The Competition Master

RAPID GK SERIES 57

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">1. Author of the book “Sons of Babar” is…….<br />
<br />
2. The name of the small island(in Bay of Bengal) which was source of tension between India and Bangladesh…….<br />
<br />
3. Who are the beneficiaries of TAPI pipeline?<br />
<br />
4. Which part of poppy plant is used to make opium?<br />
<br />
5. Chilka lake region is a delta between these two rivers……..<br />
<br />
6. President of the World Bank……<br />
<br />
7. Lake which forms the international boundary between Tanzania and Uganda<br />
<br />
8. City of Eternal springs…..<br />
<br />
9. The line of demarcation between North and South Korea….<br />
<br />
10. Ashwini Ponappa plays which sports?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Answers:</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Salman Khurshid</li>
<li>Nalpatti</li>
<li>Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India</li>
<li>Flowers</li>
<li>Mahanadi and Godavari</li>
<li>Robert Zoellick</li>
<li>Victoria</li>
<li>Quito</li>
<li>38th Parallel</li>
<li>Badminton</li>
</ol></div>

RAPID GK SERIES 57

1. Author of the book “Sons of Babar” is……. 2. The name of the small island(in Bay of Bengal) which was source of tension between India an...

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Single entrance test for engineering institutions from 2013

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The government has decided to hold a  common entrance test for engineering institutions in the country from  2013. Briefing the reporters in New Delhi after State Education  Ministers meet, the Human Resource Development Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal  said that the proposal for a common national examination with effect  from 2013 with weightage to State Board results has been endorsed in  principle by States. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The Minister said, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry  and West Bengal sought more time to study the proposal in detail. He  said that it was decided that details for the common examination process  would be finalized in the next two months in consultation with States. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>He said the State Ministers were informed that the IITs and other  Central Educational Institutions were proposing to adopt a weightage of  40 per cent for State Board marks. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>It was also clarified that the examinations would be conducted in  English and Hindi and where States intend to use the same examination  for admission to State engineering institutions. The examination could  be conducted in the regional language of the State too. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Mr. Sibal said that it was also decided to start 100 Community  Colleges on a pilot basis in 2012-13 and then scale up gradually. For  this a committee of State Education Ministers has been constituted  headed by Minister for School Education of Madhya Pradesh Mrs.Archana  Chitnis. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Mr. Sibal also called upon them to consider introduction of the  National Vocational Educational Qualification Framework, NVEQF to  qualitatively upgrade vocational education across the country.</li>
</ul></div>

Single entrance test for engineering institutions from 2013

The government has decided to hold a common entrance test for engineering institutions in the country from 2013. Briefing the reporters in...

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Country plans produce 63,000 Mega Watt nuclear power generation in next 20 years

Country plans produce 63,000 Mega Watt nuclear power generation in next 20 years

Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today on Feb 22 said the country plans produce 63,000 Mega Watt nuclear power generation in the next 20 ...

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JPA 2012 launches in Colombo

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6072" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The Joint Plan for Assistance (JPA) for  Northern Province 2012 was launched in Colombo, by the Sri Lankan  Government together with the United Nations. The JPA identifies priority  activities and strategies which have been developed in support of the  overall national programme to assist the people of the war ravaged  Northern Province to recover further and to sustain their livelihoods in  coming years. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Agriculture, shelter, livelihood, fishery, water and sanitation,  electricity, education, health and nutrition and banking will be the key  areas that would be focused through the initiatives of this joint plan  for assistance. </li>
</ul><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The JPA provides a framework for  meeting immediate needs of the resettled communities in the Northern  Province while linking humanitarian interventions to longer-term  development efforts including the priorities of building houses and  shelters, supporting agriculture, food security and livelihood recovery.</li>
</ul></div></div>

JPA 2012 launches in Colombo

The Joint Plan for Assistance (JPA) for Northern Province 2012 was launched in Colombo, by the Sr...

