Current Affairs

How well do you read Newspapers, or hear News on TV? Test your knowledge of current affairs here.

1. Which Indian state has won the Union Government’s first ever award for ‘the state with the best performing Panchayat Raj system’?

2. Who was the BJP general secretary involved in the sleaze CD scandal?

3. Which Swami is in the midst of the Ayurvedic medicines controversy brought to the fore by CPM Politburo member, Brinda Karat?

4. Which event took place during 7-9 January 2006 at Hyderabad?

5. Why is the decommissioned French Aircraft carrier ‘Clemenceau’ in the news recently?

6. Who is the chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation that featured in the "top 25 newsmakers of 2005" list compiled by the US' Engineering News-Record, a leading publication on the construction industry?

7. Who was the chief guest of the Republic day parade that took place in New Delhi on 26th Jan, 2006?

8. The World Economic Forum took place at Davos between 25 – 29 Jan 2006. In Which country is Davos located?

9. This observer of the election commission, has been credited with the fair conduct of elections in Bihar. He is also assigned the work of cleaning up electoral rolls in West Bengal, which is to go to polls this year. Who is he?

10. With which animal is the Chinese new year beginning on 29th Jan, 2006 associated?






1. Kerala

2. Sanjay Joshi

3. Swami Ramdev of Kankal near Hardwar. The medicines from his Divya Yog pharmacy allegedly contain traces of human and animal parts.

4. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas


5. The Ship set to arrive at Gujarat's Alang ship-breaking yard by March is said to contain hazardous substances. The Supreme court of India has set a monitoring committee, to decide whether or not, the ship should be allowed to enter Indian Waters, while environmental groups across the world protest the use of India as a dumping ground for toxic waste.

6. E.Sreedharan

7. The Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz al Saud

8. Switzerland

9. K.J.Rao

10. Dog. This year is considered the ‘Year of the Dog’.

Cinema Cinema

Most of you love watching movies. And reading movie gossips too. Now it is time for testing your movie knowledge. Get set go.

1. Which actress has made a comeback in a negative role with the film ‘Kalyug’?

2. Who is the mother of actresses Tanuja and Nutan?

3. With what psychological condition does Aparna Sen’s movie ‘15 Park Avenue’ deal with?

4. In the first Indian Animation movie ‘Hanuman’, which actor has lent his voice for Hanuman?

5. What was Sharukh Khan’s debut movie?

6. Who played Kasturba Gandhi in the film ‘Gandhi’ by Richard Attenborough

7. Who played the female lead in the Shahrukh Khan starrer ‘Swades’?

8. All of his nine films have been screened at several international film festivals and won awards either at the state level, national level or international level. His first film Swayamvaram won the President's Gold Medal for the best film in 1972. He is the latest recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke award (for the year 2004). Who is he?

9. He is a playwright, a movie actor and a director. Tughlaq, Hayavadana, Nagamandala are some of his famous plays. He is a Jnanpith award winner(1998). Hindi movies directed by him include Utsav and Godhuli. He won the Presidents Gold medal for the Best Indian film for Samskara (1970) and the Padma Bhushan (1992). Who are we speaking about?

10. After facing severe opposition during the shooting of her film ‘Water’, Deepa Mehta quit India and chose another country for her film shooting. The film examines the plight of a group of widows forced into poverty at a temple in the holy city of Varanasi. In which country was ‘Water’ shot?




1. Amrita singh
2. Shobana Samarth, actress of the Forties.
3. Schizophrenia
4. Mukesh Khanna
5. Deewana
6. Rohini Hattangadi
7. Gayatri Joshi
8. Adoor Gopalakrishnan
9. Girish Karnad
10. Sri Lanka

Sports and Games

Are you a Sports enthusiast? If so, this is for you. See if you can answer these.


