Current Affairs - 25 March 2015

Section 66 A of IT Act unconstitutional: SC

• 

  The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down Section 66 A of the Information and Technology Act, which allows police to arrest people for posting “offensive content” on the internet.
  
  The court, however, allowed the government to block websites if their content had the potential to create communal disturbance, social disorder or affect India's relationship with other countries.
  
  The bench said the public's right to know is directly affected by Section 66 A and the Section clearly affects the right to freedom of speech and expression enshrined under the Constitution of India.
  
  Further, the court said Section 66 A was unconstitutional because it failed two major tests - the clear and present danger test and the tendency to create public disorder test. The court also found the language used in the Section vague and nebulous saying it doesn't properly define words like 'offensive' or even 'persistent'.
  
  The court said it can't go by government assurances that the Section won't be misused as any assurance would not bind on successive governments. Section 66 A it said, would have to be judged on its own merits.
  
  The court said there is a difference between discussion, advocacy and incitement. Discussion & advocacy, no matter if annoying to some people, has to be allowed, it said.
  
  A bench of justices J. Chelameswar and R.F. Nariman had on 26 February reserved its judgement on one of the most controversial issues regarding the freedom of expression that the court has had to deal with in recent times. The verdict was reserved after the government concluded its arguments contending that section 66A of the Information Technology Act cannot be declared unconstitutional merely because of the possibility of its “abuse”.
  
  The government said it did not want to curtail the freedom of speech and expression but contended that the cyber space could not be allowed to remain unregulated. During hearing however, the court had found several issues with the wording of the law. In particular, it said that terms like ‘grossly offensive’ and ‘of menacing character’, used to classify content as illegal, were vague expressions and these words were likely to be misunderstood and abused.
  
  The first PIL on the issue was filed in 2012 by a law student Shreya Singhal, who sought amendment in Section 66A of the Act, after two girls — Shaheen Dhada and Rinu Shrinivasan — were arrested in Palghar in Thane district as one of them posted a comment against the shutdown in Mumbai following Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray’s death and the other ‘liked’ it. The apex court had on 16 May 2013, come out with an advisory that a person, accused of posting objectionable comments on social networking sites, cannot be arrested without police getting permission from senior officers like the IG or the DCP

Amnesty International human rights award 2015

• 

  Amnesty International has given its top 2015 human rights award to both Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, a fierce critic of Beijing, who has been banned from leaving China after an 81-day detention in 2011, and U.S. folksinger Joan Baez.
  
  The Ambassador of Conscience Award recognises "those who have shown exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights, through their life and work", Amnesty said in a statement on Tuesday.
  
  Previous winners include Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela and Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
  
  "Through his work Ai Weiwei reminds us that the right of every individual to express their self must be protected, not just for the sake of society, but also for art and humanity," said Salil Shetty, Amnesty's Secretary-General, in the statement.
  
  Mr. Shetty said of Mr. Baez: "With her mesmerising voice and unwavering commitment to peaceful protest and human rights for all, Joan Baez has been a formidable force for good over more than five decades".
  
  The joint award will be presented at a ceremony in Berlin on May 21, the statement said.
  
  But it is almost certain that Mr. Ai, 57, will not be able to collect it as he remains under close surveillance and is unable to leave China.
  
  In 2011, Mr. Ai was detained without any charge and held mainly in solitary confinement, sparking an international outcry. A court later upheld a $2.4 million fine against Ai for tax evasion.
  
  The world-renowned artist maintains the charges were trumped up in retaliation for his criticism of the government. 

Mars Orbiter mission extended for another six months

• 

  Bengaluru: India’s maiden Mars Orbiter mission was extended for another six months on Tuesday to further explore the Red Planet and its atmosphere, a senior official said here.
  
  “As the 1,340 kg Mars Orbiter has sufficient fuel (37 kg) to last longer than it was intended earlier, its mission has been extended for another six months,” the senior official of the Indian space agency told IANS.
  
  The historic mission has completed six months of orbiting the Red Planet. India created history by becoming the first country to enter Mars orbit in maiden attempt on September 24, 2014 after a nine-month voyage through the inter-planetary space from Earth.
  
