1. Name the Commission that was constituted by the Union Government on 26 December 2012 to inquire into the different aspects of the brutal rape and assault incident of the girl on 16 December 2012
on the streets of Delhi and was asked to submit the report of its findings within three months?
(A) Kalelkar Commission
(B) Usha Mehra Commission
(C) Narendran Commission
(D) Mandal Commission
Answer: (B) Usha Mehra Commission
2. Life Time Achievement Award 2012 was conferred to an Indian by Ernst & Young. Name the person who was conferred with the award?
(A) Azim Premji
(B) Aditya Vikram Birla
(C) Gautam Thapar
(D) Ratan Tata
Answer: (D) Ratan Tata
3. The core of Milky Way is actually cloaked in dust which makes all stars unclear from telescopes of the astronomers, except the brightest stars. But these hypervelocity stars were useful in providing a peep into _________. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option.
(A) Deaths of stars in Milky Way
(B) Birth of the stars in the universe
(C) Deaths of the stars around the Sun
(D) Formation of stars in Milky Way
Answer: (D) Formation of stars in Milky Way
4. In a major victory, the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague has upheld India's right to
divert water from the project which is currently running in Kashmir. The court on Monday, 18 Feb 2013, rejected Pakistan's contention that India was violating the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in the project in Gurez valley near Bandipura in north Kashmir. In its ‘partial award’ over the 330 MW project, the Court ruled that India would have to maintain a minimum flow in the river, known as Neelum in Pakistan. The rate will be determined by the Court in its final award, which is likely to be delivered by year-end. The ‘partial award’ has “no appeal” and is “binding” on both countries. Can you name the project?
(A) Rabi hydro-electric project
(B) Beas hydro-electric project
(C) Kishenganga hydro-electric project
(D) Chenab hydro-electric project
Ans: (C) Kishenganga hydro-electric project
5. Thirty Indian software product companies joined hands to form their own new association, marking a break-up with the IT industry body NASSCOM. What is the name of this newly formed association?
(A) Indian Software Product Industry Round Table
(B) iSpirt
(C) Both these are the same
(D) None of these
Answer: (C) Both these are the same
6. ICICI Bank, the largest private sector bank of India partnered with Aircel to announce the launch of
their mobile banking service. What is the name of this mobile banking service?
(A) Mobile Money
(B) Mobile Market
(C) Mobile Finance
(D) Mobile Corporate
Answer: (A) Mobile Money
7. Who was appointed as the group spokesperson and brand custodian of TATA Group on 6 February
2013?
(A) Cyrus Mistry
(B) Ratan Tata
(C) Manjushree Khaitan
(D) Mukund Govind Rajan
Answer: (D) Mukund Govind Rajan
8. I&B Ministry Constituted Expert Committee to Review Functioning of Prasar Bharti under the
chairmanship of?
(A) Sam Pitroda
(B) Shekhar Kapur
(C) Shri Jawhar Sircar
(D) Dr. B.K. Gairola
Answer: (A) Sam Pitroda
9. The Union Cabinet of India on 6 February 2013 gave its nod to the proposal of decreasing the
headcounts to what number in habitations under the government's flagship programme, Pradhan
Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY
(A) 125
(B) 140
(C) 100
(D) 200
Answer: (C) 100
10. My India Initiative-A Digital Volunteer Programme was launched by which ministry of the
Government of India?
(A) Information and Broadcasting Ministry
(B) Agricultural Ministry
(C) Science and Technology Ministry
(D) New and Renewable Energy
Answer: (A) Information and Broadcasting Ministry
11. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on 8 February 2013 arranged the first of its kind Live Twitter Conference. What was the theme of the conference?
(A) Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference
(B) Community Radio: Road Travelled & Way Forward
(C) Climate Change and Sustainable Development Conference
(D) Live Twitter ConferenceAnswer: (B) Community Radio: Road Travelled & Way Forward
12. A group of various banks agreed to loan 937 crore Rupees for 1000-MW NTPL power project. NTPL power project is the joint venture of Tamil Nadu Power Generation and Distribution Corporation as well as Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). Where will the project come up?
(A) Vishakhapatnam
(B) Tuticorin
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Kalpakkam
Answer: (B) Tuticorin
13. Which company launched WiFi-only Galaxy Camera in February 2013? The new WiFi-only Galaxy
Camera is powered by Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) operating system.
(A) Nikon
(B) Sony
(C) Samsung
(D) Cannon
Answer: (C) Samsung
14. Dabur India on 18 February 2013 launched Dabur Babool + Salt Powder Toothpaste. Who was
chosen for endorsing this brand?
