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Sunday 17 March 2013

CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – OCTOBER 2012


1.    Name the Pakistani school pupil and education activist who was shot in the head and neck on 9 October 2012 in an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen while returning home on a school bus?
                
 Malala Yousafzai.
In the days immediately following the Taliban attack, Malala remained unconscious and in critical condition, but later her condition improved enough for her to be sent to a hospital in the United Kingdom for intensive rehabilitation.

Malala is known for her education and women's rights activism in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban had at times banned girls from attending school. In early 2009, at the age of 11/12, Yousafzai wrote a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC detailing her life under Taliban rule, their attempts to take control of the valley, and her views on promoting education for girls. The following summer, a New York Times documentary was filmed about her life as the Pakistani military intervened in the region, culminating in the Second Battle of Swat. Yousafzai began to rise in prominence, giving interviews in print and on television and taking a position as chairperson of the District Child Assembly Swat. She has since been nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize by Desmond Tutu and has won Pakistan's first National Youth Peace Prize. She was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and is the youngest nominee in history.
    Former British Prime Minister and current U.N. Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched a United Nations petition in Yousafzai's name, using the slogan "I am Malala" and demanding that all children worldwide be in school by the end of 2015. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has announced that 10 November will be celebrated as Malala Day.

2.    Name the 100-year-old Frenchman who has set a record for the fastest centenarian to cycle 100km?
Robert Marchand.
He completed the distance in 4 hours, 17 minutes and 27 seconds. His bid for the centenarian record has been officially certified by the French national cycling federation.

3.    Which team won the Federation Cup football -2012 title defeating Dempo (3-2) in the final?
East Bengal.
Salgaocar were the defending champions, having beaten East Bengal 3–1 in the 2011 Final.

4.    Eminent British historian, who chronicled extremes of the 19th and 20th centuries from a Marxist perspective, died on October 1, 2012?
Eric J. Hobsbawm.
His three-volume economic history of the rise of industrial capitalism established him as Britain’s pre-eminent Marxist historian. His best-known works include his trilogy about the long 19th century (The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848, The Age of Capital: 1848–1875; The Age of Empire: 1875–1914), The Age of Extremes on the short 20th century, and an edited volume which introduced the influential idea of "invented traditions".

5.    Which Asian country celebrated its 61st National Day on October 1, 2012?
China.

6.    The sungrazing comet discovered by astronomers in September 2012 which is forecast to appear in the Northern hemisphere sky on November 28 2013?
Comet ISON.
         C/2012 S1 (ISON) is discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok.The discovery was made using the 0.4-meter (16 in) reflector of the International Scientific Optical Network near Kislovodsk, Russia.

