RAPID GK SERIES 54

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. The lines on a Meteorological Map joining places of equal monthly or yearly rainfall<br /> 2. The name given to strong wind having a Speed between 56 km and 72 km per hour is<br /> 3. The Largest Airport of the World is in<br /> 4. The headquarter of Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) is in<br /> 5. The Study of Bones is called<br /> 6. The National Emblem of Australia is<br /> 7. The Unit of Power is<br /> 8. The Instrument to measure the Rainfall is<br /> 9. The World Book Day is observed on<br /> 10. In 2009, the Bandra-Worli Sea Link was inaugurated in this City<br /> <br /> <b>ANSWERS</b><br /> <br /> 1. Isotherms<br /> 2. Gale<br /> 3. King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia<br /> 4. Lyons, France<br /> 5. Osteology<br /> 6. Kangaroo<br /> 7. Watt<br /> 8. Rain Gauge<br /> 9. April 23<br /> 10. Mumbai </div>

RAPID GK SERIES 54

1. The lines on a Meteorological Map joining places of equal monthly or yearly rainfall 2. The name given to strong wind having a Speed bet...

+ Read more »

LS Speaker is leading Indian Para delegation to Pak

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is leading first ever Indian Parliamentary delegation to Pakistan. The delegation will be in Pakistan for four days beginning Feb 21. During its visit, the delegation will call on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate Farooq Hamid Naek, Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan Fehmida Mirza and Foreign Affairs Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The delegation will also visit Taxila and Lahore. The visit is taking place under the bilateral exchange programme of the two countries. The other members of the delegation include Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Tarun Vijay of BJP, Madan Lal Sharma of Congress, Birendra Prasad Baishya of AGP, Sheikh Saidul Haque of CPI-M, Independent Inder Singh Namdhari all Members of Parliament and T K Viswanathan, Secretary General of the Lok Sabha.</li> </ul></div>

LS Speaker is leading Indian Para delegation to Pak

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is leading first ever Indian Parliamentary delegation to Pakistan. The delegation will be in Pakistan for fo...

+ Read more »

Railways to promote steam loco tourism

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6038" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Indian Railways pitched for regular running of steam locos to boost tourism. The locos will run between tourism destinations. Addressing the National Steam Congress in New Delhi, Northern Railway Divisional Railway Manager Aswani Lohani said the move will also help preserve steam heritage. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Lohani said operation of steam locos between Delhi-Alwar and in hill stations can be a great tourist attraction and the department should work for it. </li> </ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Lohani said the railways have recently revived the steam locoshed at Rewari where nine steam locos are being showcased for the public. Railway Board Member Sanjiv Handa said that steam loco is the heart of heritage and it should be revived.</li> </ul></div></div>

Railways to promote steam loco tourism

Indian Railways pitched for regular running of steam locos to boost tourism. The locos will run b...

+ Read more »

Delhi court directs NIA to produce Headley

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">A Delhi court directed the National Investigative Agency to produce Pakistani American David Coleman Headley involved in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by the 13th of next month. The court also asked the Agency - NIA - to produce his accomplice Tahawwur Rana, LeT founder Hafiz Saeed and mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi accused of carrying out several terror attacks in India. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The court issued non-bailable warrants against Pakistan Army officials Major Iqbal and Major Sameer Ali, Al-Qaeda operative Illyas Kashmiri, Headley's handler Sajid Malik and former Pakistani Army officer Abdul Rehman Hashmi. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>District Judge H S Sharma took cognizance of the charge sheet filed by NIA against all the nine accused for their alleged roles in various terror acts. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The NIA has urged the court to issue a letter rogatory to Morocco for further investigation of the role of Headley's second wife, Faiza Outalha, in the 26/11 attacks and ascertain her whereabouts. According to the NIA, Outalha hails from Morocco and she had made visits to India in April, 2007 and June, July and August, 2008. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The NIA, in its charge sheet filed on December 24, had accused 51-year-old Headley, Rana, Saeed and six others for planning and executing terror strikes in India, including the 26/11 Mumbai attack. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Headley and Rana are at present in the custody of the US authorities and the NIA has only got a limited access to Headley who had entered into plea bargain with US authorities to escape harsh sentence.</li> </ul></div>

Delhi court directs NIA to produce Headley

A Delhi court directed the National Investigative Agency to produce Pakistani American David Coleman Headley involved in the 26/11 Mumbai ...