(A) Bipasha Basu
(B) Sonakshi Sinha
(C) Salman Khan
(D) Irrfan Khan
Answer: (D) Irrfan Khan
15. Telecom Regulator Authority of India (TRAI) started the pre-consultation process for the countrywide __________. Fill in the blank with appropriate option.
(A) mobile number portability
(B) free roaming
(C) free international SMS
(D) lower STD rates
Answer: (A) mobile number portability
16. The Union Cabinet of India approved merger of Bharat Heavy Plate & Vessels Ltd. (BHPV)
Vishakhapatnam with which company?
(A) Akaltara Power Ltd.
(B) BEML Ltd.
(C) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
(D) Bharat Electronics Ltd.
Answer: (C) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)
17. Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) analysis of government data and the Global Burden of
Disease report's data on India has shown that it is the fifth leading cause of death in India after high
blood pressure, indoor air pollution, tobacco smoking and poor nutrition, with about 620,000 premature
deaths occurring from the diseases related to it. What is it?[Category: Environment Current Affairs]
(A) Alcohol
(B) Sexually Transmitted Diseases
(C) Air pollution
(D) Sanitation Hygiene
Ans: C
18. The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday, 13 Feb 2013, nominated popular stand-up comedian Raju
Srivastava as the party's candidate for the 2014 general elections. Now, he is all set to face Congress's
sitting MP and Union minister Sriprakash Jaiswal in the constituency. Raju Srivastava has been named
candidate for which parliamentary constituency by SP?
(A) Itawah
(B) Kanpur
(C) Amethi
(D) Lakhimpur Khiri
Ans: B
19. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Wednesday froze the bank accounts of two
Sahara group companies and attached their properties for lapses in the refund of Rs __________ crore
they had raised from investors. The market regulator also ordered a freeze on the bank accounts and
properties of group chief Subrata Roy Sahara and three other top officials. The orders against Sahara
India Real Estate Corporation (SIREC) and Sahara Housing Investment Corporation (SHIC) came after the Supreme Court pulled up the two companies last week, seeking an explanation for their alleged noncompliance with its order to refund by November 30 last year the sum they had raised through optional fully convertible debentures.
(A) 12000
(B) 16000
(C) 20000
(D) 24000
Ans: D
20. India's exports rose for the first time in nine months in January. Exports in January grew ______% to $25.5 billion compared with the year ago month, while imports rose 6.1% to $45.6 billion, data released by the commerce and industry ministry on Wednesday, 13 Feb 2013, showed. The trade deficit has now widened to nearly $20 billion from $16.7 billion a year ago, just short of the all-time high of $21 billion in October. Although demand for Indian merchandise in the West is still low, the latest trade data has brought optimism among some officials that the situation will improve.
(A) 0.53
(B) 0.64
(C) 0.77
(D) 0.82
Ans: D
21. An Indian air carrier on Tuesday, 19 Feb 2013, offered 20 lakh tickets at heavily discounted prices for travel anywhere till December this year, becoming the second airline in the past 50 days to lure
travellers by drastically slashing fares. The airline is offering to sell tickets for any destination in India starting at 2,250, a good 40-60% cheaper than fares on normal days. The offer, which is valid till
February 24, was announced by the airline on Tuesday morning and sent flyers scrambling to book
tickets. Can you name the airline?
(A) IndiGo
(B) Jet Airways
(C) SpiceJet
(D) GoAir
Ans: B
22. An Indian billionaire is following in the footsteps of Warren Buffet and Bill Gates to become the first Indian to dedicate a majority of his wealth to philanthropy by signing up for the Giving Pledge. The
Giving Pledge was formed in 2010 to encourage the wealthiest in the US to give a part of their wealth
towards philanthropic activities. However, Buffett now wants to widen the group’s function outside the
US to India and China. Can you name the person who has pledged more of his wealth to charitable
causes?
(A) Azim Premji
(B) N R Narayanmurthy
(C) Mukesh Ambani
(D) Ratan Tata
Ans: A
23. Armed robbers have pulled off a spectacular heist at ___________ airport, making off with millions
of euros worth of diamonds on 19th February 2013. The raid saw the gang of thieves hit a Brinks
security truck as its contents were being loaded onto a Swiss aircraft bound for Zurich. VRT public
television initially spoke of the haul being worth 350 million euros ($465 million), but later changed their
figures to 50 million euros. If confirmed, the robbery would be one of the biggest diamond heists of all
time.
