1. Who is the Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission of India?
Dr Ratan Kumar Sinha.
He took over as the new Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He is currently the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Dr Sinha assumed the charge from Dr Srikumar Banerjee, who retired after 45 years of distinguished service.
Dr Ratan Kumar Sinha.
He took over as the new Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). He is currently the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. Dr Sinha assumed the charge from Dr Srikumar Banerjee, who retired after 45 years of distinguished service.
2. Noted Malayalam writer who has been selected for the Muttathu Varkey award-2012?
N.Prabhakaran.
The award carries a cash prize of Rs 33,333, a plaque and a certificate. His noted works were Tiyoor Rekhakal, Pulijanmam, Bahuvachanam, Janthujanam, Rathrimozhi and Janakatha.
3. Noted Puerto Rican poet who has been selected for the Asan World Prize 2012, instituted in memory of Malayalam poet Kumaran Asan?
Jack Agueros.
The award, comprising Rs. three lakh, a memento and a citation, is instituted by the Asan Memorial Association at Kayikkara, the birth place of Kumaran Asan.
4. Name of the Indian who honoured with Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (Orde van Oranje-Nassau) award of the Netherlands?
Prof KS Manilal.
He is the first Asian and botanist selected for this highest honour of the Netherlands. He is a botany scholar and taxonomist, who devoted over 35 years of his life to research, translation and annotation work of the Latin botanical treatise “Hortus Malabaricus”. Manilal efforts ultimately resulted in an English edition of “Hortus Malabaricus”, for the first time, 325 years after its original publication from Amsterdam.
5. Indian child actress best known for her work in television advertisements and films who died in the Agni Air Flight CHT plane crash in Nepal, on 14 May 2012?
Taruni Sachdev.
She was highly praised for her appearance in the Rasna advertisement and the Bollywood film Paa (2009). She also starred in two Malayalam films: Vellinakshtram (2004) and Sathyam (2004). Taruni's mother Geetha Sachdev who accompanied her on the flight also died.
She was highly praised for her appearance in the Rasna advertisement and the Bollywood film Paa (2009). She also starred in two Malayalam films: Vellinakshtram (2004) and Sathyam (2004). Taruni's mother Geetha Sachdev who accompanied her on the flight also died.
6. Who is named as the new Coach of English Football Team?
Roy Hodgson.
The English Football Association appointed Roy Hodgson as the New England manager on a four-year-contract that will take him to the end of Euro 2016.
7. The painting of Edvard Munch, which has sold for $119.9m (£73.9m), becoming the most expensive artwork sold at auction?
The Scream.
The work, created in 1895, went under the hammer at Sotheby’s in New York and was won by an anonymous telephone bidder. The sale beat the previous world record for the most expensive artwork sold at auction which was held by Pablo Picasso’s Nude, Green Leaves and Bust. That sold at Christie’s in New York for $106 million (£70 million) in May 2010.
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian painter whose intensely evocative treatment of psychological themes built upon some of the main tenets of late 19th-century Symbolism and greatly influenced German Expressionism in the early 20th century.
8. Sukma District Collector, kidnapped by Maoists in Chhattisgrah on 21 April 2012 at gunpoint has been released by his abductors on 3 May 2012. Name of that collector?
Alex Paul Menon.
The collector was set free following an agreement between the government and Maoists after 11 days in captivity.
9. Which club won the Spanish soccer league title-2012?
Real Madrid.
Real Madrid won the title for the 32nd time.
10. Who is the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Southern Naval Command?
Satish Soni.
11. Which Indian conglomerate company fined Rs 6,600 crore ($1.235 billion) by the Govt of India for the steep fall in gas output from the KG-D6 block?
Reliance Industries.
12. Name of the Australian who becomes the world’s oldest graduate when he received his master’s degree at the age of 97?
Allan Stewart,
He entered the Guinness World Records in 2006 when he completed a law degree at the age of 91. He got degree in clinical science from Southern Cross University at the age of 97. This is his fourth degree after completing dentistry in 1936.