  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present on the occasion at the Indian space agency’s Mars Orbiter Mission centre in this tech hub. India also became the first Asian country to have entered the Mars sphere of influence (gravity) in maiden attempt, as a similar mission by China failed to succeed in 2011.
  
  The Rs.450-crore ($70 million) ambitious Mars mission was launched on November 5, 2013 on board a polar rocket from spaceport Sriharikota off Bay of Bengal, about 80 km of Chennai. “The five scientific instruments onboard the spacecraft (Orbiter) will continue to collect data and relay it to our deep space network centre here for analysis,” state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) director Devi Prasad Karnik said.
  
  Of the five payloads (instruments) onboard, the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) has been the most active, taking several stunning images of the red planet’s surface and its surroundings, including valleys, mountains, craters, clouds and dust storms.
  
  “The camera has beamed to us several breathtaking pictures of the Martian surface and its weather patterns such as dust storms. We have uploaded many pictures on our website (www.isro.gov.in) and our Facebook account for viewing,” Karnik said.
  
  The other four instruments have been conducting experiments to study the Martian surface, its rich mineral composition and scan its atmosphere for methane gas to know if it can support life.
  
  The four instruments are Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM), Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP), Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) and Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS).
  
  MSM measures the natural gas in the Martian atmosphere with PPB (particles per billion) accuracy and map its sources. LAP is studying the atmospheric process of Mars and measure the deuterium (isotope) and hydrogen ratio and neutral particles in its upper atmosphere.
  
  MENCA and TIS are analysing the neutral composition and measure the temperature during day and night to map the surface composition and mineralogy of Mars. “As methane is an indicator of past life on Mars, the sensor is looking for its presence in the Martian orbit. If available, we will know its source in terms of biology and geology. The thermal infrared sensor will find out if the gas is from geological origin,” Karnik pointed out.
  
  Scientists at the mission control centre here are monitoring the orbital movement of the spacecraft around Mars and checking health of its instruments round the clock. “Health and other parameters of the spacecraft are fine and all the essential functions continue to perform normal,” Karnik asserted.
  
  Orbiter takes 3.2 Earth days or 72 hours, 51 minutes and 51 seconds to go round Mars once while orbiting at a distance of 500 km nearest and over 80,000 km farthest from its red surface. Success of the Mars mission has made India join the elite club of the US, Europe and Russia, which reached the red planet after initial failures.
  
  ISRO became the fourth international space agency after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US, Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA) and European Space Agency to have undertaken successful mission to Mars.
  
  Besides Orbiter and NASA’s Maven, two other NASA orbiters, Europe’s Mars Express orbiter and two NASA rovers have been exploring the red planet. Maven, which reached the Martian orbit on September 22, 2014, is an acronym for Mars atmosphere and volatile evolution. It has been designed to study the red planet’s thin atmosphere in attempt to learn what happened to Mars’s water.
  
  As the fourth planet away from sun, Mars is the second smallest celestial body in the solar system. Named after Roman god of war, it is also known as red planet due to the presence of iron oxide in abundance, giving it a reddish appearance.

Three ISVs Commisioned at Visakhapatnam

• 

  The second batch of three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs), comprising T-38, T-39 and T-40 were commissioned today, 24 March 2015 by Vice Admiral Satish Soni, PVSM, AVSM, NM, ADC, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command at an impressive ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. These three ISVs are in addition to the first batch of ISVs commissioned last year on 04 Jun 14 and will constitute the 84th Immediate Support Vessel Squadron based at Visakhapatnam. Two ISVs have been built by Rodman Spain whereas one ISV has been built by the Abu Dhabi Ship Builders (ADSB). The project was a joint collaboration between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Ltd, Ship Builders and the Indian Navy. 
  
  Vice Admiral Satish Soni was received on arrival at the Naval Jetty by Commodore KA Bopanna, Naval Officer-in-Charge(NOIC), Andhra Pradesh. The Admiral was presented a Fifty-man Guard and introduced to the Commanding Officers of the ISVs thereafter. The inaugural address was delivered by the NOIC, Andhra Pradesh. Lieutenants Jai Kishore, Shobhit Saxena and Vaibhav Bhardwaj, Commanding Officers of T-38, T-39 and T-40 respectively, read out the Commissioning Warrants. Hoisting of the Naval Ensign onboard for the first time and ‘Breaking of the Commissioning Pennant’ with the National Anthem being played marked the completion of the Commissioning Ceremony. 
  
