RAPID GK SERIES 56

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. During the Budget Session of 2009-10, all the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Families have come under this     development scheme<br /> 2. According to the Census 2011-12, the Sex Ratio of India is<br /> 3. The Banking Ombudsman, which is the Customer Redress Forum maintained by the RBI was introduced in this year<br /> 4. This World Bank body used to provide Financial Assistance with the help of Private Investors to the developing Countries even during the War & Civil Disturbances<br /> 5. Limnology is the study of<br /> 6. Angkor Wat is the magnificent temple situated in<br /> 7. He was the first Commander-in-Chief of India<br /> 8. The Man who climb the Mount Everest First<br /> 9. The abbreviation of DICGC is<br /> 10. “Be Proud that You are an Indian, Proudly claim that I am an Indian, every Indian is my Brother”, is the famous quotation of this personality<br /> <br /> <b>ANSWERS</b><br /> <br /> 1. Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana<br /> 2. 940 Females per 1000 Males<br /> 3. 2002<br /> 4. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)<br /> 5. Lakes<br /> 6. Cambodia<br /> 7. K. M. Cariappa (1949-53)<br /> 8. Tensing Norgay (1953)<br /> 9. Deposit Insurance Credit Guarantee Corporation<br /> 10. Swami Vivekananda </div>

RAPID GK SERIES 56

1. During the Budget Session of 2009-10, all the Below Poverty Line (BPL) Families have come under this     development scheme 2. According...

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Govt sets deadline to Kingfisher to come out with revised flight schedule

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6059" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The government has given an ultimatum of 24 Hours to the private airlines Kingfisher to come out with a revised schedule of flights to avoid any hardship to passengers. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) Bharat Bhusan said the airline has been asked to ensure passengers difficulties are minimised.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Kingfisher Airline's CEO Sanjay Aggarwal also briefed the aviation regulator, about their plans to end the large-scale disruptions of flights and their financial troubles. Concerned over the sudden cancellations and passenger inconvenience, DGCA had summoned the airline's CEO and top officials to appear before them to explain the large-scale disruptions in the operations and the reasons.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>Earlier, Civil Aviation minister Mr. Ajit Singh ruled out any bail out package for the private airline.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>While 13 flights were cancelled from Mumbai, 8 were cancelled from Kolkata and four from Delhi leaving many passengers stranded. The major air route of Mumbai-Delhi was the worst-hit with maximum cancellations and clubbing of flights. The carrier had yesterday cancelled 30 flights including those to Bangkok, Singapore, Kathmandu and Dhaka, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at various airports across the country.</span></span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span>The Airlines faced fresh problems yesterday with 34 pilots quitting and a large number of staff being put on notice </span></span></li> </ul></div></div>

Govt sets deadline to Kingfisher to come out with revised flight schedule

The government has given an ultimatum of 24 Hours to the private airlines Kingfisher to come out...

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Jordan invites trade and investment from India

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6060" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Jordan has invited the captains of industry from India for investment and trade with the country. At a meeting of the representatives of the Indian and Jordanian Business Councils in Dubai the two sides agreed to work together to enhance trade and commerce between the two countries. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The move will give a boost to Indo-Jordanian trade and investment. The CEO of the Jordanian Development Corporation, Yarob Al Qdha said Jordan is the gateway to Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt and any entry will facilitate entry into the regional markets. The meeting was also attended by a delegation of Jordanian trade and business leaders. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The meeting was organized by the Jordanian Consulate in Dubai. During the meet it was stated that concerns regarding security and stability in Jordan is not an issue. Around 20 big companies in Jordan are owned by the Indians with a trade worh $50 million and it has the potential to grow bigger and better.</li> </ul></div></div>

Jordan invites trade and investment from India

Jordan has invited the captains of industry from India for investment and trade with the countr...

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India's next-gen electronic warfare system

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6061" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">India plans to develop new-generation Electronic Warfare (EW) systems to be fitted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, aircraft and satellites that would help it see "deep inside enemy territories", a key defence research and development official said.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> Chief Controller, Research and Development (Electronics and Computer Sciences), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), R Sreehari Rao, said the present EW system, especially ground-based ones fitted on Naval platforms have got "limited range" (10-20 km) and "can't intercept beyond the line of sight".</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> He noted that EW systems (to be) fitted on higher platforms like UAVs, aircraft and satellites would give "very long range". The ones on UAVs and aircraft would give the country a 400-500 kms range capability and those on satellites "much longer range".</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> "We can see deep inside enemy territories.We have plans to go in for higher platforms", Rao told reporters in response to questions ahead of the second international conference on electronic warfare, which will be formally inaugurated in Bangalore.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> He also said a prototype of synthetic aperture radar, development of which is being pursued by DRDO constituent lab, Electronics and Radar Development Establishment would be flight-tested on a Dornier aircraft this year.</span></li> </ul></div></div>

India's next-gen electronic warfare system

India plans to develop new-generation Electronic Warfare (EW) systems to be fitted on Unmanned Ae...