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IAEA mission to Iran ends in failure; Iran still defiant

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">U.N. nuclear officials conceded failure  on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-day visit to Iran yielded no  progress in clearing up allegations about the country’s pursuit of  nuclear weapons technology. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Iran’s top leader again said his country has no intention of producing a nuclear weapon. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span>But the IAEA officials were barred from visiting a key testing  facility known as Parchin, where some of the research was alleged to  have occurred.</span> </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span><span>Intensive efforts were made to reach agreement on a  document facilitating the clarification of unresolved issues in  connection with Iran’s nuclear program, particularly those relating to  possible military dimensions.<span>Unfortunately, agreement was not reached on this document.</span></span></span> </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><span><span><span><span>IAEA Director General</span> Yukiya Amano <span>called the visit’s outcome disappointing.</span></span></span></span></li>
</ul></div>

IAEA mission to Iran ends in failure; Iran still defiant

U.N. nuclear officials conceded failure on Tuesday after an extraordinary two-day visit to Iran yielded no progress in clearing up allegat...

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e-payment of wages in all districts by July in Karnataka

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The State Government, which has been  carrying out a pilot project for electronic transfer of wages under the  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Nelamangala  taluk in Karnataka over the past four months, plans to implement the  electronic fund management system in all districts by the end of July. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Principal Secretary for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Anita  Prasad said that the Government hoped to roll out this facility by July.  This month, the pilot project, which has been “successfully  implemented” in Nelamangala taluk, will be extended to 48 other taluks  in seven pilot districts. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The project is being carried out with the support of the National  Informatics Centre. The pilot in Nelamangala taluk was able to carry out  monetary transactions directly to the bank account of MNREGS workers. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>According to the status report presented by officials, out of 1,175  total transactions, 1,146 were conducted successfully. Among the  challenges mentioned were getting beneficiaries to open bank accounts,  validating existing data and ensuring the data in the informatics system  is accurate. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Speaking at the meeting, Joint Secretary (MNREGS), Government of  India, D.K. Jain said the system was a “good example for e-governance  and good governance”. This is transparent, effective and has  accountability for all the transactions carried out in the system, he  said.</li>
</ul></div>

e-payment of wages in all districts by July in Karnataka

The State Government, which has been carrying out a pilot project for electronic transfer of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural...

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Decontrol urea prices; raise excise duty: PMEAC

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Amid widening fiscal deficit, Prime  Minister’s economic advisory panel suggested aligning diesel prices to  global market in a phased manner and also raising excise and service  taxes to pre-crisis level of 12 per cent. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Chairman of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC) C.  Rangarajan also pitched for deregulation of urea prices, while releasing  the Review of the Economy: 2011-12. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The government expects that its subsidy bill would increase by Rs 1  lakh crore to Rs 2.34 lakh crore, mainly on account of higher outlay  towards fertiliser, food and oil. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>On improving the tax to GDP ratio, Mr. Rangarajan said the excise  duty and service tax should be increased to pre-crisis level, a move  which will bring in additional Rs 35,000 crore. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Before the economic crisis, service tax and excise duty rates were  at 12 per cent, but as a stimulus the government had brought them down  to 10 per cent in 2008-09.</li>
</ul></div>

Decontrol urea prices; raise excise duty: PMEAC

Amid widening fiscal deficit, Prime Minister’s economic advisory panel suggested aligning diesel prices to global market in a phased manne...

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Bangladesh Home Minister on 3 day tour to India to participate HM talks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">Bangladesh Home Minister Shahara Khatun  will leave Dhaka for New Delhi on Feb 23 on a three-day tour to India  to participate in the Home Minister Level talks between India and  Bangladesh. Home Minister P. Chidambaram will be leading the Indian  Delegation while Bangladesh Home Minister Shahara Khatun will be leading  a 12 member delegation at the ministerial-level talks scheduled to take  place on Feb 24. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Officials of the two sides are expected to meet a day ahead to firm  up the agenda for the ministerial level discussions, which will be  focused on co-operation in security matters. According to sources India  is likely to press for the signing of the Extradition treaty, which has  been under active consideration of both the governments. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Apart from this the two sides will also review the progress made on  the implementation of the Coordinated Border Management Plan signed  between BSF and BGB during the visit of Home Minister P. Chidambaram to  Dhaka in July last year. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>In addition this the discussions between the two leaders are also  expected to focus on a gamut of bilateral issues related to cooperation  in counter terrorism, consular matters and curbing border crimes like  smuggling, arms, fake currency, drug and human trafficking.</li>
</ul></div>