  "These ISVs were brought to Naval Dockyard Mumbai where Delivery Acceptance Trials were carried out. These ships have sailed 1,200 nautical miles from Mumbai to Visakhapatnam over duration of 12 days before getting commissioned at the Eastern Naval Command," Vice Admiral Satish Soni said while addressing the gathering, adding that the ISVs proved their sturdiness as they crossed successfully the Gulf of Mannar facing strong winds and high seas. 
  
  The ISVs are armed with Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) and are fitted with state of the art radar and navigation equipment. They are fitted with two caterpillar engines of 1600 MHP each to provide water jet propulsion which provides the vessels a high speed of 40 knots and an endurance of 500 nautical miles. These ships are capable of carrying out day and night surveillance and can be used for rapid insertions/extraction of MARCOS for military intervention. 
  
  The induction and deployment of these ships will augment the ongoing efforts to bolster coastal security and provide protection to our offshore assets from asymmetric threats. These ships would enhance Indian Navy’s capability in furthering its mandate of maritime safety and security over the Offshore Developmental Areas on the Eastern sea board.

Jupiter changed our solar system

• 

  Jupiter may have swept through the early solar system like a wrecking ball, destroying any newly-formed super-Earths by driving them into the Sun, a new study has found.
  The findings suggest that a second generation of inner planets, including Earth and Mars, would then have formed from the depleted material that was left behind.
  The study also explains why the terrestrial planets in our solar system have such relatively low masses compared to the planets orbiting other Sun-like stars.
  “Our work suggests that Jupiter’s inward-outward migration could have destroyed a first generation of planets and set the stage for the formation of the mass-depleted terrestrial planets that our solar system has today,” said Konstantin Batygin, assistant professor of planetary science at California Institute of Technology.
  About half of Sun-like stars in our galactic neighbourhood have orbiting planets. In our solar system, very little lies within Mercury’s orbit; there is only a little debris – probably near-Earth asteroids that moved further inward – but certainly no planets.
  That is in sharp contrast with what astronomers see in most planetary systems.
  According to Batygin and colleagues, Jupiter is critical to understanding how the solar system came to be the way it is today. Their model incorporates ‘the Grand Tack scenario’, proposed by another team of astronomers in 2011.
  In that scenario, Jupiter first migrated inward toward the Sun until the formation of Saturn caused it to reverse course and migrate outward to its current position.
  Batygin performed numerical calculations to see what would happen if a set of rocky planets with close-in orbits had formed prior to Jupiter’s inward migration.
  At that time, it’s plausible that rocky planets with deep atmospheres would have been forming close to the Sun from a dense disk of gas and dust, on their way to becoming typical “super-Earths” – planets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
  As Jupiter moved inward, however, gravitational perturbations from the giant planet would have swept the inner planets (and smaller planetesimals and asteroids) into close-knit, overlapping orbits, setting off a series of collisions that smashed all the nascent planets into pieces.
  The resulting debris would then have spiralled into the Sun under the influence of a strong “headwind” from the dense gas still swirling around the Sun. The ingoing avalanche would have destroyed any newly-formed super-Earths by driving them into the Sun.
  A second generation of inner planets would have formed later from the depleted material that was left behind, consistent with evidence that our solar system’s inner planets are younger than the outer planets.
  The resulting inner planets – Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars – are also less massive and have much thinner atmospheres than would otherwise be expected, said Gregory Laughlin from the University of California – Santa Cruz

