The Oberoi Mumbai opened its gates to the Public | Oberoi Hotel reopen to the public

The Oberoi Mumbai opened its gates to the Public | Oberoi Hotel reopen to the public

• The Oberoi Mumbai opened its gates to the public after remaining shut for 17 months for reconstruction work for which the hotel group has spent close to $40 million (about Rs 170 crore).

• Oberoi and Taj hotels were among the places in the city attacked by armed gunmen on November 26, 2008 in which over 160 people were killed.

FIRST IPL AUCTION: Who Paid What (2007/08)

FIRST IPL AUCTION: Who Paid What

Mumbai Indians
$111.9m
Owner: RIL

Bangalore Royal Challengers
$111.6m
Vijay Mallya

Deccan Chargers
$107m
Deccan Chronicle

Chennai Super Kings | $91m
India Cements (VC and MD N Srinivasan, also BCCI secretary)

Delhi Daredevils
$84m | GMR

Kolkata Knight Riders | $75.1m
SRK's Red Chillies Entertainment 65%, Juhi/Jay Mehta 35%

Kings XI Punjab
$76m Preity Zinta 25%, Ness Wadia 25%, Karan Paul 25%, Mohit and Gaurav Burman (husband of Lalit Modi's stepdaughter) 25%

Rajasthan Royals
$67m
Emerging Media chaired by Manoj Badale (33.33%). Lachlan Murdoch (33.33%), Aditya Chellaram and Suresh Chellaram (husband of Modi's sisterin-law) (33.33%).
11.7% later sold

The significance of March 10 in cricket

The significance of March 10
Partab Ramchand, Tuesday, March 09, 2010

There are several significant dates in Indian cricket history. Take June 25 for instance. A later generation would easily remember it as the day that India won the World Cup in England in 1983, while deeper followers of the game will identify it as the date India began her international journey at Lord's in 1932.



August 24 is another historic date which Indian cricket fans will recall with relish - the day India finally won a Test and a series in England for the first time by winning the match at the Oval in 1971. It should also be easy to remember February 10 – the day India won her first Test match at Chepauk in 1952.



March 10 has to be one of the most significant dates in Indian cricket, for on this day 14 years apart two great triumphs were notched up. In 1971, India scored their maiden Test victory over West Indies and that was enough to give them the series played in the Caribbean. In 1985, India beat back successive challenges from Pakistan, England, Australia and New Zealand and won the World Championship of Cricket one day tournament in Melbourne with another victory over Pakistan in the title clash. Both triumphs were also notable because they were unexpected. When the Indians toured the Caribbean islands in 1971 they were rated as no-hopers.



In 23 Tests between the two countries dating back to 1948, India had never taken even the first innings lead. They had lost 12 matches and drawn eleven. And yet in the first Test at Kingston India not only took the first innings lead but also enforced the follow on before West Indies managed to save the Test.



However, the home team could not escape defeat in the second Test at Port of Spain. India dominated the match literally from the first ball when Abid Ali bowled Roy Fredericks and finally on March 10, registered a seven-wicket victory with a day to spare – their first victory over the West Indies in 25 Tests. Interestingly, the Test also marked the debut of Gavaskar.



Fourteen years later, Gavaskar was at the helm when the Indians took off for Australia. The Test series and the one-day series against England at home had just been lost and the atmosphere was anything but congenial. India were the reigning World Cup champions alright but since that memorable June day in 1983, their record had taken a beating. They had been outclassed 0-5 by the West Indies in 1983-84 and also went down to Australia at the start of the following season.



The WCC was going to be particularly tough assignment for all the seven Test playing nations were taking part. India were placed in group A along with Australia, England and Pakistan, while group B comprised New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka.



On current form, India were rated rank outsiders and given little chance of making the semifinals. But once the tournament began there was a transformation. The diffidence of the England series was a thing of the past and the Indians played confidently, even aggressively.



One amazing win followed another as the bowlers picked up the wickets at regular intervals and the batsmen got the runs at a brisk pace. Pakistan were beaten, then England and then Australia and India had made it to the semifinals. With another emphatic win over New Zealand, India unexpectedly made it to the title clash against Pakistan who had shocked West Indies in the other semifinal.



By now, however, the Indians were playing like a well oiled  machine that was purring along. They were simply unstoppable and an eight-wicket victory over Imran Khan and his men was the perfect manner in which to end a tournament where they had a dream run.