7.    Which country recently lifted the ban on night time civil partnerships?
United Kingdom.
The changes are part of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which also seeks to quash historic convictions for consensual gay sex. 
8.    Renowned Malayalam poet who bagged the Vallathol Award for the year 2011?
Yusuf Ali Kecheri.
               The award includes a memento and a cash award of Rs 1,11,111. The award, instituted in memory of legendary poet Vallathol Narayana Menon, was awarded to Yusuf Ali for his contribution to the Malayalam literature.
9.    U.S.President Obama recently blocked Chinese Owned Corporation from acquiring ownership of four wind farm companies in Oregon near a U.S. naval weapons systems training facility due to national security concerns. Name that corporation?
Ralls Corporation
Ralls is a Delaware corporation, but it is owned by Chinese nationals. Ralls also is affiliated with a Chinese manufacturer of wind turbines, Sany Group Co.
10.    Winners of 77th Senior National Badminton Championship-2012 held in Sri Nagar.
Men’s Singles Winner: P.Kashyap. He defeated Ajay Jayaram in the final.
Women’s Singles Winner: Sayali Gokhale. She defeated P.V.Sindhu in the final.
Mixed Doubles Winners- Aparna Balan and Arun Vishnu.
Women's doubles Winners- Aparna Balan and Siki Reddy N.
Men’s doubles winners- Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy B.
11.    Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize-2012:
                Eleven scientists have been selected for Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize-2012, which is given by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for notable and outstanding research, applied or fundamental, biology, chemistry, environmental science, engineering, mathematics, medicine and Physics. The award is named after the founder Director of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research; Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It was first awarded in 1958. Here is the list of Winners of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize-2012:
Physical Sciences:
Arindam Ghosh, IISc, Bangalore
Krishnendu Sengupta, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science.
Biological Sciences:
Shantanu Chowdhury, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology
Suman Kumar Dhar, Special Centre for Molecular Medicine at the JNU.
Chemical Sciences:
Govindsamy Mugesh, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc)
Gangadhar J Sanjayan, CSIR National Chemical Laboratory, Pune.
Engineering Sciences:
Ravishankar Narayanan, IISc, Banglore.
Y Shanthi Pavan, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras
Mathematical Sciences:
Siva Ramachandran Athreya and Debashish Goswami
Indian Statistical Institute.
Medical Science:
Sandip Basu, Radiation Medicine Centre at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
12.    The surface-to-surface ballistic missile of India which was successfully test-fired on October 4, 2012 by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Services from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur in Odisha?
Prithvi-II.
Prithvi –II can be armed with nuclear warheads, travelled its full range of 350 km before plunging into the Bay of Bengal. It carried conventional explosives.
13.    The nuclear-capable ballistic missile which was successfully test fired by India on October 5, 2012 from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast?
Dhanush.
With a pay-load capacity of 500 kg, Dhanush is a naval version of the nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi. It is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads and can strike targets in the range of 350 km.
14.    Who won the Vayalar Award for the year 2012?
Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri.
              Malayalam poet, Akkitham, has bagged Vayalar Rama Varma Literary Award instituted by Vayalar Rama Varma Memorial Trust for his work ‘Anthimahakalam.’ The award comprising Rs 25,000, a statuette and a citation. Vayalar award-2011 was given to Sri. K.P.Ramanunni for his work “Jeevithathinte Pusthakam”.

15.    Pope Benedict's ex-butler who has been found guilty of stealing confidential papers from him and sentenced to 18 months in jail?
Paolo Gabriele.

16.    Which country won the ICC Twenty 20 World Cup-2012 held in Sri Lanka?
West Indies.
        The 2012 ICC World Twenty20 was the fourth ICC World Twenty20 competition that took place in Sri Lanka from 18 September to 7 October 2012. This is the first World Twenty20 tournament held in an Asian country, the last three having being held in South Africa, England and the West Indies. Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga has been chosen as the event ambassador of the tournament by ICC. 12 countries participated in the T20 World Cup-2012.

West Indies defeated Sri Lanka in the final by 36 runs to clinch the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. It is West Indies' first world title after a gap of 33 years having won the ODI World Cup back in 1979.

17.    Who won the man of the match award in the final of T20 World Cup-2012?
Marlon Samuels. (West Indies).
He scored 78 runs from 55 balls.

18.    Who won the Man of the series award in the T20 World Cup-2012?
Shane Watson. (Australia.).
He scored most number of runs (249) in T20 World Cup-2012. Ajantha Mendis of Sri Lanka took most number of wickets (15) in T20 World Cup-2012.

19.    Name of the 290-km range supersonic cruise missile which is successfully test fired by the Indian Navy on 7 October 2012 from a warship off the Goa coast?
BrahMos.
Brahmos is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg and it can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land. It is a joint venture between Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India and Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia who have together formed BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. It is the world's fastest cruise missile in operation. The missile travels at speeds of Mach 2.8 to 3.0. It is the world's fastest cruise missile in operation.

20.    Red Bull driver who won the Japanese Grand Prix 2012?
Sebastian Vettel.

21.    Which country approved the amendments to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill, 2011 opening up the pension sector to foreign investment?
India.

22.    The government of Philippines and Muslim rebel group signed a landmark peace agreement on October 15, 2012 aimed at ending four decades of conflict on the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao. What is the name of that Muslim rebel group?
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
More than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict on the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao as the mainly Muslim south has sought greater autonomy within the Christian majority country.