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Military education has gained attention

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6062" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has stressed the need for imparting military education to students citing "rising" threat to internal security.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> "Even 64 years after independence, India is being threatened by China and Pakistan....with rising concern over internal security, we should give top priority to military education to students to make India strong," Bhagwat said.</span> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">Bhonsala Military School was founded in 1937 by the staunch Hindu leader Dr BS Moonje who also played a role in mentoring Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) founder KB Hedgewar.</span> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">"The Bhonsala Military School was founded by Moonje in a view to protect the nation and has been acting as a feeder institute to fulfil backlog of military officials," the RSS chief said.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> Senior RSS functionary Prakash Pathak informed that the BMS was going to start a similar facility exclusively for girls in Nashik.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> The BMS run by the Central Hindu Military Education Society (CHMES) is also mulling to set up a flying club and a pilot training institute besides a centre for service preparation and aeronautic engineering education. </span></li> </ul></div></div>

Military education has gained attention

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has stressed the need for imparting military education to students citin...

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State Education Ministers to meet on common entrance test

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6063" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Education Ministers of states will meet in New Delhi on Feb 22 to decide on the Centre's move to hold a single entrance test for admissions to under graduate science and engineering programmes across the country. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>HRD Minister Kapil Sibal says 11 education boards in the country have unanimously supported the move and the government now intends to seek the views of other boards in this regard. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Responding to a question whether the single entrance test would come into force by 2013 as planned he said in New Delhi that the government intends to write to other Boards in the country asking them to give their views and explain whether they have any problem with regard to conduct of the single test. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li> He said the main issue of bringing about equalisation of the Class XII marks across the boards has been sorted out by a formula designed by the Indian Statistical Institute that would give more representation to states in the IIT system.</li> </ul></div></div>

State Education Ministers to meet on common entrance test

Education Ministers of states will meet in New Delhi on Feb 22 to decide on the Centre's move...

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Consumer price inflation up 7.65% in January

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6064" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>India's annual consumer price inflation was 7.65 percent in January, the government said in a statement, higher-than wholesale inflation for the period. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The annual consumer price index (CPI) data released for the first time on Feb 21 measures retail prices in major food groups, fuel, clothing, housing and education across rural and urban India. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Unlike most central banks, which mainly use the CPI to monitor inflation and set monetary policy, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has long used the wholesale price index (WPI) as India's main inflation gauge. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Inflation as measured by the WPI eased to a 26-month low of 6.55 percent in January. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The RBI signaled last month its readiness to cut rates if there was a sustained decline in inflation.</li> </ul></div></div>

Consumer price inflation up 7.65% in January

India's annual consumer price inflation was 7.65 percent in January, the government said in ...

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State FMs meet on Mar 3; decide on expanding service tax net

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6065" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Ahead of the Union Budget, the state Finance Ministers will meet here on March 3 and suggest steps for increasing the ambit of the service tax net with a view to garnering more resources. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The state Finance Ministers have decided on the negative list and are expected to sort out issues concerning definition of services so that more economic activities could be brought under the tax net. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>It is widely expected that in the Union Budget on March 16, the government is expected keep 22 services in the negative list and impose 10 percent tax on all other services. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>A proper definition of service will help the government in imposing levy on more economic activities and also prevent tax-related disputes. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Last month, the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST) had approved imposition of service tax based on a negative list of services. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>At present, the tax is levied on 119 services. For the current fiscal, the Centre hopes to mop up Rs 82,000 crore from this levy. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Modi said that during the next meeting the ministers would also deliberate on development of Information Technology network for GST, headed by Nandan Nilekani. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>On compensation for phasing out of Central Sales Tax (CST), Modi said, "The Centre is refusing to give CST compensation for 2011-12. This issue will also be discussed and we will try to reach an amicable solution". </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The Centre has agreed to release around Rs 6,394 crore for 2010-11 as compensation to states for the gradual lowering of CST to 2 percent from 4 percent for gradual roll out of GST. However, the Centre has refused compensation to the states in the current fiscal. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>At present, CST is payable on inter-state sales at 2 percent. Although CST is levied by the Centre, the revenue goes to the state government. State from which movement of goods commences gets revenue. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The government is trying to introduce the new GST regime, which will subsume various levies like excise, service tax and states tax, like value-added tax, entry tax and purchase tax. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>In their pre-Budget consultative meeting with the Finance Minister, industry too demanded that government should come out with negative list, while expanding the service tax base.</li> </ul></div><a href="http://www.tippani.in/blog/xbusiness.php?submit=showComments&id=6065"> </a></div>

State FMs meet on Mar 3; decide on expanding service tax net

Ahead of the Union Budget, the state Finance Ministers will meet here on March 3 and suggest ste...