13. National carrier Air line of India which has been slapped a civil penalty of USD 80,000 by the US Transportation Department for failure to comply with rules concerning extended delays on airport runways?
Air India.
14. Who is the new President of France?
Francois Hollande.
He has become France’s first leftwing president in almost 20 years after beating Nicolas Sarkozy in the recent elections.
15. Who is elected as the new President of Russia?
Vladimir Putin.
He was the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and 2008 to 2012. Putin also served as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus from 2008 to 2012.
16. Who is elected as the Chairman of the ADB (Asian Development Bank) Board of Governors?
Pranab Mukherjee.
17. Which country will host the 46th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in 2013?
India.
The meeting will be held in New Delhi.
18. Prime Minister of Nepal who formed a national unity government by appointing 12 ministers from the main opposition parties, two days after his cabinet quit as part of a negotiated effort to quell political tumult in the country?
Baburam Bhattarai.
The 12-member cabinet included two deputy Prime Ministers. The Prime Minister inducted ministers from UCPN (Maoist), Nepali Congress and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) in the cabinet. He appointed Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Bijaya Gachhadar as Deputy Prime Ministers.
19. Indian Archer who won her first World Cup individual recurve gold medal in archery held at Antalya, Turkey?
She won the Archery World Cup 2012 defeating Korea’s Lee Sung Jin by six set points to four in the final. She is the current junior world champion and a gold medalist at the Delhi Commonwealth Games. She had also won the Cadet World Title in 2009.
20. Which club won the English F.A.Cup-2012 defeating Liverpool by 2-1 in the final?
Chelsea.
Chelsea won the FA cup for the fourth time.
21. According to real estate site Movoto.com, the estimated value of White House, U.S.A is?
$ 110 Million.
The White House is worth an estimated $110 million, according to real estate site Movoto.com, who asked Washington D.C. real estate experts Koitz Group to appraise the iconic mansion’s value.
22. Which Asian country deferred the implementation of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAAR) for one year?
India.
Implementation of the General Anti-Avoidance Rules or GAAR is deferred to April 2013. General Anti-Avoidance (GAAR) is introduced by Sri. Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister of India in the last budget session to avoid the tax evasion of the foreign investors. At present situation, there is no Know Your Customer (KYC) formality for the foreign investors.
23. Who is the new Prime Minister of Russia?
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev.
He is the tenth and current Prime Minister of Russia, incumbent since 2012. He previously served as the third President of Russia, from 2008 to 2012.
24. Indian Musician who has been conferred with American Honorary Doctorate by the Miami University?
A.R.Rahman.
Rahman was given the honorary degree for Doctor of Music at the University’s 173rd Annual Commencement Ceremony held at the Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.
25. Which Indian State has barred women employees from wearing jeans and T-shirts, which it thinks is an example of “indecent sense of dressing?”
Haryana.
Haryana women and child development department has barred employees from wearing jeans and T-shirts.
26. Bollywood superstar who has been banned by the Mumbai Cricket Association for five years from entering the Wankhede Stadium for misbehaving with its officials in an IPL match ?
Shah Rukh Khan.
27. Who has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)?
Zameeruddin Shah.
Lt Gen Shah, who is the elder brother of actor Naseeruddin Shah, has been appointed for a period of five years or till he attains the age of 70.
28. The 38th G8 summit was held in?
Camp David, Maryland, United States.
It was the annual meeting of the G8 which was held on 18–19 May 2012.
29. Mexican novelist and essayist, whose panoramic novels captured the complicated essence of his country’s history for readers around the world, died on May 15, 2012 in Mexico City?
Carlos Fuentes.
Among his works are The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962), Aura (1962), The Old Gringo (1985) and Christopher Unborn (1987). His many literary honors include the Miguel de Cervantes Prize as well as Mexico's highest award, the Belisario Dominguez Medal of Honor.
30. Name of the American brewery company which has apologised for naming a beer after Hindu goddess "Kali"?
‘Burnside Brewing Co'.