1. When and where was the first day and night match played?

2. How many Players are there on each side in a game of hockey?

3. Which is the national game/sport of the USA?

4. With which game would you associate Arjun Atwal?

5. In which sport is the National Laser Radial Championship given?

6. In which country is the World cup Football 2006, set to take place?

7. What is the new doubles rule in Tennis?

8. Who won the Chinese Grand Prix in October 2005?

9. What was boxing legend Muhammad Ali’s Original name?

10. In its abbreviated form, what is the international basket ball federation known as?






1. The First day and night match was staged at the Sydney cricket ground on Nov 28, 1978.
2. Eleven
3. Baseball
4. Golf
5. Sailing
6. Germany
7. In the new doubles rule, the third set is replaced by a tie-break.
8. Spaniard, Fernando Alonso.
9. Cassius Clay. It was the name with which he won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics,1960. He changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he embraced Islam.
10. FIBA. Federation Internationale de Basketball Association.

Indian Heritage – Monuments

India is a vast country full of beautiful places to visit. It’s rich and varied heritage, make the places of visit, all the more interesting. Given below are a few questions related to Indian monuments. Check your knowledge of them.


1. Where is the ‘Bibi ka Maqbara’ located?

2. Whose tomb is located at Ajmer and is known as the Ajmer Dargah?

3. Which place in central India is witness to the love of prince Baz Bahadur for his beautiful wife Rani Roopmati?

4. This Temple constructed by the Chola king Rajaraja, is dedicated to Shiva. It’s uniqueness is that, it was designed in such a way, that the shadow of the Vimana Shikara, never falls on the ground. This temple is one of the few Indian monuments listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage list of historical sites and monuments. Which temple are we speaking about?

5. The Mousoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah II, in south India has one of the largest Domes in the world. Name it.

6. Where in India would you go, if you wanted to visit the ‘Bada Imambara’?

7. This church in Goa, houses the sacred relics of St. Francis Xavier, patron saint of Goa. Which church is this?

8. This fort located in Murud village, Maharastra, was built by the minister of Ahmed Nagar, Nizam Shah. This island fort, truly impregnable, could never be conquered by the Marathas, the British or the Portugese. Which fort is this?

9. This building was designed by the Architect, Edwin Landseer Lutyens, was completed in 1929. This vast mansion, which took seventeen years to complete, has got four floors and 340 rooms. The most promising and distinguishing aspect of this structure on Raisina Hill, is its dome, which is similar to the Sanchi stupa. Which structure are we speaking about?

10. This Mosque was built in the middle of the sea, with only a narrow path leading to it. It can only be reached in low tide. During high tide, the connecting path is submerged in water, giving the impression that the mosque is floating out at sea. Which shrine is this?






1. Aurangabad, Maharastra. Bibi ka Maqbara is a monument identical to the Tajmahal, though smaller in size. It is the tomb of Dilras Bano Begum, wife of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It was built by Aurangzeb’s son Azam Shah in 1660.

2. The tomb of the revered Sufi saint, Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chisti. The saint, who came to Ajmer from Persia in 1192, died in 1236 and was buried here. The shrine was erected by Humayun. The Dargah also has mosques, which were built by rulers such as Shah Jahan, Jahangir and Akbar.

3. Mandu, Madhya pradesh.

4. The Brihadeeshwara temple, Tanjavur, Tamilnadu.

5. Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka.

6. Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. This Huge and Elegant building is also known as the Asafai Imambara. Built by Nawab, Asaf-ud-Daulla in 1784, this building is said to be a labyrinth of similar doorless Galleries, where people could easily get lost.

7. The Basilica of Bom Jesus. The saint died while on a sea voyage to China on December 2,1552. The following year, while transferring his remains to Goa, in accordance with his wishes, it was found that the saint's body was as fresh as the day it was buried. This miraculous phenomenon continues to attract the devout of all lands and an Exposition or public viewing of his body every ten years attracts lakhs of pilgrims.

8. Jangira fort, Raigad district, Maharastra.

9. The Rastrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

10. Haji Ali Mosque, Mumbai.

Airports

Most of you may have travelled quite a bit, by air. How well do you know about the different airports in the world? Check it out here.


1. Where is the Schiphol airport located?

2. What is the name of the international airport at Kolkata?

3. One of the airports at NewYork, USA is named after one of USA’s former Presidents. Name it.

4. Where is the Marco Polo international airport located?

5. Where is the Changi airport located?

6. The busiest single runway airport in the world is located in London. Name it.

7. What is the name of the international airport at Taipei, Taiwan?

8. “The new international airport ‘Suvarnabhumi’ upon completion, will replace the existing Don Muang Airport”. Which place are we talking about?