23.    Winners of China Open Tennis Title-2012:
Men’s Singles: Winner-Novak Djokovic (Serbia).
He defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the final of China Open Tennis Men’s Singles-2012.
Women’s Singles: Winner-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus).
She defeated Maria Sharapova (Russia) in the final of China Open Tennis Women’s Singles-2012.
Men’s Doubles: Winners-Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (U.S.A).
They defeated Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) and Denis Istomin (Uzbekistan) in the final.
Women’s Doubles: Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina (Russia).
They defeated Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) and Sania Mirza (India).

24.    Who is reelected as the new President of Venezuela?
Hugo Chavez.
On 7 October 2012, Chavez won election as president for a fourth time, defeating Henrique Capriles, and for a new six years term.

25.    Name of the GEORGIAN woman whose claim to have been born in 1880 would have made her the oldest human being ever, died on September 30, 2012?
Antisa Khvichava.
She died in Sachino, western Georgia, on 30 September 2012, purportedly at the age of 132.

26.    Libya's Prime Minister who has been dismissed from his post, after failing for a second time to win parliamentary approval for a new cabinet.
Mustafa Abushagur.
He served as interim Deputy Prime Minister of Libya from 22 November 2011 to 14 November 2012 in Abdurrahim El-Keib’s cabinet and was briefly elected to succeed El-Keib as Prime Minister in 2012, before failing to receive congressional approval for his cabinet nominees and being removed from office.

27.    Complete list of Nobel Prize 2012 Winners:
Nobel Prize for Medicine Winners 2012: John Gurdon (U.K) and Shinya Yamanaka (Japan). They have jointly won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for discovering that mature, specialized cells of the body can be reprogrammed into stem cells.
Nobel Prize for Physics Winners 2012: Serge Haroche (France) and David Wineland (U.S.A).
They have given Nobel Prize for Physics for inventing Methods to observe the bizarre properties of the quantum world, research that has led to the construction of extremely precise clocks and helped scientists take the first steps toward building.
Nobel Prize for Chemistry Winners 2012: Robert J Lefkowitz (U.S.A) and Brian K Kobilka (U.S.A). They won this prize for their work on G-protein-coupled receptors, which allow cells to sense light, flavour, odour and receive signals from hormones and neurotransmitters.
Nobel Prize for Literature Winner 2012: Mo Yan (China).
Mr Mo Yan won the 2012 Nobel prize for literature for works which combine "Hallucinatory Realism" with folk tales, history and contemporary life grounded in his native land. Mo Yan is a pen name meaning 'don't speak'. Mo's real name is Guan Moye
Nobel Prize for Peace Winner 2012: European Union (EU).
The European Union won this prestigious prize because The union and its forerunners have for over six decades, contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.
Nobel Prize for Economics Winners 2012:
Alvin E Roth (U.S.A) and Lloyd S Shapley (U.S.A).
        They were awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel for the year 2012. They won the prize for their research on how to match different economic agents such as students for schools or even organ donors with patients.
28.    Which country recently decided to move ahead with its proposal to hike foreign investment ceiling in the insurance sector to 49 per cent from the present 26 per cent.?
India.

29.    Name of Florida man who choked to death in October, 2012 after eating dozens of live cockroaches in a contest to win a python?
Edward Archbold.

30.    Who was named as the vice-president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the 2012-2014 term?
Mustafa Kamal.
Prior to his nomination for the ICC, Kamal was the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

31.    The former Zimbabwean all rounder and coach, who has died in Mutare on 10 October 2012 after collapsing on a morning run while preparing his franchise team for a domestic game?
Kevin Curran.
He played in both the 1983 Cricket World Cup and 1987 Cricket World Cup. He was also a Zimbabwean cricket coach from August 2005 to September 2007. At the time of his death, he was head of the Zimbabwe Cricket Academy.

32.    Which country won the title of 16th Asian Junior Women’s Volleyball Championship held in Thailand from 1 – 9 October 2012?
China.

33.    Who is named the richest Indian with a Personal Fortune of $19.3 billion according to a report furnished by China based Research firm Hurun on 10 October 2012?
Mukesh Ambani. (Reliance Industries chairman).
Ambani is followed by Arcelor-Mittal chief LN Mittal, whose wealth is pegged at $16.9 billion.