The "Kali Ma" beer which was scheduled for launch has been postponed till the Portland-based company 'Burnside Brewing Co' finds a new name for it.
31. The Pakistani doctor who has been sentenced to 33 years in prison by Pakistan court for helping the CIA track down Osama bin Laden?
Dr. Shakil Afridi.
32. Art lover and visual chronicler of Kathakali who was also a pioneer in documenting live performances of Kathakali and Cholliyattam, along with their training and practices, died in England on May 26, 2012?
David Bolland.
33. The indigenously developed surface-to-air missile test fired by India on May 26, 2012 from the test range at Chandipur, Odisha?
Akash Missile.
India had test-fired Akash successfully from the same test range on May 24, 2012.
34. YSR Congress chief who has been arrested by the CBI in the disproportionate assets case?
Y.S Jaganmohan Reddy.
He is the MP from Kadapa, in Andrapradesh.
35. Which team won the IPL (Indian Premier League)-2012?
Kolkata Knight Riders.
Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Super Kings in the final by 5 wickets.
Man of the Match in the final of IPL-2012: Manvinder Bisla.
36. Who has been appointed as next Ambassador of India to Republic of Tunisia, an African country?
Ms Nagma Mohamed Mallick.
Ms Nagma is presently Deputy Chief of Mission in Embassy of India in Bangkok.
37. Which club won the UEFA Champions League title-2012?
Chelsea.
Chelsea won the UEFA Championship defeating Bayern Munich in the final.
38. The world’s first private company which made history with the docking of its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on May 25, 2012?
SpaceX.
The docking marked the first time a business enterprise delivered a supply ship to the space station. Elon Musk, the young, driven billionaire is the owner of SpaceX. Dragon’s flawless launch took place from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
39. Sitar maestro Pandit who has been nominated for the first Tagore Award, instituted by the government to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, for promoting values of universal brotherhood?
Ravi Shankar.
The award comprises Rs. 1 crore, a citation in a scroll, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
40. Which team won the English Premiere League Foot Ball tiltle-2012?
Manchester City.
Manchester city won the EPL for the first time in 44 years.
41. Agriculture Minister of Punjab who has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment and Rs 30,000 fine for misuse of official vehicles during his tenure as the Education Minister in 1997-2002 Akali government?
Tota Singh.
42. Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) for a three-year term?
Rahul Khullar.
He will succeed J.S. Sarma whose tenure ended on May 13, 2012.
43. Name of the Short range nuclear capable Ballistic Missile successfully test fired by Pakistan on May 10, 2012?
Hatf-III.
The ballistic Missile can carry nuclear or conventional warhead to a range of 290 kilometres.
44. All rounder who is selected as the Twenty20 captain of Pakistan Cricket team for the matches against Sri Lanka which is to be held in June 2012?
Mohammad Hafeez.
45. Which club won the UEFA Europa League -2012 defeating Athletic Bilbao 3-0 in the final held at the National Arena in Bucharest?
Atletico Madrid.
46. Who became the first player in history to win two consecutive Europa League/Uefa Cup titles with two different teams?
Radamel Falcao.
47. The only IT Company in Kerala which has been selected as Premier SME partner by Google Inc.?
ISPG Technologies.
Only five organisations have been awarded Premier SME partner status in India and ISPG Technologies is the only one in Kerala.
48. Parliament of which country celebrated 60 years of its existence on May 13, 2012?
India.
To mark the occasion, a special sitting of both Houses was organised on that day. Indian Parliament is designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. The foundation stone was laid on February 12, 1921 and the building was formally inaugurated by the then governor-general Lord Irwin on January 18, 1927. The total cost of construction is Rs 83 lakh.
49. Longtime Associated Press war photographer known for his dramatic pictures of people embroiled in the violence of the Vietnam War, who died on May 10, 2012?
Horst Faas.
He was a German photo-journalist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. He produced four books on his career and other news photographers, including Requiem, a book about photographers killed on both sides of the Vietnam War, co-edited with fellow Vietnam War photojournalist Tim Page.