Bangladesh Home Minister on 3 day tour to India to participate HM talks

Bangladesh Home Minister Shahara Khatun will leave Dhaka for New Delhi on Feb 23 on a three-day tour to India to participate in the Home M...

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WTA Dubai Tennis: Sania-Elena duo storms into quarterfinals

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>In the Dubai Open Tennis Championships, India's Sania Mirza and her  Russian partner Elena Vesnina have waltzed into the quarterfinals of  Women's Doubles main draw event.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>In the pre-quarterfinals , the second seeded Indo-Russian pair  defeated Oman's Fatma Al Nabhani and Slovakia's Andreja Klepac in  straight sets, 6-1, 6-3. Sania and Elena will next play the  Israeli-Spanish pair of Shahar Peer and Maria Martinez Sanchez for a  place in the semi-finals. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>In the Women's singles first round matches, played yesterday,  Serbia's Ana Ivanovic won the battle between two former French Open  champions, as she defeated seventh seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone  6-1, 7-5.  </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Poland's fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska beat Aleksandra Wozniak of  Canada 6-1, 6-7, 7-5. Daniella Hantuchova of Sloavkia also had a tough  fight to overpower Polona Hercog of Slovenia 1-6, 7-5, 7-6.</li>
</ul></div>

WTA Dubai Tennis: Sania-Elena duo storms into quarterfinals

In the Dubai Open Tennis Championships, India's Sania Mirza and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina have waltzed into the quarterfinals o...

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Govt. notifies direct import of jet fuel

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div id="6078" style="display: block;">                                          <ul><li>Meeting a key demand of the cash-strapped airline industry, the  government on Feb 22 issued the notification allowing private airlines  to import jet fuel or ATF directly. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Air carriers interested in importing the aviation turbine fuel  (ATF), instead of buying from local refiners, would have to apply to the  Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for an import licence, an  official press statement said. </li>
</ul><ul><li>A Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on  February 7 decided that the Commerce Ministry would permit direct import  of ATF. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Beleaguered Kingfisher Airline has been demanding permission to get  fuel supplies from overseas so that they do not have to pay sales tax  that are as high as 30 per cent in some States. </li>
</ul><ul><li>The notification said ATF imports have been allowed by or on behalf of Indian carriers on actual use basis.</li>
</ul></div></div>

Govt. notifies direct import of jet fuel

Meeting a key demand of the cash-strapped airline industry, the government on Feb 22 issued the n...

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Budget session of J&K Legislature is begin on Feb 23

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;">The Budget session of the Jammu and  Kashmir Legislature is beginning in Jammu tomorrow with Governor’s  Address to joint session of Legislature. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The session is expected to be stormy with the opposition parties  gearing up to take on ruling National Conference-Congress coalition  Government on a host of issues. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The opposition from both Jammu and Kashmir regions is going to  target the ruling alliance on the death of Haji Mohammad Yusuf and  alleged ‘mis-governance and corruption’’ besides discrimination  and delimitation of Assembly constituencies etc . </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>The New Recruitment Policy is also expected to be raised in the on-going session. </li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li>Under the policy fresh recruits will get a meager amount for first  five years of their services till they are regularized. The issue of  disqualification of seven BJP MLAs is expected to figure prominently in  the session.</li>
</ul></div>

Budget session of J&K Legislature is begin on Feb 23

The Budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature is beginning in Jammu tomorrow with Governor’s Address to joint session of Legisla...

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