Current Affairs July 2012 (12-15)

Current Affairs July 2012 (12-15)

1. Which of the following countries is India's largest trading partner among ASEAN group of nations?
[A]Malaysia
[B]Singapore
[C]Indonesia
[D]Vietnam

2. Who among the following has clinched the Wimbledon Mens' Singles Title, 2012?

[A]Andy Murray
[B]Novak Djokovic
[C]Rafael Nadal
[D]Roger Federer

3. Which among the following has got $150 million assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as a financial boost to improve its facilities?

[A]Indian Airlines
[B]Indian Railways
[C]Power Grid Corporation of India
[D]NPCIL

4. Which among the following stock exchanges has recently got approval from SEBI for equity trading?

[A]MCX-SX
[B]Inter Connected Stock Exchange
[C]Coimbatore Stock Exchange
[D]United Stock Exchange of India

5. '11th July' is observed as __________ every year.

[A]World Population Day
[B]World Heritage Day
[C]World Consumer Rights Day
[D]World Zoonoses Day

6. Which among the following countries have recently got embroiled in a territorial dispute over 'Diaoyu Islands' ?

[A]China and Vietnam
[B]China and Phillippines
[C]China and Taiwan
[D]China and Japan

7. Who among the following is the author of the latest book 'Pax Indica', an account of International Relations of India ?

[A]Shashi Tharoor
[B]S.M.Krishna
[C]Nirupama Rao
[D]Ranjan Mathai

8. Who among the following is the Director-General of Food and Health Organisation(FAO)?

[A]Helen Clark
[B]Irina Bokova
[C]Jose Graziano da Silva
[D]Anthony Lake

9. 'GFAJ-1' bacterium was claimed by NASA scientists to thrive on 'arsenic' in Salty conditions of Mono Lake in California, but the new research clearly shows that the bacterium cannot substitute arsenic for ________ to survive.

[A]Sodium
[B]Iron
[C]Phosphorus
[D]Magnesium

10. Which among the following is not one of the eight countries with whom India has signed nuclear deal?

[A]Monglia
[B]Kazakhstan
[C]Namibia
[D]Brazil

U.S.A,Russia,France,Canada,Argentina are the other 5 countries.

11. The responsibility of compilation and release of the Index of Industrial Production(IIP) is vested in the:
[A]Central Statistical Organisation
[B]Office of Economic Advisor
[C]Finance Commission
[D]Ministry of Finance

12. Implementation of General Anti Avoidance Rules (GAAR) would prevent __________ through Mauritius and other tax havens :

[A]Round tripping
[B]Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
[C]financing of terrorist activities
[D]smuggling of narcotics

13. The official mascots of 2012 Summer Olympics to be held in London are:

[A]Wenlock and Mandeville
[B]Lyo and Merly
[C]Miga and Quatchi
[D]Neve and Gliz

Wenlock and Mandeville are animations depicting two drops of steel from a steelworks in Bolton.

14. Consider the following Statements regarding Financial Action Task Force (FATF):
1.The purpose of the FATF is to develop policies to combat money laundering and terrorism financing.
2.The FATF Secretariat is located at the headquarters of the OECD in Paris.
Which of the Statement(s) given above is/are true?
[A]Only 1
[B]Only 2
[C]Both 1 and 2
[D]Neither 1 nor 2

15. Which among the following countries is not among the non-signatories of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT) ?

[A]India
[B]Pakistan
[C]North Korea
[D]Iran

Four non-parties to the treaty are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons: India, Pakistan and North Korea have openly tested and declared that they possess nuclear weapons, while Israel has had a policy of opacity regarding its own nuclear weapons program. Iran is a party to the NPT but was found in non-compliance with its NPT safeguards agreement and the status of its nuclear program remains in dispute.

16. Lee Hsien Loong, who was on a two-day official visit to India, is the Prime Minister of ________ :
[A]Seychelles
[B]Singapore
[C]Vietnam
[D]Malaysia

17. Consider the following Statements regarding 'Agni-I' missile, which was recently launched by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army from the Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast :

1.Agni-I has a range of 700 KM.
2.It is a single-stage missile,powered by solid propellants.
3.It can carry a nuclear warhead weighing one tonne.
In this context, which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?
[A]Only 1
[B]1 and 2
[C]2 and 3
[D]1, 2 and 3

18. Who among the following is the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC)?

[A]Haroon Lorgat
[B]David Richardson
[C]Sharad Pawar
[D]Alan Issac

19. Which among the following prisons has become India's first 'green prison' by harnessing solar energy for in-house cooking ?