Awards:
1965: Pulitzer Prize (Photography): "For his combat photography of the war in South Viet Nam during 1964."
1964: Robert Capa Gold Medal for his "Coverage of Vietnam"
1972: Pulitzer-Prize (Spot News Photography) together with Michel Laurent: "For their picture series, 'Death in Dacca.'"
1997: Robert Capa Gold Medal together with Tim Page: "Requiem: By the Photographers Who Died in Vietnam and Indochina"
2005: Dr. Erich Salomon Prize of the German Society of Photography for his lifetime achievement
50. Who has been named new chief executive officer (CEO) of the International Cricket Council (ICC)?
The ICC's general manager (cricket) and former South Africa wicketkeeper, has been picked by the ICC board to succeed Haroon Lorgat as chief executive.
51. Renowned Malayalam film maker and art director whose directorial effort “Sammohanam” had received the Best film Award at the Edinburgh international film festival in 1995, died on March 12, 2012?
C.P.Padmakumar.
He started his career as an art director and associate director with director G Aravindan. His first directorial venture was Aparna (1981). His second film Sammohanam received the Best of the Fest Award at the Edinborough International Film Festival in 1995.
52. Former judge of the Orissa and Allahabad high courts, and chairman of the judicial commission probing the 2008 ethno-communal riots in Kandhamal district, who died on March 12, 2012?
Justice Sarat Chandra Mohapatra.
53. Who won the Madrid Open Women’s singles title 2012?
Serena Williams.
She defeated Victoria Azarenka in the final.
54. Who won the Madrid Open Men’s singles title 2012?
Roger Federer.
He defeated Tomas Berdych in the final.
55. A former Taliban official turned Afghan peace negotiator who was assassinated by an unidentified gunman in Kabul on May 13, 2012?
Arsalan Rahmani Daulat.
He was selected to serve in the Meshrano Jirga, the upper house of Afghanistan's national assembly, in 2005 and 2010. He was appointed a Deputy Minister for Higher Education under the Taliban, in 1998. He was also one of the four former Taliban leaders that accepted the reconciliation offer from the Afghan government. He was also named deputy leader of Khuddamul Furqan for political affairs. In September 2010 Hamid Karzai named him as one of the seventy members of the Afghan High Peace Council.
56. Former Manchester United striker who retired from professional football on May 14, 2012?
Ruud van Nistelrooy.
He had been playing with Spanish side Malaga.
57. Technology executive who is served as the interim CEO of Yahoo! from May 13, 2012 to July 17, 2012?
Ross Levinsohn.
58. Who is the new Prime Minister of France?
Jean-Marc Ayrault.
He took over as the new Prime Minister of France on May 16, 2012. He has been the vocal leader of the Socialist parliamentary group for 15 years.
59. Taiwan's President who has been fined Tw$500,000 ($17,000) by electoral authorities for urging his Face book followers on polling day to vote for him?
Ma Ying-jeou.
60. Who has been named as captain of England Football Team?
Steven Gerrard.
61. Man of the Match winners of two test cricket matches played between England and West Indies held in England in May 2012:
First Test between West Indies and England held in Lords from May 17, 2012:
Man of the Match: Stuart Broad (England). He took 7 wickets in first innings and 4 wickets in second innings.
Result: England beat West Indies by 5 wickets.
Second Test between West Indies and England held in Lords from May 17, 2012:
Man of the Match: Tim Bresnan (England). He took 4 wickets in first innings and 4 wickets in second innings. He scored unbeaten 39 runs in first innings.
Result: England beat West Indies by 9 wickets.
62. IPL player who was arrested for allegedly molesting a woman from the US and allegedly beating up her boyfriend at Delhi five-star hotel?
Luke Pomersbach.
He is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
63. 73-year-old Japanese woman who became the oldest woman to climb Mount Everest breaking her own 10-year-old record?
Tamae Watanabe.
Tamae Watanabe reached the 8,850-meter summit on May 19, 2012 climbing Everest from its Tibetan side. She had scaled the mountain in 2002 when she first claimed the title of oldest female Everest summiteers.