17 mega food parks to states, pvt firms allocated

• 

  Narendra Modi government today allocated the development of 17 mega food parks across the country to state governments and private firms, including Adani Ports & SEZ, envisaging an investment of over Rs 6,000 crore.
  A mega food park provides various facilities to food processors, farmers, retailers and exporters, helping achieve faster growth of food processing industries.
  The project cost to set up these 17 mega food parks would be Rs 2,030 crore, of which the central grant would be Rs 850 crore.
  An estimated investment of another Rs 4,000 crore would be from food processing units to be set up in these parks.
  “The Ministry received 72 proposals both from state governments and private players for the 17 food parks. 7 mega food parks have been allocated to state governments and 10 to private players,” Food Processing Minister Harismrat Kaur Badal told reporters here.
  Under the scheme (2008-09) of mega food parks, the Food Processing Ministry had sanctioned 42 projects throughout the country. Of these, 25 parks have already been allocated.
  “The total projected cost of these 17 mega food parks is estimated at Rs 2,030 crore, of which the government’s contribution would be to the tune of Rs 850 crore. Another Rs 4,000 crore is estimated to be invested once the basic infrastructure of these food parks is set up,” Badal said.
  She said basic infrastructure in these food parks needs to be set up within 30 months. In each mega food park, 40-50 food processing units would come up.
  Five state governments — Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha — have been allocated one food park each, while Kerala government has been allocated 2 food parks.
  Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, Jain Agro Trading Company and Ruchi Acroni Industries are among 10 private players who have been allocated food parks by the Centre.
  In these mega food parks, 80,000 people are expected to get employment while 5 lakh farmers would also be benefitted.
  Badal further said only 2 per cent of total fruits, vegetables and grains produced in the country are processed.
  The Mega Food Park Scheme, based on cluster approach, is modelled on hub and spoke architecture. It aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processing industry backed by an efficient supply chain, which includes collection centres, central processing centre (CPC) and cold chain infrastructure.
  The scheme envisages one time capital grant of 50 per cent of the project cost (excluding land cost) subject to a maximum of Rs 50 crore in general areas, and 75 per cent of the project cost (excluding land cost) subject to a ceiling of Rs 50 crore in difficult and hilly areas, including the North-East and J&K.

Gold in feces worth millions: Study

• 

  Human feces contains gold, silver and other metals which could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, say scientists who are investigating ways to extract the precious metals from poop.
  Treated solid waste contains gold, silver and other metals, as well as rare elements such as palladium and vanadium that are used in electronics and alloys, researchers have found.
  “There are metals everywhere, in your hair care products, detergents, even nanoparticles that are put in socks to prevent bad odours,” said Dr Kathleen Smith, from the US Geological Survey (USGS).
  Whatever their origin, the wastes containing these metals all end up being funnelled through wastewater treatment plants, where Smith said many metals end up in the leftover solid waste.
  At treatment plants, wastewater goes through a series of physical, biological and chemical processes. The end products are treated water and biosolids.
  Smith said more than 7 million tonnes of biosolids come out of US wastewater facilities each year. About half of that is used as fertiliser on fields and in forests, while the other half is incinerated or sent to landfills.
  Smith and her team are on a mission to find out exactly what is in our waste.
  “We have a two-pronged approach. In one part of the study, we are looking at removing some regulated metals from the biosolids that limit their use for land application,” she said.
  “In the other part of the project, we’re interested in collecting valuable metals that could be sold, including some of the more technologically important metals, such as vanadium and copper that are in cell phones, computers and alloys,” Smith said.
  To do this, they are taking a page from the industrial mining operations’ method book and are experimenting with some of the same chemicals, called leachates, which this industry uses to pull metals out of rock.
  While some of these leachates have a bad reputation for damaging ecosystems when they leak or spill into the environment, Smith said that in a controlled setting, they could safely be used to recover metals in treated solid waste.
  So far, her group has collected samples from small towns in the Rocky Mountains, rural communities and big cities.
  In the treated waste, Smith’s group has already started to discover metals like platinum, silver and gold. She stated that they have observed microscopic-sized metal particles in biosolids using a scanning electron microscope.
  “The gold we found was at the level of a minimal mineral deposit,” she said, meaning that if that amount were in rock, it might be commercially viable to mine it.
  In a recent Environmental Science & Technology paper another research group also studying this issue calculated that the waste from 1 million Americans could contain as much as USD 13 million worth of metals.
  The research was presented at the 249th national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Denver. 