(A) Heathrow
(B) Amsterdam
(C) John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York
(D) Brussels
Ans: D
24. Voting for the Tripura assembly elections began on Thursday, 14th Feb 2013, amidst tight security. In all, 23,55,446 people, about half of them women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 249 candidates, including 15 women and many independents. Apprehending trouble by
separatist outfits and possible violence, a record 40,000 paramilitary and other security personnel have
been deployed, while two air surveillance teams led by senior police officials are conducting air
surveillance. What is the number of members in the Assembly in Tripura for which elections are
underway?
(A) 60
(B) 62
(C) 67
(D) 72
Ans: A
25. FE Best Banks Awards launched in February 1997, annually fetes banks that have delivered
exemplary performance on various parameters including growth, profitability, strength & soundness
amongst others. The awards are based on the FE Best Bank Survey and have emerged as the highest
award of banking excellence in the country. Which bank was named as winner in the Public Sector Banks for this year award held in Mumbai on 20th Feb 2013?
(A) Allahabad Bank
(B) State Bank of India
(C) Bank of Baroda
(D) Punjab National Bank
Ans: C
26. Which mobile company launched an emergency alert service for the subscribers in Odisha, Bengal
and Kolkata on 1 February 2013? The service is directed towards the women primarily.
(A) Vodafone
(B) Bharti Airtel
(C) Aircel
(D) Tata Indicom
Answer: (B) Bharti Airtel
27. A woman has emerged as the Britain's worst serial killer after over 2.5 million criminal records
between 1770 and 1934 were placed online by the National Archives and revealed that she murdered
400 babies. The woman was dubbed the 'Angel Maker', a prolific serial killer responsible for the horrific crimes that sent shockwaves through 19th century Britain, the Daily Mail reported on Saturday, 23rd Feb 2013. Can you name the woman killer?
(A) Mary Ann Cotton
(B) Amelia Dyer
(C) Jane Toppan
(D) Amelia Sach
Ans: B
28. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has said inactive pre-paid mobile phone
connections cannot be deactivated if they have a minimum balance of Rs. _______ in their account and
the time for considering ‘inactive’ will be 90 days. Under the amended regulations, an operator will have to provide facility for reactivating numbers by paying a reasonable amount.
(A) 20
(B) 50
(C) 100
(D) 500
Ans: A
29. Who on 5 February 2013 took over as the top executive of the BK Birla flagship, Kesoram Industries which is a 6000 crore Rupees company?
(A) Kumar Mangalam Birla
(B) Bharat Singh
(C) Manjushree Khaitan(D) Lalit Naik
Answer: (C) Manjushree Khaitan
30. Iran on 28 January 2013 announced that it had successfully sent into space a primate. Which primate did it send into space?
(A) Worms
(B) Monkey
(C) Turtle
(D) Mouse
Answer: (B) Monkey
31. NASA on 1 February 2013 marked 10th anniversary of which Space Shuttle?
(A) Columbia
(B) Challenger
(C) Both of these
(D) None of these
Answer: (A) Columbia
32. The duo of Sania Mirza and a US player clinched the women's doubles title in the 2 million dollar
Dubai Duty Free tennis championship on Saturday, 23rd Feb 2013. This is Sania's 16th doubles title in
her career and fourth while partnering with US player with whom India's best ever woman tennis player shares a special bonding. Can you name the US player?
(A) Bethanie Mattek-Sands
(B) Nadia Petrova
(C) Katarina Srebotnik
(D) Cara Black
Ans: A
33. NASA scientists discovered the youngest black hole in our galaxy, Milky Way in February 2013. How far is this black hole from Earth?
(A) 26000 light years away
(B) 12000 light years away
(C) 10000 light years away
(D) 25000 light years away
Answer: (A) 26000 light years away
34. President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Mamohan Singh witnessed the Indian Air Force's
largest "day-dusk-night" firepower demonstration in the Rajasthan desert on Friday, 22n Feb 2013. The
exercise which was held at the Pokhran ranges saw the participation of 230 aircraft, including the Sukhoi Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000, Jaguar, MiG-21, MiG-27, MiG-29 and the Hawk advanced jet trainer. What is the name of this Exercise organised by Indian Air Force in Jaisalmer?
(A) Flight Fist 2013
(B) Aero Fist 2013
(C) Force Fist 2013
(D) Iron Fist 2013Ans: C
35. BJP on Saturday warned the government against going ahead with the ______________ project,
saying the sentiments of crores of Hindus are attached to the issue and it will not tolerate any tampering
with the Ram Setu. Government is ignoring the recommendations of the RK Pachauri Committee report
and going ahead with the project. The Pachauri Committee, which submitted its report to the Supreme
Court, has said the shipping channel project is not viable on economic and ecological grounds.
Government has rejected the report and maintained that it intends to pursue the project which will cut
through the Adam's Bridge, popularly known as Ram Setu.