34.    Who is the new Chief Secretary of Kerala?
Jose Cyriac.

35.    Indian cricket legend who has been appointed as the new chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee?
Anil Kumble.
He will succeed former West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd as chairman of the ICC cricket committee.

36.    American former professional road racing cyclist who has banned from cycling for life for doping offenses by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012?
Lance Armstrong.
Armstrong had won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005. He is the founder of the Livestrong Foundation, originally called the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides support for cancer patients. In January 2013, Armstrong admitted doping in a television interview conducted by Oprah Winfrey, despite having made denials throughout his career.

37.    American football player, professional wrestler, and actor who died on October 10, 2012?


Alex Karras.
He played football with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League from 1958–1962 and 1964–1970. As an actor, Karras is noted for his role as Mongo in the 1974 comedy film Blazing Saddles, and for starring in the ABC sitcom Webster (1983–89) alongside his wife Susan Clark, as the title character's adoptive father.

38.    Former Kerala Governor and former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, died on October 12, 2012 in Chandigarh?
Sukhdev Singh Kang.
He was the fourteenth Governor of Kerala from January 25, 1997 to April 18, 2002. He served as a judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court from February 1979 and was subsequently promoted and transferred as the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, a post he held from October 24, 1989 to May 14, 1993. During his tenure E K Nayanar and A K Antony were the Chief Ministers of Kerala. Following his stint as the Governor of Kerala, he was appointed a member of the National Human Rights Commission 1993.

39.    Name of the planet discovered by a group of American and French scientists which is twice the size of Earth made largely out of diamond?
55 Cancri e.
The rocky planet, called ‘55 Cancri e’, orbits a sun-like star 40 light years away in the constellation of Cancer and is moving so fast that a year there lasts a mere 18 hours. It is also incredibly hot, with temperatures on its surface reaching 3,900 degrees Fahrenheit (1,648 Celsius).

40.    Who has been sworn in as the first black president of Supreme Court of Brazil?
Joaquim Barbosa.

41.    Who has been re-elected as President of The Indian Newspaper Languages Association (ILNA) for the third consecutive year?
Paresh Nath.

42.    Which national park has been declared as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) by The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests vide its notification dated October 4, 2012?
Bandipur National Park.
Bandipur National Park, established in 1973 as a tiger reserve under Project Tiger, is a national park located in Karnataka.

43.    Senior journalist of ‘The Hindu’ Newspaper who has been appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor of the Harideo Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication in Rajasthan?
Sunny Sebastian.

44.    Who is appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice in Rajasthan?
M. L. Kumawat.

45.    Which states won the titles in the 28th National youth basketball championship for under 16 in the boy's and girls category respectively held in Indore?
Madhyapradesh and Kerala.

46.    The Texas mother who was sentenced to 99 years in prison for admitting to beating her 2-year-old daughter and gluing her hands to her apartment wall?
Elizabeth Escalona.

47.    The last bronze statue of which communist leader has been removed from Ulan-Bator, the capital of Mongolia
Vladimir Lenin.
For decades Vladimir Lenin was worshipped by Mongolian schoolchildren as Teacher Lenin. Many statues of Lenin, who died in 1924, remain standing around Russia and other countries once under the Soviet control.
48.    Who became the senior national champion by winning the 50th National Premier Chess Championship held in Kolkata?
G Akash.
49.    Who has won the 5th Grand Slam Chess Masters Final held in October 2012?
Magnus Carlsen.
50.    Who has won the Shanghai Masters Tennis Title 2012?
Novak Djokovic.
He won the Shanghai Open 2012 title defeating Andy Murray in the final.
51.    Which pair won the Shanghai Masters doubles Tennis title-2012 defeating Bhupathi-Bopanna in the final?
Leander Paes (India) and Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic).

52.    The former Cambodian king who led Cambodia to independence from France in 1953, died on October 15, 2012?

Norodom Sihanouk.

He was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 to 2004. He was the effective ruler of Cambodia from 1953 to 1970. After his second abdication in 2004, he was known as "The King-Father of Cambodia”, a position in which he retained many of his former responsibilities as constitutional monarch.