62nd National Film Awards: 'Haider' shines in healthy mix of Hindi, regional cinema

• 

  New Delhi: The jury of the 62nd National Film Awards on Tuesday announced a balanced list of winners from the Hindi and regional movie worlds, with Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Haider' taking away a bouquet of five awards. Talents from Tamil and Bengali movies have been rightfully lauded too.
  'Haider' - a modern-day adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic tragedy 'Hamlet' - set in the backdrop of Kashmir, won Best Male Playback Singer for Sukhwinder Singh for the song 'Bismil'; Best Dialogues and Music Direction for the film's director Vishal Bhardwaj; Best Choreography for Norway-based Sudesh Adhana; and Best Costume Designer for the effervescent Dolly Ahluwalia.
  "We have got more than what we expected... I am overwhelmed," Vishal Bhardwaj, the director of the film, told reporters in Mumbai.
  Bollywood's other big winner is "Queen", which not just won the Best Hindi film, but also the Best Actress honour for Kangana Ranaut, for "an endearingly etched out performance" as Rani. This is her second National Award after she won the Best Supporting Actress for essaying a doomed model in the 2008 film "Fashion".
  The Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment went to "Mary Kom", debut directed by Omung Kumar, for being "an inspiring tale of a woman who becomes a national icon through her determined pursuit of sporting excellence". The film starred National Award winning actress Priyanka Chopra as boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom, and the director is ecstatic about the unexpected victory.
  "It's the biggest high," Omung Kumar told IANS.
  Amitabh Bachchan-starrer "Bhootnath Returns" along with Marathi film "Killa" got a special mention for lovable portrayals. Other films that got a special mention are Malayalam film "Ain" and Konkani film "Nachom - IA Kumpasar".
  Another surprised winner was Chaitanya Tamhane, whose yet-to-be-released movie "Court" won the Best Feature Film for its "powerful and stark depiction of the mundaneness of judicial procedure".
  The Best Direction award went to Bengali director Srijit Mukherji for "Chotushkone", which according to the jury, has "brilliantly reflexive use of the cinematic idiom". Mukherji also won for Best Original Screenplay for the film, which even won the Best Cinematography accolades for Sudeep Chatterjee.
  The Best Actor award has been bagged by Vijay for his "subtle and non-stereotypical playing of a woman trapped in a man's body", in Kannada film "Nanu Avanalla Avalu". The film has also won for Best Makeup Artist for Nangaraju and Raju.
  The Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director went to Bengali film "Asha Jaoar Majhe", helmed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta, while Bengali film "Chotoder Chobi" was named as Best Film on Social Issues for its portrayal of marginalised people, and Malayalam movie "Ottaal" won Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation.
  In the Best Children's Film, there is a tie between Marathi entertainer "Elizabeth Ekadashi" and Tamil movie "Kakka Muttai". The latter has also won the Best Child Artist honour for actors J. Vignesh and Ramesh.
  The winner of the Best Supporting Actor this year is Bobby Simhaa for Tamil film "Jigarthanda", which also won Best Editing award for Vivek Harshan, while Baljinder Kaur's performance in Haryanvi movie "Pagdi The Honour" has been cited for Best Supporting Actress.
  The Best Playback Female Singer has gone to Uttara Unnikrishanan for the song "Azhagu" from Tamil movie "Saivam", and the Best Adapted Screenplay honour went to Joshy Mangalath for Malayalam movie "Ottal".
  NA. Muthukumar won the award in Best Lyrics category for the song "Azhagu" from film "Saivam" as well.
  The audiography department saw winners Marathi film "Khwada" -- which even won a Special Jury honour -- and Bengali movies "Asha Jaoar Majhe" and "Nirbashito".
  The award for Best Production Design went to Aparna Raina for Konkani film "Nachom - IA Kumpasar". She was honoured for convincingly recreating spaces from a different era and keeping minute details in mind.
  Other films to get awards in Best Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu film category are - "Othello", "Nirbashito", "Harivu", "Nachom - IA Kumpasar", "Ain", "Killa", "Aadim Vichar", "Punjab 1984", "Kuttram Kadithal" and "Chandamama Kathalu" respectively.
  Sukankan Roy's directorial "Sound of Joy" grabbed a national film award in the Best Animation film category for its flowing and engaging storytelling. The film narrated stories from Swami Vivekananda's childhood and emphasised on developing the power of concentration. The film was produced by Aura Cinematics and the animator of Rishi Sanay.

World Cup 2015: India vs Australia - How do they match up?

• 

  These are two sides with proven match-winners and big-game players. How do they match up?
  