9. This airport boasts of the world’s highest runway. What is it?

10. Can you identify the airport from the picture?








1. Amsterdam, Netherlands.

2. Nethaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport. Located in Dum Dum, 20Km from Kolkata, it was formerly known as the Dum Dum airport.

3. John F Kennedy or JFK International Airport.

4. Venice, Italy.

5. Singapore.

6. Gatwick International Airport.

7. Chiang Kai Shek International Airport.

8. Bangkok, Thailand.

9. Bangda Airport, Tibet. It has the highest runway, 4739 metres above sea level, according to the Guinness book of world records.

10. The Abudhabi International airport.

Just like KBC

Hey! Amitji might take somemore time to resume shooting for KBC. But Until then, if you are missing KBC, don't worry. Here's something akin to that. Enjoy.


1. Who starred in the film Garam Masala?
(a)Riya Sen (b)Reema Sen
(c)Rimi Sen (d)Raima Sen

2. In which state is the Chilika lake located?
(a)Andhra Pradesh (b)Tamilnadu
(c)Orissa (d)West Bengal

3. Who was the first Indian cricketer to score a century in ODI cricket?
(a)Sunil Gavaskar (b)Kapildev
(c)Dilip Vengsarkar (d)K.Srikkanth

4. According to a popular Hindi saying, “_____ Ke Bhi kan Hote Hain”
(a)Deewar (b)Khidiki
(c)Darwaja (d)Chath

5. The upcoming actor Shahid Kapoor is the son of
(a)Boney Kapoor (b)Pankaj Kapoor
(c)Rajiv Kapoor (d)Annu Kapoor

6. Which state goes to the polls in 2006?
(a)Karnataka (b)Maharastra
(c)Westbengal (d)Uttaranchal

7. In which instrument was Ravana, the demon king proficient?
(a)Flute (b)Mridangam
(c)Nadaswaram (d)Veena

8. The silver coin ‘Rupaya’ was first issued by
(a)Sikandar Lodhi (b)Humayun
(c)Sher Shah Suri (d)Akbar

9. Which of these politicians has not alleged that his/her Phone was being tapped?
(a)Amar Singh (b)Vasundhara Raje
(c)Chandrababu Naidu (d)Jayalalitha

10. Which of these is not an African Tribe?
(a)Pygmies (b)Zulu
(c)Huli (d)Bushmen







1. (c) Rimisen

2. (c) Orissa

3. (b) Kapildev

4. (a) Deewar

5. (b) Pankaj Kapoor

6. (c) West Bengal

7. (d) Veena

8. (c) Sher Shah Suri

9. (b) Vasundhara Raje

10. (c) Huli. It is a tribe from Papua New Guinea.

Collective nouns

How good are you with collective nouns? Each of the following might have more than one collective noun. Try out the following for the most usually used collective noun.


1. A ________ of robbers
2. A ________ of elephants
3. A ________ of geese
4. A ________ of ships
5. A ________ of puppies
6. A ________ of thieves
7. A ________ of wolves
8. A ________ of arrows
9. A ________ of owls
10. A ________ of bees



1. Gang
2. Herd
3. Flock
4. Fleet
5. Litter
6. Pack, Den
7. Pack
8. Quiver
9. Parliament
10. Swarm

Books and Authors

Do you know the authors of these recent books? (see below for answers)


1. The Other side of Me

2. The Argumentative Indian

3. The Broker

4. Two Lives

5. Bougainvillaea House

6. Mistress

7. The World is Flat

8. False Impression

9. My Friend, the Sea

10. God Created the Integers








1. Sidney Sheldon. The Other side of me is Sheldon’s autobiography, which describes his career rise from a drug store delivery boy to a best selling author.

2. Amartya Sen. This book from the noble prizewinner is about Indian history, culture and identity, in which he writes about the need to understand contemporary India, through its long argumentative tradition.

3. John Grisham. This is a suspense fiction story.

4. Vikram Seth. The story of a love affair across a racial divide, Seth’s novel deals with the life story of his great uncle Shanti Behari Seth and his aunt Henny.

5. Kalpana Swaminathan. This is a gripping murder story.

6. Anita Nair. Mistress is a novel, which explores and searches meaning in art and life, delving into people’s personalities.