53.    Austrian skydiver who set the world record for skydiving an estimated 39 kilometres (24 miles), reaching an estimated speed of 1357.64 km/h (843.6 mph), on 14 October 2012?

Felix Baumgartner.
He became the first person to break the speed of sound wearing only a high-pressure suit. He is also renowned for the particularly dangerous nature of the stunts he has performed during his career. Baumgartner's most recent project was Red Bull Stratos, in which he jumped to Earth from a helium balloon in the stratosphere on 14 October 2012. As part of this project, he set the altitude record for a manned balloon flight, parachute jump from the highest altitude, and greatest free fall velocity.

54.    Who has been appointed as the new Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)?
Pranay Sahay.

55.    Name of the planet which has four suns and located about 5,000 light years from Earth?
PH1.
The planet has been dubbed PH1 in honour of Planet Hunters, a programme led by Yale University in the United States which enlists volunteers to look for signs of new planet. PH1 is orbiting two suns, and in turn is orbited by a second distant pair of stars. Only six planets are known to orbit two stars.

56.    Indian Cricketer who has been awarded the Order of Australia, one of the country's highest honours?
Sachin Tendulkar.
He is the fourth non-Australian cricketer to be awarded an Order of Australia, after West Indian legends Brian Lara, Sir Garfield Sobers and Clive Lloyd.
57.    Teenager of Indian Origin with an IQ of 162 who has been rated brainier than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking?
Fabiola Mann.
She has been accepted into Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world after she got a whopping score of 162.

58.    Former India football goalkeeper and a member of the squad that won a bronze at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok, passed away on 17 October 2012?

Bandya Kakade.

59.    Who has won the 2012 Man Booker Prize?
 Hilary Mantel.
She won the award for her novel “Bring Up The Bodies”. She became the first British author to win the Booker prize twice. “Bring up the Bodies”, Mantel's 13th novel, is the sequel to 2009's Wolf Hall, for which she also won the Booker.

60.    Bengali novelist who has been selected for the maiden Kakkanadan Foundation Literary Award?
Tilottama Majumdar.
Majumdar won the award for her novel ‘Rajpat.’ The award carries a purse of Rs.1 lakh and a citation. The award has been instituted in memory of eminent Malayalam novelist George Varghese Kakkanadan.

61.    14-year-old New York student who was named 'America's Top Young Scientist' for inventing a solar-powered water purification system that changes dirty water into safe drinking water?
Deepika Kurup.
Deepika won the ‘Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge’, $25,000 and a trip from Discovery Student Adventures by inventing a water-purification system that harnesses solar energy to disinfect contaminated water.

62.    Name the American weekly news magazine which ends print edition at the end of 2012 after 80 years of publication?
Newsweek.
Newsweek was published in New York City in print form from 1933 to 2012. It was the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence. In November 2010, Newsweek merged with the news and opinion website The Daily Beast, forming the Newsweek Daily Beast Company, after negotiations between the owners of the two publications. Tina Brown, The Daily Beast's editor-in-chief served as the editor of both publications. On October 18, 2012, Brown announced that Newsweek would cease print publication with the December 31, 2012, issue and transition to an all-digital format. The online edition of “Newsweek” is named "Newsweek Global".

63.    Who were qualified as commissioners in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation), Asia referees’ clinic?
Mohd. Hasam Khan, Dr. Prince K. Mattam and Sunil Ratan.

64.    Veteran Hindi filmmaker came to be known as the "King of romance" of the Indian cinema who died on October 21, 2012?

Yash Chopra.
 He made his directorial debut with Dhool Ka Phool in 1959. In 1973, Chopra founded his own production company, Yash Raj Films and launched it with Daag: A Poem of Love (1973) His success continued in the seventies, with some of Indian cinema's most successful and iconic films, including the action thriller Deewar (1975) which established Amitabh Bachchan as the leading actor in Bollywood, the romantic drama Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Trishul (1978). He directed and produced the cult classic Lamhe in 1991. Considered by critics and Chopra himself as his best work to date, the film became one of the biggest Bollywood hits in the overseas market.
Chopra’s other popular films are Darr (1993), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Veer-Zaara (2004) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). Chopra was the chairman of the motion picture production and distribution company Yash Raj Films. He has won several film awards, including six National Film Awards, eleven Filmfare awards and four Filmfare Award for Best Director. The Government of India honoured him with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005 for his contributions towards Indian cinema. BAFTA presented him with a lifetime membership for his contribution to the films, making him the first Indian to receive the honour.