  
  1) DHAWAN (M 60 | R 2462) - Was backed by the team when he was out of form, and has regained his touch just in time. Dhawan's form at the top is crucial to India's fortunes as has been witnessed in this WC.
  
  VS
  
  WARNER (M 60 | R 1990) - Barring the 178 against Afghans, he has failed to cross the half-century mark in WC. But the southpaw remains a formidable threat thanks to his ability to score big and at a good pace.
  
  2) ROHIT (M 134 | R 4186) - Has a good record against Australia as he smashed his maiden ODI double ton against them in Bengaluru in 2013. Backed by some good knocks, Rohit is brimming with confidence right now.
  
  VS
  
  FINCH (M 47 | R 1646) - The attacking right-hander, barring the 135 against England, has had a quiet tournament. In the semifinal against India, Finch, thanks to his ability to pierce the field, will fancy his chances.
  
  3) KOHLI (M 157 | R 6536) - A proven match-winner, Kohli remains the key wicket for the opposition. Blessed with the ability to raise his game during crunch situations, Kohli may well play a starring role on Thursday.
  
  VS
  
  SMITH (M 56 | R 1388) - A busy and confident player who has the ability to lead his side out of tough situations, Smith can shift gears at will. He brings a semblance of stability to the Australian middle-order.
  
  4) RAHANE (M 53 | R 1540) - Has a calm head over his shoulders. Bats as per the demands of the situation, and can handle pace and spin with ease. Hasn't had too many chances to display his ware in the World Cup so far.
  
  VS
  
  CLARKE (M 243 | R 7897) - The skipper is an experienced player in the Oz line-up. A shrewd cricketer who uses his feet to the spinners and handles the fast bowlers with ease. However, he is not in very good nick.
  
  5) RAINA (M 214 | R 5381) - One of the best finishers in the shorter formats of the game. He is a smooth runner between the wickets and can fetch those big boundaries at the death.
  
  VS
  
  MAXWELL (M 47 | R 1344) - A game changer. Maxwell doesn't take much time to make his presence felt. He has the ability to play shots on all parts of the ground.
  
  6) JADEJA (M 118 | R 1737 | Ave 32.77 | W 143) - He contributes to the team's cause with the bat, bowl and in the field. Has has kept it tight with the ball, but hasn't shone with the bat.
  
  VS
  
  WATSON (M 185 | R 5656 | Wkts 166 | Ave 31.56) - Watson's fifty in his last outing will give him immense confidence ahead of the semifinals. Remains a top player.
  
  7) DHONI (M 261 | R 8434 | Catch 244 | St 85) - The man who can literally finishes off the opposition with his bat. Trust Dhoni to make a crucial mark on the big stage. Has been sharp behind stumps.
  
  VS
  
  HADDIN (M 124 | R 3115 | Catch 165 | St 11) - The vastly experienced Haddin is a warhorse par excellence. His ability to get those vital runs in the end overs is a big plus.
  
  8) ASHWIN (M 95 | R 648 | Ave 18 | W 132) - Has bowled with purpose and stuck to the basics. Ashwin has plugged the runs in the middle overs besides taking crucial wickets.
  
  VS
  
  FAULKNER (M 42 | Runs 793 | Ave 44.05 | W 54) - Is a quintessential limited overs all-rounder who is at his best during the death overs, with both bat and ball.
  
  9) SHAMI (M 46 | W 87) - In the absence of an experienced spearhead, Shami has filled in as the lynchpin of India's bowling attack. And he has done more than a good job.
  
  VS
  
  JOHNSON (M 151 | W 234) - Has given runs at 5.52 an over in the event, but Johnson can never be counted out. He can strike in the most-important phase of the tournament.
  
  10) MOHIT (M 19 | W 21) - Has bowled wicket-to-wicket and made good use of change in pace. On numerous occasions, Mohit has been Dhoni's go-to man to get those crucial breakthroughs.
  
  VS
  
  HAZLEWOOD (M 11 | W 18) - His 4-35 helped Australia bowl out Pak for a below par score in their QF. He is a line-and-length bowler who is difficult to put away and will test India.
  
  11) UMESH (M 47 | W 63) - Has complemented Shami well with the ball at the start of the innings. Yadav has been incisive and not given much room to the batsmen.
  