[A]Sabarmati Jail
[B]Tihar Jail
[C]Alipore Jail
[D]Yerwada Central Jail

Here is a first of its kind green initiative aimed at both saving fuel and minimising environmental hazards. The Sabarmati Central Jail authorities have joined hands with solar thermal technology company Flareum Technologies to use energy efficient technology for in-house cooking.The kitchen in Sabarmati Jail earlier was coal and gas based that produces hazardous gases such as CO2 and SO2, but with the commencement of the steam cooking system the gases have been eliminated, turning the kitchen ‘green’.

20. The setting up of a five-member committee headed by Cabinet Secretary ________ has been announced by the Government to look into the pay and pension-related issues of defence services personnel and ex-servicemen.
[A]Ajit Seth
[B]K.M.Chandrasekhar
[C]B.K.Chaturvedi
[D]Kamal Pande

21. Consider the following Statements regarding 'Global Innovation Index (GII)-2012:
1.INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have co-published the GII-2012.
2.Sweden ranked first in GII-2012 report which was released recently.
Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?
[A]Only 1
[B]Only 2
[C]Both 1 and 2
[D]Neither 1 nor 2

22. 'M-SIPS' is a special incentive package recently approved by the Union Government to promote large-scale manufacturing in the which among the following sectors?

[A]Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
[B]Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE)
[C]Shipping and Transport Sector
[D]Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM)

23. Recently the Supreme Court has upheld a ban on commercial and tourism-related activities in the habitat of endangered _______ tribe of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

[A]Onges
[B]Shompens
[C]Jarawas
[D]Sentinelese

24. 'Mahatma Gandhi Institute Of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development' will be established as a Category-I institute of UNESCO in :

[A]Bangalore
[B]Mumbai
[C]Hyderabad
[D]New Delhi

This would be the first Category-I Institute of UNESCO to be established in the Asia Pacific region. At present, there are eleven UNESCO Category-I institutes and except 3 of them, all are located in developed countries and none is located in Asia.

25. 'Dow Chemicals' which is in the midst of controversy regarding its sponsorship of London Olympics, is the parent company of :
[A]Monsanto
[B]Ranbaxy
[C]Unilever
[D]Union Carbide

Dow’s involvement in the Games — both as one of the International Olympic Committee’s top sponsors up till 2020 and as a provider of a “wrap” for the main stadium — has generated controversy and protest. Dow Chemical is one of many worldwide partners of the Olympics but its selection has been highly controversial due to links between Dow and the Bhopal gas tragedy that killed tens of thousands of Indians in 1984.

26. 'Cho-Lhamu' lake, located over 18,000 feet above sea level has been declared the highest lake in the country after a survey conducted by the central government. In this context, consider the following Statements:
1.Teesta river has its origin in Cho-Lhamu lake.
2.Cho-Lhamu lake is situated in Sikkim.
Which of the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?
[A]Only 1
[B]Only 2
[C]Both 1 and 2
[D]Neither 1 nor 2

The Wetland Atlas, prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, has stated that Cho-Lhamu is the highest lake in the country and the sixth highest lake in the world. The Teesta river, stated to be the lifeline of Sikkim, has its origin in Cho-Lhamu lake, located near the Donkiala pass and only about five
km from the Indo-China border.