65.    Indian badminton player who has won the Denmark Open Super Series Premier trophy-2012?
Saina Nehwal.
She defeated German's Juliane Schenk in the finals played in Odense in Denmark.

66.    India-born astronomer who discovered the Diamond Planet “55 Cancri e”?
Nikku Madhusudhan
He is a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University.

67.    Who has been appointed as the first Vice-Chancellor of Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University?
K.Jayakumar.
Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, also called Malayalam University, is a university in Kerala established by Government of Kerala in the year 2012. K. Jayakumar, a civil servant of the Indian Administrative Service cadre, who retired as the Chief Secretary of Kerala on 31 October 2012 has been appointed as its first vice chancellor. It was Jayakumar who prepared the Project Report of the University.

68.    Former professional road racing cyclist who is banned from competitive cycling for life and stripped of the seven Tour de France titles he won between 1999 and 2005?
Lance Armstrong.

69.    Who won the WTA Kremlin Cup -2012 Tennis title held in Moscow?
Caroline Wozniacki. (Denmark).
She defeated Australian top seed Samantha Stosur in the final and this is the 20th title of her career.

70.    Colorado State University chemical and biological engineering professor who was recently awarded a $400,000, five-year National Science Foundation CAREER grant?
Dr.Ashok Prasad.
He has given this grant for studying how stem cells respond to the geometry and topography of their environment.

71.    Eminent writer and Sahitya Akademi President, who authored over 200 books, died on 23 October 2012?

Sunil Gangopadhyay.
Sunil Gangopadhyay or Sunil Ganguly created the Bengali fictional character Kakababu and wrote a series of novels on this character which became significant in Indian children's literature. He received Sahitya Akademi award in 1985 for his novel Those Days (Sei Samaya). Gangopadhyay used the pen names Nil Lohit, Sanatan Pathak, and Nil Upadhyay. He was elected the President of the Sahitya Akademi on 20 February 2008.

72.    Young model-turned Tamil actress who died on 22 October 2012 after battling a prolonged kidney ailment?
 Shubha Phutela.
 She was crowned Hair-o-max Miss South India 2010. She starred in the Tamil film Maalai Pozhudhin Mayakathilaey that was released in 2012.

73.    Youngest son of the former Libyan dictator Muhammad Gaddafi, who has been killed during fighting in the town of Bani Walid?
Khamis Gaddafi.

74.    The United States senator who won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination in 1972 as an opponent of the war in Vietnam, died on October 21, 2012?
George McGovern.
He was an American historian, author and U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 presidential election. He was trounced by President Richard M. Nixon in the general election.

75.    Former Miss Chennai and south Indian actress who was found dead in her Andheri (West) apartment on October 22, 2012?
Bidushi Dash Barde.
She had appeared in a few Tamil films, including the 2006 crime-thriller “Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu”.

76.    Former Goldman Sachs director who was sentenced to two years in federal prison for leaking corporate secrets about the bank to a hedge fund at the height of the financial crisis?
Rajat Gupta.

77.    Popular satirist, filmmaker and the man behind hit comedy shows like 'Ulta Pulta' and 'Flop Show', died in a road accident recently?
Jaspal Bhatti
He is most well known for his television series Flop Show and mini capsules Ulta Pulta which ran on Doordarshan, India's national television network, in the late 1980s and early 1990s.In 2013, he was honoured with the Padma Bhushan (posthumously), India's third highest civilian award.