  VS
  
  STARC (M 39 | W 79) - Has troubled the batsmen with his pace and swing. Among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament, Starc also has the best economy rate.

GENERAL AWARENESS QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

• 1. Who was elected the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
  (FICCI) on December 20, 2014?
  1) Jyotsna Suri
  2) Harshavardhan Neotia
  3) Pankaj Patel
  4) Nainalal Kidwai
  5) None of these

• 2. Which country's Parliament approved a bill to abandon its non-aligned status on December 23,
  2014?
  1) Switzerland
  2) Ukraine
  3) Japan
  4) Pakistan
  5) North Korea

• 3. Who was honored with the Yash Chopra Memorial Award in Mumbai on December 26, 2014?
  1) Dilip Kumar
  2) Asha Bhonsle
  3) Amitabh Bachchan
  4) Lata Mangeshkar
  5) Gulzar

• 4. Who was sworn in as the first non-tribal Chief Minister of Jharkhand on December 28, 2014?
  1) Louis Marandi
  2) Neelkanth Singh Munda
  3) Chandra Prakash Choudhary
  4) Raghubar Das
  5) C.P. Singh

• 5. The Eurasian Economic Union will come into force on?
  1) January 1, 2015
  2) April 1, 2015
  3) January 1, 2016
  4) April 1, 2016
  5) None of these

• 6. Antonis Samaras called for an early election on 2015 January 25. He is the Prime Minister of?
  1) Spain
  2) Poland
  3) Greece
  4) Slovenia
  5) Serbia

• 7. Arsia Mons is a volcano situated on the planet?
  1) Saturn
  2) Venus
  3) Jupiter
  4) Mars
  5) Mercury

• 8. Peace Angel 2014 is a joint military exercise concluded recently between?
  1) China and India
  2) China and USA
  3) China and Pakistan
  4) China and Japan
  5) China and North Korea

• 9. Sadbhavana Divas is celebrated on?
  1) August 9
  2) August 20
  3) August 29
  4) August 6
  5) August 25

• 10. Chapchar Kut Festival is a spring festival celebrated in?
  1) Tripura
  2) Nagaland
  3) Sikkim
  4) Mizoram
  5) Arunachal Pradesh

• 11. SIAM is the apex industry body associated with?
  1) Automobiles
  2) Software
  3) Textiles
  4) Shipping
  5) Fertilizers

• 12. What is the full form of SFIO?
  1) Securities Fraud Investigation Office
  2) Serious Fraud Investigation Office
  3) Systematic Fraud Investigation Office
  4) Severe Fraud Investigation Office
  5) None of these

• 13. Which country transferred the sovereignty of Hong Kong to China on July 1, 1997?
  1) USA
  2) Belgium
  3) UK
  4) France
  5) Japan

• 14. Which of the following institutions was set up with the aim of overall rural development in India?
  1) IDBI
   2) SIDBI
  3) NHB
  4) DICGC
  5) NABARD

• 15. Which of the following deals with the compilation of Index of Industrial Production?
  1) National Development Council
  2) Central Statistical Office
  3) FICCI
  4) ASSOCHAM
  5) Reserve Bank of India

• 16. India has emerged as the second largest textile exporter in the world in 2013. Which country is in top position?
  1) China
  2) Italy
  3) Germany
  4) Bangladesh
  5) USA

• 17. Garuda-V is a joint Air Exercise between India and?
  1) Indonesia
  2) France
  3) Malaysia
  4) Russia
  5) Germany

• 18. FPI is a route for overseas investors to invest in an economy. The letter 'P' denotes?
  1) Participatory
  2) Preferred
  3) Portfolio
  4) Preferential
  5) Priority

• 19. Which of the following terms is not related to Banking/Finance?
  1) CRR
  2) CAR
  3) SLR
  4) SAR
  5) BPLR

• 20. Which of the following countries has scrapped HidroAysen project plan on environmental grounds?
  1) Argentina
  2) Brazil
  3) Chile
  4) Uruguay
  5) Paraguay

• 21. Baker and Pascua rivers are in which of the following countries?
  1) Venezuela
  2) Mexico
  3) Cuba
  4) Chile
  5) Canada

