National Events (Part-XI)

41. The following States elected 40 or more members to the Lok Sabha in the year 2009. Arrange them in descending order and select the correct answer from the codes given below: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

1. Maharashtra

2. West Bengal

3. Uttar Pradesh

4. Bihar

Code:

(a) 3,1,2,4
(b) 1,3,4,2
(c) 2,3,4,1
(d) 1,2,4,3

Correct Answer: (a) 3,1,2,4

Solution:State-wise Representation Of Members in Lok Sabha 2009

Uttar Pradesh - 80

Maharastra - 48

West Bengal - 42

Bihar - 40

42. It was withdrawal of support by the Congress (I) which was responsible for the resignation of - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2004]

(a) Charan Singh
(b) Chandra Shekhar
(c) H.D. Deve Gowda
(d) All of the above

Correct Answer: (d) All of the above

Solution:Chandra Shekhar who served as prime minister of India from November 1990 to June 1991. He resigned on March 6, 1991, after the Congress (I) Party withdrew its support, but he remained in office as a caretaker until national legislative elections held in May and June 1991.

43. In the multi-crore Madhavpura Mercantile Co-operative Bank Scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation has framed the accused as - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2002]

(a) Harshad Mehta
(b) Hinduja Brothers
(c) Bharat Shah
(d) Ketan Parekh

Correct Answer: (d) Ketan Parekh

Solution:Former stockbroker Ketan Parekh Accused by the CBI in 2001 of cheating the Madhavpura Bank scam.

44. The first State of India to reserve a government post for a HIV + candidates is - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

(a) Delhi
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerala
(d) Maharashtra

Correct Answer: (c) Kerala

Solution:In August 2008, the State of Kerala decided to provide reservation in government services to HIV affected candidates.

45. Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra, before her elevation to the Supreme Court of India on April 30, 2010, was the Chief Justice of: [U.P.P.C.S. (SpI.) (Mains) 2008]

(a) Bihar High Court
(b) Chennai High Court
(c) Jharkhand High Court
(d) Orissa High Court

Correct Answer: (c) Jharkhand High Court

Solution:Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra was appointed on 30 April 2010 and retired on 27 April 2014. She was the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court before being appointed as a judge of the Supreme court. She became the fourth woman judge of the Supreme Court after Fatima Beevi, Sujata Manohar and Ruma Pal.

46. Indian National Congress is celebrating which year of its formation? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]

(a) 115th
(b) 120th
(c) 125th
(d) 150th

Correct Answer: (c) 125th

Solution:A.O. Hume founded the Indian National Congress on 28th December 1885. On 28th December 2009, the Congress Party celebrated 125th year of its foundation.

47. Manmohan Singh Government won the vote of confidence in Lok Sabha on 22.07.2008 by a margin of: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2006]

(a) 18 votes
(b) 19 votes
(c) 20 votes
(d) 21 votes

Correct Answer: (b) 19 votes

Solution:In 2008, when the United Progressive Alliance(UPA) government opted for a floor test after the four Left parties withdrew their support to the coalition over the Indo-US nuclear deal. The UPA government won the motion with 275 votes while 256 MPs voted against it.

48. Volkswagon, Europe's biggest car maker, has set up its first manufacturing unit in India at- [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

(a) Chennai
(b) Pune
(c) Rudrapur
(d) Singur

Correct Answer: (b) Pune

Solution:Germany's largest car manufacturer Volkswagon set-up the first manufacturing unit in 2007 at Chakan near Pune.

49. Which eminent Indian Journalist has been appointed as the editor of the Time International in March 2013? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]

(a) Bobby Ghosh
(b) Fareed Zakaria
(c) Tunku Varadarajan
(d) Sanjay Gupta

Correct Answer: (a) Bobby Ghosh

Solution:Noted journalist Bobby Ghosh named editor of Time International in march 2013. Ghosh started his career at the Deccan Chronicle; then went to work in Business Standard in Kolkata and Business World in Mumbai and Delhi.

50. "Mission 2007", Every village a knowledge centre movement in India, was spearheaded by- [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

(a) Sam Pitroda
(b) A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(c) M.S. Swaminathan
(d) None of these

Correct Answer: (c) M.S. Swaminathan

Solution:Building on an initiative of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in South India in 1998 that tested the concept of Village Knowledge Centres, the project evolved into the campaign "Mission 2007: Every Village a Knowledge Centre" with the goal of extending the benefits of ICT access to 600,000 villages in India.