+ Read more »

Belgium-based agency set to move sanctions against Iran

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6040" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Sanctions against Iran have moved one step ahead. The Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) in a statement on its website said it was ready to implement sanctions against Iranian financial institutions. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The move will have far reaching implications on Iranian financial institutions. In case SWIFT decides to expel Iranian Central Bank and other Iranian banks from its network, it would block Iran's entire banking system. Since it will deny them the main conduit for exchanging of crucial financial transaction information with banks in most countries. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>According to Swift's 2010 annual report, 19 Iranian banks are members of the network, which processed nearly 2.3 million messages for Iranian financial institutions in 2010r. </li> </ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">SWIFT is run by the National Bank of Belgium and a consortium of Central banks of the other countries that form the Group of 10: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Britain and the United States. Iran has not yet reacted to the SWIFT’s announcement. The Financial analysts say if it happens it would have further cripple the economy in Iran.</li> </ul></div></div>

Belgium-based agency set to move sanctions against Iran

Sanctions against Iran have moved one step ahead. The Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interba...

+ Read more »

Hockey qualifiers for London Olympics begin

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;">Hockey qualifier rounds for the London Olympics will begin at Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi today on Feb 18.<br /> <br /> The eight time Olympics champion Indian men's hockey team's first encounter will be with Singapore.<br /> <br /> India, Canada, France, Poland, Singapore and Italy are in the same pool.<br /> <br /> Indian women will play their first match with Ukraine today. The women's teams of India, South Africa, Italy, Canada and Poland are in the same pool.</div></div>

Hockey qualifiers for London Olympics begin

Hockey qualifier rounds for the London Olympics will begin at Major Dhyanchand Stadium in New Delhi today on Feb 18. The eight time Olympi...

+ Read more »

Navi Mumbai soon get Maharashtra's first harbour

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6042" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Navi Mumbai might soon get Maharashtra's first harbour to park boats and yachts and a waterfront to promote social activity on its coast. So far, Kerala is the only state in the country, which has its own marina at Kochi. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Despite having a 150km coastline, Navi Mumbai has not been able to develop a waterfront similar to Marine Drive, Chowpatty, Haji Ali, Worli Sea Face, Bandra Bandstand, Juhu Beach or Versova in Mumbai. Speaking to AIR, Chief Public Relation Officer of City and Industrial Development Corporation’s Dr. Ninave said waterfronts are popular public spaces and the idea is to develop social and cultural activity at these waterfronts and attract tourists.  </li> </ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">In the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of boat owners in Mumbai. However, lack of parking facilities has become a major problem. With its alignment, the Navi Mumbai coast can prove to be a good location for marina and waterfront development. This, in turn, could boost tourism.</li> </ul></div></div>

Navi Mumbai soon get Maharashtra's first harbour

Navi Mumbai might soon get Maharashtra's first harbour to park boats and yachts and a waterfr...

+ Read more »

NCTC row: BJP demands Inter-State Council meet

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6043" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Alleging that the NCTC is not on the lines promised by the UPA government in the wake of 26/11, the BJP demanded that a meeting of the Inter-State Council be called to discuss the matter instead of forming it through an executive order.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The opposition party also asserted that since law and order is a state subject, the government should keep the states in the loop in the functioning of NCTC. Not doing so- as envisaged in the proposed NCTC- is a breach of the federal structure, it alleged.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span>Seven Chief Ministers, including West Bengal's Mamta Banerjee and her Tamil Nadu counterpart J Jayalalithaa, have opposed NCTC on the grounds that it is against federalism. </span> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The BJP demanded that a meeting of the Inter-State Council be called to discuss this matter immediately.  </li> </ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The opposition accused the UPA of playing votebank politics by arrogating powers to itself without any concern for the states.</li> </ul></div></div>

NCTC row: BJP demands Inter-State Council meet

Alleging that the NCTC is not on the lines promised by the UPA government in the wake of 26/11, t...