27. Consider the following Statements regarding 'Salwa Judum'?
1.Salwa Judum literally means 'purification hunt'.
2.It is a militia of local tribal youth formed with the aim of countering Naxal violence in Kalahandi-Balangir-Koraput(KBK) Region of Orissa.
3.It receives support from the State Government.
Which among the above Statements are correct?
[A]1 and 2
[B]1 and 3
[C]2 and 3
[D]1, 2 and 3

Salwa Judum refers to a militia in Chhattisgarh, India, which is aimed at countering the naxalite violence in the region. The militia consisting of local tribal youth receives support and training from the Chhattisgarh state government. On July 5, 2011, the Supreme Court of India declared the militia as illegal and unconstitutional. The court directed the Chhattisgarh government to recover all the firearms given along with the ammunition and accessories. It also ordered the government to investigate all instances of alleged criminal activities of Salwa Judum.The use of Salwa Judum by the government for anti naxal operations was criticized for its violations of human rights, use of child soldiers and poorly trained uneducated youth for counter-insurgency roles.

28. Who among the following has assumed the charge as the first US Ambassador to Myanmar in 22 years?
[A]Ryan Crocker
[B]Larry Palmer
[C]Derek Mitchell
[D]Nancy Jo Powell

29. Who among the following is the President of the strife-torn nation 'South Sudan'?

[A]Mohamed Morsi
[B]Salva Kiir Mayardit
[C]Sharif Sheikh Ahmed
[D]Omar al-Bashir

30. 'Anto Peter' who passed away recently was a ___________ Champion.

[A]Formula One
[B]Swimming
[C]Tamil Language Computing
[D]Quantum Computing

31. Consider the following Statements regarding 'Child Sex Ratio' in India?
1.Child Sex Ratio is the number of females per thousand males in the age group 0–6 years.
2.Maharashtra and Haryana are the States having the highest and the lowest child sex ratio respectively.
Which among the Statement(s) given above is/are correct?
[A]Only 1
[B]Only 2
[C]Both 1 and 2
[D]Neither 1 nor 2

Mizoram has the highest child sex ratio of 971 females against 1000 males.

32. The final destination of the TAPI gas pipeline will be _________ near the India-Pakistan border.
[A]Firozpur, Punjab
[B]Fazilka, Punjab
[C]Hodka, Gujarat
[D]Barmer, Rajasthan

33. Which among the following has recently replaced the 'K-computer' of Japan as the world's fastest supercomputer?

[A]IBM Roadrunner
[B]IBM Sequoia
[C]SuperMUC
[D]Cray Jaguar

34. The lack of consensus on territorial dispute over 'Scarborough Shoal', a reef island in South China Sea lead to breaking up of ASEAN summit recently.Which among the following countries make conflicting claims over this disputed island territory?

[A]China, Philippines, Taiwan
[B]China, Taiwan, Vietnam
[C]China, Philippines, Malaysia
[D]China, Philippines, Brunei

35. Who is/are the author(s) of the book 'Spies Against Armageddon' which provides details of secret assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists?

[A]Aharon Megged
[B]Dan Raviv
[C]Yossi Melman
[D]Both [B] and [C]

'Spies Against Armageddon' is shrouded in controversy for saying that Israel’s Mossad Spy Agency assassinated at least four Iranian nuclear scientists in an effort to curb the country’s controversial nuclear program.

36. The 'World Bank' comprises of :
1.International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
2.International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
3.International Development Association (IDA)
Choose the correct option:
[A]Only 1
[B]1 and 2
[C]1 and 3
[D]1, 2 and 3

The World Bank differs from the World Bank Group, in that the World Bank comprises only two institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA), whereas the latter incorporates these two in addition to three more:International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

37. India has decided to scale down its diplomatic ties with ________ ,after the country refused to take measures for the extradition of 'Purulia arms drop case' accused Kim Davy.
[A]Finland
[B]Denmark
[C]Norway
[D]Sweden

In the wee hours of December 18, 1995 a mysterious weapon consignment was dropped from the sky over Joupur Jhalda area under Purulia Disctrict of West Bengal.

38. How much money has been pledged by India as a contribution to IMF's bail-out fund for Eurozone Crisis at the G-20 summit?
[A]$5 Billion
[B]$10 Billion
[C]$15 Billion
[D]$20 Billion

39. Which among the following nations is not a part of ASEAN+3 group?

[A]China
[B]Japan
[C]North Korea
[D]South Korea

40. Who among the following was not one of the J&K interlocutors whose recommendations form the report submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs in May, 2012?

[A]Radha Kumar
[B]M.M.Ansari
[C]N.N.Vohra
[D]Dilip Padgaonkar