64. Which club captured its first Champions League title, beating Bayern Munich at the German club’s home field 4-3 in a penalty shootout?
Chelsea.
65. The former head of the armed forces in Sri Lanka who was released from prison on May 21, 2012?
Sarath Fonseka.
A military court-martial in 2010 sentenced him to 30 months in jail for irregular procurements during his time in charge of the army.
66. Who won the Rome Masters -2012 Men’s title defeating Novak Djokovic in the final?
Rafael Nadal.
This is his sixth Rome Masters title.
67. Who won the Rome Masters -2012 Women’s title defeating Li Na in the final?
Maria Sharapova.
68. The inventor of the television remote control who has died of natural causes on May 20, 2012?
Eugene Polley.
Polley was an engineer and engineering manager for Zenith Electronics and most widely known for inventing the first wireless remote control for television. Polley began his career in 1935 working for Zenith Radio Corporation (now Zenith Electronics, a subsidiary of LG Electronics). In 1955, he introduced the world to the first-ever wireless TV remote control, the "Flash-Matic," which changed channels on a TV set using a photo-cell activating flashlight-like device.
69. Who will head the expert group for reviewing poverty line in India?
Dr.C. Rangarajan.
He is the Chairman of the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council. The other members are Dr Mahendra Dev, Director, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research; Dr K Sundaram, formerly of Delhi School of Economics; Dr Mahesh Vyas, Centre of Monitoring Indian Economy; and Dr K.L Datta, ex-adviser, Planning Commission.
70. Who won the Chennai Open International Squash championship 2012?
Joshna Chinappa.
She beat third seed Sarah Jane Perry 3-1 in the final of the Chennai Open International Squash championship.
71. Which team won the 66th National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy (Santosh Trophy 2012) beating Tamil Nadu 3-2 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack?
Services.
72. Which countries signed 12 agreements and Memorandums of Understanding on 28-05-2012 on wide range of areas including connectivity, development cooperation, trade & investment, power and energy, culture and people to people contact?
India and Myanmar.
73. Who won the Man of the Series award in the Indian Premiere League (IPL)-2012?
The right-arm bowler of West Indies voted Man-of-the-Series for his 24 wickets at an economy rate of 5.47.
74. Name of the indigenously developed, nuclear capable missile successfully test fired by Pakistan on May 29, 2012?
Hatf IX (NASR).
Hatf IX NASR is a short-range surface to surface multi tube missile.
75. The Bollywood film which has been included in the TIME magazine’s list of top 100 movies of all time made since 1923?
‘Awaara’
Time magazine has included Raj Kapoor's 1951classic "Awaara" among 20 new entries added to its All-Time 100 list of the greatest films made since 1923, the beginning of the prestigious US periodical.
76. Name of the technology approved by FIFA which is to be tested at England's friendly football match against Belgium at Wembley on June 2?
Goal-line technology.
In football, goal-line technology is a technology which determines when the ball has completely crossed the goal line, assisting the referee in calling a goal or not. On July 5, 2012, IFAB officially approved the use of goal line technology.
77. Which Indian state has imposed a ban on manufacture, storage and sale of gutkha, panmasala and their variants containing tobacco and nicotine?
Kerala.
78. Who won the world chess championship for the fifth time, beating Israel's Boris Gelfand in a tie-breaker after a closely contested battle?
Vishwanathan Anand.
He won the world Chess title in 2000, 2007, 2008 and 2010.
79. Former Liberian President who was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment by an international tribunal of arming, supporting and guiding a brutal rebel movement that committed mass atrocities in Sierra Leone during its civil war in the 1990s?
Charles.G.Taylor.
He is the first head of state to be convicted by an international court since the Nuremberg trials after World War II.
80. Former Pakistan coach who has been named as the new head coach of Bangladesh Cricket Team?
Richard Pybus.
Pybus has signed a two-year deal with the BCB and is expected to join the Bangladesh side before their tour of Zimbabwe next month.
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