The picture of the Indian team taking a victory lap at the MCG in the Audi car that was presented to Man of the Series Ravi Shastri remains one of the most memorable in Indian cricket history.



And, in a poll conducted a few years ago, the WCC triumph was rated even higher than the World Cup victory.



For one thing the opposition was stronger and the victories were all emphatic in nature. Also, this was an all-win record whereas during the World Cup campaign two years before the Indians won six matches but lost two.



The 25th anniversary of the WCC triumph is as good a time as any to recall a very significant date in Indian cricket. Oh yes, March 10, whether 1971 or 1985, is one of the dates remembered with relish by Indian cricket fans.

S.S.C. Statistical Investigators Grade-III and Compiler Exam General Awareness Statistical Investigators Grade III solved paper

S.S.C. Statistical Investigators Grade-III and Compiler Exam

General Awareness

1. The headquarters of the Asian Development Bank is located at—

(A) Bangkok

(B) Singapore

(C) Kualalumpur

(D) Manila

Ans : (D)

2. Explicit cost means—

(A) Payments made for short period

(B) Payments made for long period

(C) Payments incurred on fixed and variable costs

(D) Payments made for productive resources

Ans : (D)

3. The most important aspect affecting cropping pattern is—

(A) The social consideration

(B) The economic consideration

(C) The political consideration

(D) The geographical consideration

Ans : (D)

4. Which is the most mobile factor of production ?

(A) Land

(B) Labour

(C) Capital

(D) Organisation

Ans : (C)

5. Cottage and small scale industries are desirable in Indian Economy from the point of view of—

(A) Income generation

(B) Large scale production

(C) Low cost technology

(D) Employment generation

Ans : (D)

6. Which one of the following item is entered as credit in the balance of Payment Account ?

(A) Imports from abroad

(B) Purchase of assets from abroad

(C) Sale of assets abroad

(D) Purchase of gold from abroad

Ans : (C)

7. When there are economies of scale, it means that an increase in production must be accompanied by—

(A) A reduction in total cost of production

(B) A reduction in average cost of production

(C) A reduction in prices of inputs

(D) An increase in profitability of producers

Ans : (B)

8. G-77 stands for a group of 77—

(A) Capitalist countries

(B) Socialist countries

(C) Advanced countries

(D) Developing countries

Ans : (D)

9. Changes in Bank Rate affects—

(A) The market rate of interest

(B) Select industries for investments

(C) Banks giving loans

(D) The cash reserve ratios

Ans : (A)

10. Total costs is a combination of—

(A) Fixed cost and variable cost

(B) Money cost and real cost

(C) Economic cost and social cost

(D) Past cost and future cost

Ans : (A)

11. The present strength of the Rajya Sabha is—

(A) 245

(B) 250

(C) 260

(D) 300

Ans : (A)

12. The electoral college for election to the office of the President consists of elected members of the—

(A) Lok Sabha

(B) Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha

(C) Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies

(D) None of these

Ans : (C)

13. Under which Article of the Constitution the central government can take pre-emptive action to protect any state against external aggression and internal disturbances—

(A) 355

(B) 356

(C) 357

(D) 358

Ans : (A)

14. When did India become a Republic ? On—

(A) August 15, 1947

(B) November 26, 1949

(C) January 26, 1950

(D) December 10, 1946

Ans : (C)

15. Who was the first Indian Scholar who treated Mathematics as a distinct subject ?

(A) Brahma Gupta

(B) Aryabhatta

(C) Varahamihira

(D) Ramanujam

Ans : (B)

16. In Buddhism a Chaitya is also known as—

(A) Residence of the Monks

(B) Hall of Worship

(C) Dining Hall

(D) Congregation Hall

Ans : (D)

17. When were Goa, Diu and Daman annexed into the Indian Union ?

(A) 1947 A.D.

(B) 1961 A.D.

(C) 1951 A.D.

(D) 1954 A.D.

Ans : (B)

18. The Maldives are the islands of this ocean—

(A) Atlantic Ocean

(B) Indian Ocean

(C) Pacific Ocean

(D) Arctic Ocean

Ans : (B)

19. Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja in a famous temple in Tamil Nadu, where ?