78.    Which former cricketer was conferred with BCCI's prestigious Col C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award-2012?
Sunil Gavaskar.
The award comprises a trophy, citation and cheque for Rs. 25 lakhs.
Full list of award winners:
Col. C.K. Nayudu Lifetime achievement award: Sunil Gavaskar - Rs 25 lakh.
100 int'l centuries: Sachin Tendulkar
Polly Umrigar award: Virat Kohli; Rs 5 lakh
Lala Amarnath award (Best all-rounder in the Ranji Trophy): Stuart Binny (KSCA); Rs 2.5 lakh
Best all-rounder Limited overs: Laxmi Ratan Shukla (CAB); Rs 2.5 lakh.
Madhavrao Scindia Trophy (Highest Run getter in ranji Trophy): Robin Bist; Rs. 2.5 lakh
Highest wicket-taker in the Ranji trophy: Ashoke Dinda (CAB); Rs. 2.5 lakh.
M.A. Chidambaram trophy, Best U-16 cricketer of 2011-12: Mohd Saif (UPCA); Rs. 50,000.
M.A. Chidambaram trophy, Best under-19 cricketer: Vijay Zol (Maharashtra CA); Rs. 50,000.
M.A. Chidambaram trophy, Best under-22 cricketer: Satyam Choudhary (MPCA); Rs. 50,000
M.A. Chidambaram trophy, Best woman cricketer (Sr): Anagha Deshpande (Maharashtra CA); Rs. 50,000
Best umpire in domestic cricket: S Ravi; Trophy and cheque for Rs. 50,000.

79.    Indian Cricketer who won the 'Polly Umrigar Award' for the being the best Indian cricketer of the 2011-12 season in international cricket?
Virat Kohli.

80.    Which team won the Duleep Trophy -2012 defeating Central Zone in the final?
East Zone.

81.    Reliance Industries chairman who is the richest Indian for the fifth year in a row with a net worth of $21 billion, according to the Forbes India rich list?
Mukesh Ambani.

82.    Who is appointed as the new Army chief of China?
General Fang Fenghui.
Fenghui has been appointed as the Chief of the Headquarters of the General Staff of the 2.3 million strong People's Liberation Army, (PLA). He succeeds Gen Chen Bingde. Gen Fang was the Commander of the Beijing Military Region.

83.    The painting of which Indian Chief Minister has been auctioned in New York for 3000 dollars?
Mamata Banerjee.
The painting titled 'Flower Power' was sold at 3000 USD. US-based NGO Children's Hope India which auctioned the painting to raise funds for the welfare of underprivileged children in India.

84.    External affairs minister of India who resigned on October 26, 2012?
S M Krishna.

85.    Which countries signed five agreements on October 26, 2012 that will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries?
India and Spain.
India and Spain signed a key pact that will spur collaboration between defence industries of the two countries and four others in areas of sustainable transport and high speed railways

86.    The second Asia Pacific Youth Leaders Summit is scheduled to be held in?
Vietnam.

87.    The cabinet of UPA Government of India recently reshuffled. Here is the  portfolios of newly-inducted and reshuffled ministers :
CABINET MINISTERS
K. Rahman Khan - Minority Affairs
Dinsha J. Patel - Mines
Ajay Maken - Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation
M.M. Pallam Raju - Human Resource Development
Ashwani Kumar - Law & Justice
Harish Rawat - Water Resources
Chandresh Kumari Katoch - Culture
M. Veerappa Moily - Petroleum & Natural Gas
S. Jaipal Reddy - Science & Technology and Earth Sciences
Kamal Nath - Urban Development & Parliamentary Affairs
Vayalar Ravi - Overseas Indian Affairs
Kapil Sibal - Communications & Information Technology
C.P. Joshi - Road Transport & Highways
Kumari Selja - Social Justice & Empowerment
Pawan Kumar Bansal - Railways
Salman Khursheed - External Affairs
Jairam Ramesh - Rural Development.