+ Read more »

Phytoplankton crucial to healthy planet

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Marine phytoplankton – the tiny, single-celled algae, which act as a natural sponge for carbon dioxide and are a critical part of the global carbon cycle – may play a key role in ensuring the health of the planet, say a Canadian scientist.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>According to Maria (Maite) Maldonado, Canada Research Chair in Phytoplankton Trace Metal Physiology at The University of British Columbia, phytoplankton form the base of the ocean food chain, have an integral role in controlling global warming and provide more than half of our oxygen supply.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Each year, phytoplankton are responsible for converting about 45 gigatons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to organic carbon. Of this, approximately 16 gigatons is transferred to the waters of the deep ocean in a process commonly referred to as a “biological carbon pump.”  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The deep ocean is one of the Earth’s natural carbon “sinks” and will hold carbon from the atmosphere for centuries. The biological carbon pump controls the carbon dioxide content in the upper ocean, which in turn regulates atmospheric carbon dioxide levels—and, as a result, climate change.  </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Scientists have established that low iron concentrations in ocean water limit phytoplankton growth, since phytoplankton use iron to photosynthesize and grow. In these iron-limited environments (which make up approximately 30 per cent of the global ocean), the biological pump becomes inefficient and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is reduced. </li> </ul></div>

Phytoplankton crucial to healthy planet

Marine phytoplankton – the tiny, single-celled algae, which act as a natural sponge for carbon dioxide and are a critical part of the glob...

+ Read more »

Iran to pay rupee for India imports in two weeks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Indian exporters will be able to receive payments in the restricted rupee currency for sales to Iran within two weeks, the chief of India's top exporters' body said, as New Delhi puts a mechanism in place to maintain trade despite US sanctions. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>About USD 3 billion in Iranian import arrears have accumulated since December 2010, M Rafeeque Ahmed said, when a previous payment conduit was closed under pressure from Washington, which is using sanctions to try to stop Tehran's suspected nuclear programme. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Indian oil importers have been paying for around $11 billion a year of crude since the middle of 2011 through Turkey's Halkbank, but this route would have been expensive for Iranian importers given sharp falls in the trial. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>India was Tehran's second-biggest crude customer last year after China and Iranian oil accounts for about 12% of its needs. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Most of the Iranian arrears are for imports of iron and steel, chemicals and cereals, machinery and pharmaceuticals, Ahmed said. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Indian rice suppliers have also reported defaults by Iranian buyers and have said they are owed at least USD144 million. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>With payments for oil through Halkbank now looking vulnerable to fresh sanctions, India and Iran have agreed to settle 45% of this trade in rupees and boost exports to narrow their trade gap. Oil buyers are waiting for tax issues to be cleared up before they use the mechanism. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Iran's central bank has already deposited with India's UCO bank about USD1 billion which had been used in the Asian Clearing Union (ACU), the longstanding mechanism that ended in 2010. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>This will be used to kick off rupee payments to India's exporters -- allowing Tehran a way to use the restricted currency it would otherwise find hard to spend. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>India abides by United Nations sanctions on Iran, but has refused to go along with new financial measures imposed by the United States and European Union which aim to punish Iran for its nuclear ambitions.</li> </ul></div>

Iran to pay rupee for India imports in two weeks

Indian exporters will be able to receive payments in the restricted rupee currency for sales to Iran within two weeks, the chief of India...

+ Read more »

RBI to issue Rs 10 notes with inset letter 'P'

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6046" style="display: block;"> <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The Reserve Bank will shortly issue banknotes of Rs 10 denomination with inset letter 'P' in the Mahatma Gandhi series. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>"The RBI will shortly issue Rs 10 denomination banknotes with inset letter 'P', in the Mahatma Gandhi Series bearing the signature of D Subbarao, Governor, RBI, and the year of printing on the reverse of the banknote," the central bank said in a statement. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The design of these notes to be issued now would be similar in all respects to the banknotes in Mahatma Gandhi Series 2005 issued earlier. </li> </ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">All the banknotes of Rs 10 denomination issued by RBI earlier will continue to be legal tender, it added.</li> </ul></div></div>

RBI to issue Rs 10 notes with inset letter 'P'

The Reserve Bank will shortly issue banknotes of Rs 10 denomination with inset letter 'P' ...

+ Read more »