• 22. Who is the author of the book 'The Prince of Gujarat'?
  1) Rajmohan Gandhi
  2) Arundhati Roy
  3) Amalesh Tripathi
  4) Mahesh Rao
  5) Sipra Das

• 23. Identify the mismatched pair?
  1) SHG - Self Help Group
  2) TARC - Trade Administration Reform Commission
  3) AMC - Asset Management Company
  4) EMI - Equated Monthly Installment
  5) IPO - Initial Public Offering

• 24. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the bilateral relations between India and which of the following countries as 'B2B'?
  1) Bangladesh
  2) Brazil
  3) Bhutan
  4) Belgium
  5) Belarus

• 25. Which of the following comes under Services sector?
  1) Construction
  2) Mining
  3) Agriculture
  4) Dairying
  5) Banking

• 26. India is now a permanent member of Washington Accord. Membership means global recognition of Indian?
  1) Agriculture degrees
  2) Doctor degrees
  3) Journalism degrees
  4) Engineering degrees
  5) None of these

• 27. The Washington Accord was established in?
  1) 1989
  2) 1997
  3) 1981
  4) 1995
  5) 1985

• 28. Open Market Operations mean?
  1) Issuance of bonds
  2) Giving loans to banks
  3) Auction of precious metals
  4) Sale or purchase of government securities
  5) None of these

• 29. Identify the mismatched pair with regard to international financial institutions and their heads?
  1) World Bank - Jim Yong Kim
  2) IMF - Christine Lagarde
  3) ADB - Takehiko Nakao
  4) OECD - Jose Angel Gurria
  5) WTO - Pascal Lamy

• 30. Banking Ombudsman is appointed by the?
  1) SBI
  2) Finance Ministry
  3) IBA
  4) Supreme Court
  5) RBI

• 31. Which of the following international organizations/institutions is not located in the United States of America?
  1) UNDP
  2) UNICEF
  3) World Bank
  4) IMF
  5) UNESCO

• 32. What is the highest denomination banknote that the Reserve Bank of India can issue?
  1) Rs. 1000
  2) Rs. 2000
  3) Rs. 5000
  4) Rs. 10000
  5) Rs. 20000

• 33. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha should be from a party whose members constitute at least what per cent of the total strength of the House?
  1) 15 %
  2) 5%
  3) 10%
  4) 7%
  5) 20%

• 34. The Shompen are the indigenous people of?
  1) Kavaratti
  2) Agatti
  3) Amini
  4) Great Nicobar
  5) Minicoy

• 35. The Bharatiya Janata Party became the first political party to get a majority in the General Election on its own since the Indian National Congress had done so in?
  1) 1952
  2) 1991
  3) 2004
  4) 1989
  5) 1984

• 36. The fourth Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) Summit was held in 2014 in?
  1) Istanbul
  2) Shanghai
  3) Astana
  4) Antalya
  5) Ankara

• 37. The Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is located in?
  1) Beijing, China
  2) Manila, Philippines
  3) Almaty, Kazakhstan
  4) Kyoto, Japan
  5) Antalya, Turkey

• 38. Which of the following financial institutions is the last to be established in India?
  1) IFCI
  2) RBI
  3) ICICI
  4) SBI
  5) NABARD

• 39. Phycology is a branch of science that studies?
  1) Algae
  2) Fungi
  3) Virus
  4) Bacteria
  5) Insects

• 40. Which of the following statements is not correct?
  1) Under CRR a certain percentage of the total bank deposits has to be kept with the Reserve Bank of India
  2) Banks do not earn any interest on CRR
  3) The current CRR is 4 percent
  4) SLR is determined by the RBI
  5) The present SLR is 23 percent

• ANSWERS:
  1) 1 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4 5) 1 6) 3 7) 4 8) 3 9) 2 10) 4
  11) 1 12) 2 13) 3 14) 5 15) 2 16) 1 17) 2 18) 3 19) 4 20) 3
  21) 4 22) 1 23) 2 24) 3 25) 5 26) 4 27) 1 28) 4 29) 5 30) 5
  31) 5 32) 4 33) 3 34) 4 35) 5 36) 2 37) 3 38) 5 39) 1 40) 5.