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)
Manish Tewari - Information & Broadcasting
K. Chiranjeevi - Tourism
Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia - Power
K.H. Muniappa - Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki - Drinking Water & Sanitation
Sachin Pilot - Corporate Affairs
Jitendra Singh - Youth Affairs & Sports

MINISTERS OF STATE
Shashi Tharoor - Human Resource Development
Kodikunnil Suresh - Labour & Employment
Tariq Anwar - Agriculture & Food Processing Industries
K. J. Surya Prakash Reddy - Railways
Ranee Narah - Tribal Affairs
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury - Railways
Abu Hasem Khan Choudhury - Health & Family Welfare
Sarvey Sathyanarayana - Road Transport & Highways
Ninong Ering - Minority Affairs
Deepa Dasmunsi - Urban Development
Porika Balram Naik - Social Justice & Empowerment
Kruparani Killi - Communications & Information Technology
Lalchand Kataria - Defence
E. Ahamed - External Affairs
D. Purandeswari - Commerce & Industry
Jitin Prasada - Defence & Human Resource Development
S. Jagathrakshakan - New & Renewable Energy
R.P.N. Singh - Home Affairs
K.C. Venugopal - Civil Aviation
Rajeev Shukla - Parliamentary Affairs & Planning

88.    Germany's foremost contemporary composer who is best known for "his consistent cultivation of music for the theatre throughout his life", died on 27 October 2012?

Hans Werner Henze.

89.    Former Italian prime minister who has been convicted and sentenced to a year in prison over an illegal wiretap published in a newspaper owned by his media empire?
Silvio Berlusconi.

90.    The Red Bull Driver who has won the Indian Grand Prix-2012?
Sebastian Vettel.

91.    Which team won the Champions League Twenty20 2012 title held in South Africa?
The Sydney Sixers.
The Sydney Sixers beat the Highveld Lions by 10 wickets to win the Champions League Twenty20 final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Michael Lumb scored 82 not out from 42 balls as Sydney chased down the Lions' 121 all out with 45 balls to spare.

92.    Who won the World Billiards Title-2012 defeating defending champion Mike Russell in the final in the UK?
Pankaj Advani. (India)
This is his seventh World Billiards title.

93.    A 108-ft statue of which social reformer built in Bidar district of Karnataka is unveiled by Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on October 28, 2012. Basaveshwara.
Statue of Basaveshwara built at Basavakalyan in Bidar district at a cost of over Rs. 9 crore by Mate Mahadevi of the Basava Dharma Peetha. Basaveshwara was a philosopher, Statesman and a social reformer. He fought against the inhuman practice of caste system, which discriminated people based on their birth and certain rituals in Hinduism.

94.    A major airport in which Asian Country was closed on October 30, 2012 after construction workers found an unexploded bomb believed to be from World War II?
Japan.

95.    Who won the European Golden Boot Award of the season 2011-2012?
Lionel Messi.
Lionel Messi, the Barcelonean forward footballer, won the award in recognition to his record 50 goals scored in the Europe’s domestic football league in the last session. The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goal scorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league.

96.    Danish legend Badminton Player who retired from international badminton on 30 October 2012?
Peter Gade.
         Gade made his mark in badminton history through his All England Open Badminton Championships singles title in 1999 and his five European Championships crowns in the men's single event. He topped the world rankings from 1998 to 2001 and recaptured it in 2006. With his 22 Grand-Prix titles, he has become one of the most successful players of all time.

97.    Which state became the overall champion in the 28th National Junior Athletics Championship held in Uttar Pradesh?
Kerala.

98.    Name the deadliest tropical cyclone which hit South Indian states (Tamil Nadu & Andra Pradesh) on October 2012?
Cyclone Nilam.

99.    Who has won the prestigious Padmaprabha Literary Prize-2012?
Sara Joseph.
She is a Novelist, woman activist and environmentalist. The award consists of a cash prize of Rs.75, 000 and a citation.

100.    Who is appointed as the new Chief Secretary of Kerala?
K Jose Cyriac.

101.    The first open jail for women in Kerala is opened in?
Poojappura, (Thiruvananthapuram District).

102.    Sri Lanka's ruling coalition recently decided to impeach the country's first woman chief justice on the charges of "improper conduct". Name that first women chief justice of Sri Lanka?


Shirani Bandaranayake.

103.    Which country won the inaugural Women’s Twenty20 Asia Cup, beating Pakistan by 18 runs in the final?
India.
Player of the match: Poonam Raut. She top-scored for India with 25 runs.


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