing that left France again ask­

ing itself what to do about marginal ised urban neigh­bourhoods that have regularly erupted into violence? (1) Amiens (2) Cannes (3) Paris (4) Strasbourg

184. Who among the following was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz, the highest civilian award of Paki­stan on its Independence Day in August 2012? (1) Saadat Hasan Manto (2) Mehdi Hasan (3) Victor Hugo (4) Only 1 and 2

185. Ch ina ' s Wen X ia Yu was crowned Miss World 2012 at the Dongsheng Fitness Center Stadium in which northeast­ern city of China in August 2012? ( l )Ordos (2) Hainan (3) Beijing (4) Shanghai

186. Which prominent Hollywood film director, whose signature works included Top Gun , jumped to his death from the Vincent Thomas Bridge over Los Angeles Harbour in San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, on August 19, 2012? ( l ) Tony Scott

• (2) Ridley Scott (3) Sam Mendes (4) Clint Eastwood

187.Meles Zenawi, the Prime Min­ister of which of the following countries since 1995, died af­ter a protracted battle with an undisclosed illness in a hos­pital in Brussels in August 2012? (1) Gambia (2) Ghana (3) Ethiopia (4) Somalia

188. On 17 August 2012, Lakhdar Brahimi was appointed by the United Nations as the new peace envoy to Syria, replac­ing Kofi Annan. To which coun­try does he belong? (1) Morocco (2) Egypt (3) Algeria (4) Iraq

189. Which of the following coun­tries called on Britain in Au­gust 2012 to retract a threat to arrest WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at its embassy in London?

(1) Chile (2) Ecuador (3) Argentina (4) Venezuela

190. A Norwegian court, on August 24, 2012 sentenced Anders Behring Breivik to prison for the massacre of 77 people at which of the following islands in July 2011? (1) Utoya Island (2) Canary Island (3) Antilia Island (4) Falkland Island

191. The Supreme Court of India on 22 August 2012 extended the ban on tourism activities in the core areas of (1) All National Parks (2) All Forest Reserves (3) Tiger reserves (4) Jarawa tribes

192. Archaeologists in August 2012 discovered a 2000-year-old sculpture of a jaguar in Izapa. In which country was this im­portant finding made? (1) Mexico (2) Brazil (3) South Africa (4) Denmark

193. In the latest poll of the 50 greatest films of all lime con­ducted by the British Film In­stitute's reputed magazine Sight & Sound poll, which film of legendary film-maker Satya-jit Ray was placed at 42'"1 rank? (1) Pather Panchali (2) Jalshaghar (3) Apu (4) Bandini

194. Indian Council for Cultural Relat ions pres ident Karan Singh on August 2, 2012 pre­sented Kusumanjali Sahitya Samman to (1) Hindi novelist Usha Kiran Khan (2) Tamil writer K. Vittal Rao (3) Marathi writer Vital Rao (4) Only 1 and 2

195. The founder and chief patron of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti was in Au­gust 2012 selected for the 2012 Rajiv Gandhi National Sadb-havana Puraskar. Who is he?

(1 )D. R. Mehta (2) M.N. Vora (3) S.R. Desai (4) K.P Singh

196. Which of the following Indian scientists was part of the pres­tigious NASA team which had identified the landing site of the 'Curiosity' rover on Mars in August 2012? (1) Amitabh Ghosh (2) Mohnish Sharma (3) Kiran Kumar Sen (4) Ajitabh Mukherjee

197. In a first for Lufthansa, its 'Queen of the Skies,' landed in Delhi on August 7, 2012, with India becoming first destina­tion in Asia to receive state-of-the-art aircraft, which cuts cabin noise by 30%. What was the name of this 'Queen of Skies'? (1) Boeing 551 D (2) Boeing 666-12 (3) Boeing 747-8 (4) Boeing 2012-8

198. Which of the following was awarded Best Heritage Tour­ism Destination award by To­day's Traveller, a leading trav­el magazine, in August 2012? (1) Bihar Tourism (2) Kerala Tourism (3) Odisha Tourism (4) Assam Tourism

199. Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram presented the Gujar Mai Modi Award for In­novative Science and Technol­ogy to whom in New Delhi on August 7, 2012?

(1) Prof. Ajay K. Sood (2) Prof. K. S. Valdiya (3) Prof. Trupti Wahi (4) Both 1 and 2

200. India's first financial super market aimed at cross-selling non-standard banking prod­ucts was opened in which of the following cities in August 2012? (1) Jaipur (2)Pune (3) Chennai (4) Bangalore

ANSWERS

1. (2) 2. (2) 3. (3) 4. (4) 5. (3) 6.(1) 7. (4) 8. (3) 9. (3) 10. (1) 11. (4) 12. (3)

13. (4) 14. (2) 15. (3) 16. (1) 17. (3) 18. (1) 19. (3) 20. (1) 21. (2) 22. (2) 23. (1) 24. (2) 25. (3) 26. (3) 27. (2) 28. (3) 29. (1) 30. (4) 31. (2) 32. (3) 33. (2) 34. (1) 35. (1) 36. (3) 37. (3) 38. (4) 39. (2) 40. (3) 41. (1) 42. (4) 43. (1) 44. (2) 45. (1) 46. (3) 47. (3) 48. (3) 49. (3) 50. (2) 51. (1) 52. (3) 53. (2) 54. (3) 55. (3) 56. (1) 57. (2) 58. (1) 59. (3) 60. (3) 61. (3) 62. (3) 63. (2) 64. (1) 65. (4) 66. (1) 67. (3) 68. (4) 69. (2) 70. (4) 71. (4) 72. (4) 73. (3) 74. (1) 75. (2) 76. (3) 77. (3) 78. (2) 79. (4) 80. (3) 81. (3) 82. (2) 83. (1) 84. (3) 85. (4) 86. (2) 87. (3) 88. (2) 89. (4) 90. (2) 91. (1) 92. (2) •93. (1) 94. (1) 95. (1) 96. (1) 97. (3) 98. (4) 99. (4) 100. (3)

101. (2) 102. (2) 103. (1) 104. (3) 105. (3) 106. (1) 107. (1) 108. (1) 109. (1) 110. (1) 111. (2) 112. (3) 113. (3) 114. (1) 115. (3) 116. (1) 117. (1) 118. (1) 119. (1) 120. (1) 121. (1) 122. (1) 123. (1) 124. (1) 125. (1) 126. (2) 127. (1) 128. (2) 129. (1) 130. (1) 131. (3) 132. (3) 133. (1) 134. (2) 135. (3) 136. (3) 137. (1) 138. (2) 139. (3) 140. (1) 141. (1) 142. (1) 143. (1) 144. (2) 145. (1) 146. (1) 147. (4) 148. (1) 149. (4) 150. (3) 151. (3) 152. (1) 153. (1) 154. (1) 155. (1) 156. (3) 157. (2) 158. (3) 159. (3) 160. (2) 161. (1) 162. (2) 163. (3) 164. (2) 165. (3) 166. (3) 167. (3) 168. (3) 169. (4) 170. (3) 171. (1) 172. (2) 173. (4) 174. (1) 175. (2) 176. (3) 177. (3) 178. (2) 179. (1) 180. (1) 181. (2) 182. (3) 183. (1) 184. (4) 185. (1) 186. (1) 187. (3) 188. (3) 189. (2) 190. (1) 191. (3) 192. (1) 193. (1) 194. (4) 195. (1) 196. (1) 197. (3) 198. (3) 199. (4) 200. (1).

cm