(A) IndoSino Channel
(B) Ramasamudram
(C) Sethusamudram
(D) RamaSethu
Ans: C
36. Scientists from NASA in the last week of January 2013 discovered an old star called TW Hydrae which they believe could create new planets even now. How old is this star?
(A) 100 million years old
(B) 50 million years old
(C) 20 million years old
(D) 10 million years old
Answer: (D) 10 million years old
37. The Japanese scientists from the Saitama University in the first week of February 2013 filmed for the first time, the thoughts of which animal while it was tracking its prey?
(A) A fish
(B) A zebra
(C) An elephant
(D) A snail
Answer: (A) A fish
38. Reckitt Benckiser (RB) on 13 Feb 2013 signed a global partnership deal of 8-million US dollars with
which NGO?
(A) Smile Foundation
(B) Save the Girl Child
(C) Plan India Children
(D) Save the Children
Answer: (D) Save the Children
39. Twitter on 11 February 2013 launched its first pay-by-tweet service in whose partnership?
(A) American Express
(B) Microsoft Office
(C) Facebook
(D) Google
Answer: (A) American Express
40. Which third national stock exchange made its debut in India on 11 February 2013?
(A) SX40
(B) MCX-SX
(C) BSE
(D) NSE
Answer: (B) MCX-SX
41. Which company in February 2013 became the first Indian FMCG brand that crossed 5000 crore
Rupees mark in terms of retail sales in one year?
(A) Britannia's Tiger
(B) ITC's Sunfeast
(C) Parle-G
(D) None of these
Answer: (C) Parle-G
42. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) acquired stake of Navistar International Corporation in how many
joint ventures?
(A) One joint venture
(B) Two joint ventures
(C) Three joint ventures
(D) Four joint ventures
Answer: (B) two joint ventures
43. Name the Iranian President, who visited Egypt for the first time after Tehran's 1979 Islamic
revolution.
(A) Mohammad Khatami
(B) Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
(C) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
(D) Ali Khamenei
Answer: (C) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
44. Name the port whose operational controlled were transferred in the hands of Chinese Overseas Port
Holdings Ltd. by Pakistan in the last week of January 2013.
(A) Keti Bandar Port
(B) Gwadar port
(C) Karachi Port
(D) Bin Qasim Port
Answer: (B) Gwadar Port
45. Name the person who was nominated as the U.S. interior secretary for looking after the huge energy reserves as well as the national parks by the US President Barack Obama in February 2013.
(A) Sally Jewell
(B) Anne Marbury Hutchinson
(C) Phillis Wheatley
(D) Sarah Josepha Hale
Answer: (A) Sally Jewell
46. A new study using data from a pair of gravity-measuring NASA satellites found on 12 February 2013 that large parts of the arid __________ region lost freshwater reserves rapidly during the past decade. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option.
(A) Middle East
(B) South Eastern
(C) Saudi Arabia
(D) North Western
Answer: (A) Middle East
47. Astronomers in the third week of February 2013 discovered six speeding stars which were racing
through the space at a speed of 3.2 million kilometres per hour. The mass of these stars is equivalent to
what?
(A) Moon
(B) Earth
(C) Milky Way
(D) Sun
Answer: (D) Sun
48. The Surrey Space Centre (SSC) of the University of Surrey on 26 February 2013 announced that a
nano-satellite carrying a smartphone was launched successfully into space from India. What is the name of this nano-satellite?
(A) STRaND-1
(B) Scream in Space
(C) iTesa
(D) Space Flight
Answer: (A) STRaND-1
49. Six foreign micro and mini spacecrafts as well as the Indo-French oceanographic study satellite were launched successfully by ISRO's PSLV-C20 rocket on 25 February 2013 from the spaceport at Sriharikota. What is the name of the Indo-French oceanographic study satellite?
(A) Polar Satellite
(B) UniBRITE
(C) SARAL
(D) SAPPHIRE
Answer: (C) SARAL
50. Researchers from Norway, South Africa, Britain and Germany, in the last week of February 2013
discovered a sunken and small continent beneath the Indian Ocean. What is the name of this newly
found lost continent?
(A) Gondwana
(B) Mauritia
(C) Reunion
(D) Laurasia
Answer: (B) Mauritia
51. How many satellites were launched successfully by ISRO's PSLV-C20 rocket on 25 February 2013
from the spaceport at Sriharikota?(A) Six
(B) Eight
(C) Seven
(D) Five
Answer: (C) Seven
52. Which Indian state was ranked at number 32 or the worst position in the crucial environmental
parameters of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) that evolved by Planning Commission?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Goa
(C) Sikkim
(D) Delhi
Answer: (D) Delhi