7. Thomas Friedman. A brief History of the twenty first century, in which the author allows readers to make sense of the global scene, complex foreign policies and other economic issues.

8. Jeffrey Archer. A novel with twists and turns.

9. Sandhya Rao. This story is about the mind of a child, affected by the Tsunami.

10. Stephen Hawking. A boook about breakthroughs in mathematics, representating the work of 15 mathematicians spanning 2500 years.

Maestro Medley

With which fields are the following personalities associated with and what are their specialities?

1. Pandit Ravi Shankar

2. Guru Kelu charan Mahapatra

3. Ustad Allah Rakha

4. Rukmini Devi Arundale

5. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia

6. Lalgudi JayaRaman

7. Ustad Bismillah Khan

8. Raja Reddy

9. M.S. Subbu Lakshmi

10. T.H.Vikku Vinayakram




1. Music – Hindustani instrumental - Sitar.
2. Dance – Odissi
3. Music – Hindustani instrumental – Tabla
4. Dance – Bharatanatyam. Rukmini devi Arundale was the founder of the school Kalakshetra. Kalakshetra eventually became a school not only for Bharatanatyam, but one for various forms of dance, music and Sanskrit.
5. Music – Hindustani instrumental – Bansuri (The North Indian bamboo flute)
6. Music – Carnatic instrumental – Violin.
7. Music – Hindustani instrumental – Shahnai.
8. Dance – Kuchipudi.
9. Music – Carnatic Vocal
10. Music – Carnatic instrumental – Ghatam.

Commissions and Probes

Into which incidents did the following commissions probe? (Answers below)

1. Jain commission

2. Sri Krishna commission

3. Justice G.T.Nanavati commission

4. Justice Liberhan commission

5. DP Wadhwa commission







1. The Jain commission headed by Justice M.C.Jain, Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court inquired into the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former prime minister of India.

2. The Sri Krishna commission probed the communal roits in Bombay following the Babri Masjid demolition.

3. The Justice G.T.Nanavati commission probed into the 1984 anti sikh riots that followed in the wake of the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The Gujarat riots and the Godhra incident that prececded it were also probed by the commission headed by Justice G.T.Nanavati and Justice K.G.Shah.

4. The Justice M.S. Liberhan Commission, set up by the P.V. Narasimha Rao government after the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, inquired into the incident and the facts that led to the demolition.

5. The D. P. Wadhwa commission of inquiry probed the killing of the Australian Missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his two sons at Manoharpur, Orissa.

Miscellaneous Questions

Here are a few questions. Check how many of them are known to you. (See below for answers)

1. Who first described the 1857 revolt as the ‘First war of Independence’?

2. What was Kabir, the poet saint of the 14th-15th century, by profession?

3. Who or Which organization publishes the Human development report?

4. Joshna Chinappa is the goodwill ambassador for the “Save the girl child” campaign for the year 2005. What sport does she play?

5. Which Indian spiritual guru is famous for his ‘Art of Living’ methods for a stress free and healthy life?

6. Who invented cornflakes?

7. Who was the first speaker of Lok Sabha?

8. Who is known as the ‘Bard of Avon’?

9. Which is the only country in the world to have a triangular shaped National flag?

10. Which river flows through the Washington DC?




1. V.D.Savarkar
2. Weaver
3. The UNDP – United Nations Development Programme
4. Squash
5. Sri Sri Ravishankar
6. The American doctor John Kellogg in 1899.
7. G.V.Mavalankar
8. William Shakespeare
9. Nepal
10. the Potamac

One Word Substitutes

Check your Vocabulary. Try substituting each of the following descriptions with a single word, that fits it best. (Look for answers below)

1. A person who always thinks about himself

2. A person who always speaks about himself

3. A collector of books

4. A person who analyses handwriting

5. An assortment of spoons, knives and forks

6. Somebody who walks

7. Someone who is on a horse

8. A custom, in which one man has many wives

9. A custom in which one woman has many husbands

10. A person who hates marriage


Answers

1. Egoist
2. Egotist
3. Bibliophile
4. Graphologist
5. Cutlery
6. Pedestrian
7. Equestrian
8. Polygamy
9. Polyandry
10. Misogamist