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Yemenis vote to elect new leader amid unrest

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> Yemeni voters head for the polls, ending President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule and thus making Yemen the first Arab state where a revolt has led to a negotiated settlement.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> The referendum-like poll, in which Saleh's deputy Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi is standing as the sole consensus candidate, is being boycotted by two major opposition groups; the separatist Southern Movement and the northern Shiite rebels.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> But the main proponents of the uprising that began in January 2011 have asked Yemenis to throw their support behind Hadi, whose posters have been plastered across buildings and throughout the streets of the capital Sanaa.</span> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">Yemen's new president will rule for an interim two-year period, after which presidential and parliamentary elections will be held, a condition of the Gulf-brokered transition deal signed by Saleh in November. </span></li> </ul></div>

Yemenis vote to elect new leader amid unrest

Yemeni voters head for the polls, ending President Ali Abdullah Saleh's 33-year rule and thus making Yemen the first Arab state whe...

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Five planets to be visible in rare celestial event

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6067" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> In a rare celestial coincidence, as many as five planets including Saturn will be visible in the night for two weeks starting from February 23.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> The planets that would be visible to naked eye are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Mars and Saturn are already visible without any optical aids....Mars can be seen in the East with the naked eye while Venus could be spotted towards west after sunset till 9 pm and Jupiter can be seen above Venus till 11 pm (during two weeks).</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> Mars is in Leo constellation and rises about an hour after the sunset in the eastern horizon. It can be identified by its reddish hue and will be seen almost throughout the night and gradually moving closer to star Regulus (Magha). In the coming days Saturn will be seen in the east close to midnight.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> Uranus which is normally faint in appearance will be close to Venus and hence can easily be spotted without help of any specialised maps.</span></li> </ul></div></div>

Five planets to be visible in rare celestial event

In a rare celestial coincidence, as many as five planets including Saturn will be visible in t...

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X-rays reveal why Moon has no active volcanoes

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">Using powerful X-rays to measure lunar rock densities, a team of scientists have found why our Moon, contrary to Earth, has no active volcanoes, and traces of its past volcanic activity.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> The team led by Mirjam van Kan Parker and Wim van Westrenen from VU University Amsterdam suggest that the hot, molten rock in the Moon’s deep interior could be so dense that it is simply too heavy to rise to the surface like a bubble in water.</span> </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">The driving force for vertical movement of magma is the density difference between the magma and the surrounding solid material, making the liquid magma move slowly upwards like a bubble. The lighter the liquid magma is, the more violent the upward movement will be.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT"> To determine the density of lunar magma, Wim van Westrenen and his colleagues synthesised moon rock in their laboratory in Amsterdam, using the composition derived from Apollo samples as their recipe.</span></li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span id="advenueINTEXT">Small droplets of titanium-rich glass first found in Apollo 14 mission samples produce liquid magma as dense as the rocks found in the deepest parts of the lunar mantle today. This magma would not move towards the surface. And thats the reason volcanos are not found on the moon.</span></li> </ul></div>

X-rays reveal why Moon has no active volcanoes

Using powerful X-rays to measure lunar rock densities, a team of scientists have found why our Moon, contrary to Earth, has no active vo...

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Eurozone approves bailout for Greece

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6069" style="display: block;"> <ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Eurozone finance ministers have reached an agreement on a second bailout for Greece worth 130 billion euros (172 billion dollars), diplomats in Brussels said after more than 12 hours of negotiations. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The euro surged as the news broke, climbing 0.7 percent to $1.328 within minutes. While much depended on the details of the deal, a final agreement on the bailout for Greece will take some pressure off the 17-country currency union, which has been battling a serious debt crisis for two years. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The deal details of which were still being worked out by European finance ministers in an all-night session in Brussels was expected to bring Greece’s debt down to 120.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2020, according to the official. That’s around the maximum that the International Monetary Fund and the euro-zone considered sustainable. </li> </ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>It was unclear what the final deal with bondholder representatives looked like, but the lower debt level suggested that they compromised further. The big question will now be how many banks and other investment funds will actually agree to participated voluntarily and whether Greece will have to force some holdouts to sign up to make the deal effective.</li> </ul></div></div>

Eurozone approves bailout for Greece

Eurozone finance ministers have reached an agreement on a second bailout for Greece worth 130 bi...

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