(A) Tanjore

(B) Madurai

(C) Rameshwaram

(D) Chidambaram

Ans : (D)

20. Australia is particularly known for—

(A) Wheat Mills and Wheat Cultivation

(B) Sheep rearing and Mining

(C) Lumbering and Paper Mills

(D) Jute Mills and Jute Cultivation

Ans : (B)

21. Lime is sometimes applied to soil in order to—

(A) Increase the acidity of the soil

(B) Decrease the alkalinity of the soil

(C) Decrease the acidity of the soil

(D) Increase the alkalinity of the soil

Ans : (D)

22. Which of the following depletes the ozone layer ?

(A) CFC's

(B) Carbon dioxide

(C) Carbon monoxide

(D) Nitrogen dioxide

Ans : (A)

23. The turgid condition of a cell is due to—

(A) Loss of water

(B) Entry of water

(C) Loss of solutes

(D) Entry of solutes

Ans : (B)

24. In the blood group 'O' the antigen present is—

(A) A

(B) B

(C) A and B

(D) No antigen

Ans : (D)

25. The time-period of a pendulum on the moon—

(A) Decreases

(B) Increases

(C) Remains the same

(D) Is zero

Ans : (B)

26. The human ear is sensitive to sound intensity ranging from—

(A) 200 to 300 db

(B) 300 to 400 db

(C) 500 to 600 db

(D) 0 to 180 db

Ans : (D)

27. A solar eclipse occurs when the—

(A) Sun comes between the earth and the moon

(B) Moon comes between the sun and the earth

(C) Earth comes between the sun and the moon

(D) Sun comes between the earth and the star

Ans : (B)

28. The Angstrom unit measures—

(A) Temperature

(B) Electric current

(C) Time

(D) Wavelength

Ans : (D)

29. We can hold a pen due to the—

(A) Force of gravity

(B) Force of friction

(C) Force of weight

(D) Work done by our muscles

Ans : (B)

30. One calorie of energy is equivalent to—

(A) 0·42 joule

(B) 4·2 joule

(C) 42 joule

(D) 420 joule

Ans : (B)

31. Metals, when exposed to electromagnetic radiations, emit—

(A) Electrons

(B) Protons

(C) Neutrons

(D) Alpha particles

Ans : (A)

32. Which one of the following is a super cooled liquid ?

(A) Mercury

(B) Bromine

(C) Glass

(D) Ice-cream

Ans : (C)

33. Haemoglobin is an Iron-containing—

(A) Nucleic acid

(B) Protein

(C) Antibody

(D) Hormone

Ans : (B)

34. Green flames given out by the burning of firework is due to the presence of—

(A) Sodium

(B) Barium

(C) Potassium

(D) Calcium

Ans : (B)

35. Which one of the following is not a function of protein ?

(A) Building up of tissues

(B) Catalysing some reactions

(C) Growth of bones

(D) Repair of torn tissues

Ans : (B)

36. Metal used for galvanising iron is—

(A) Mercury

(B) Aluminium

(C) Copper

(D) Zinc

Ans : (D)

37. An example of a synthetic rubber is—

(A) Neoprene

(B) Nylon

(C) Rayon

(D) Polyester

Ans : (A)

38. The metal which is called Quick Silver is—

(A) Silver

(B) Aluminium

(C) Mercury

(D) Lead

Ans : (C)

39. What is the tenure of office of the Vice-President ?

(A) Co-terminus with that of the President

(B) Five years

(C) Six years

(D) As decided by the Electoral College voting the person

Ans : (B)

40. Who amidst the following Presidents held office for two terms ?

(A) Dr. Rajendra Prasad

(B) Dr. Radhakrishnan

(C) Dr. Zakir Hussain

(D) Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma

Ans : (A)

41. Which of the following constitutional documents had the most profound influence in creating the Indian Constitution ?

(A) The Government of India Act, 1935

(B) The US Constitution

(C) The British Constitution

(D) The UN Charter

Ans : (A)

42. Which of the following produces the widely used antibiotic penicillin ?

(A) An algae

(B) A bacterium

(C) A synthetic process

(D) A fungus

Ans : (D)

43. What forms the largest part of most diets ?

(A) Nucleic acid

(B) Proteins

(C) Carbohydrates

(D) Lipids

Ans : (C)

44. Acid present in Tamarind is—

(A) Citric acid

(B) Acetic acid

(C) Tartaric acid

(D) Oxalic acid

Ans : (C)

45. Which of the following diseases is caused by a viral infection ?

(A) Typhoid

(B) Cholera

(C) Common cold

(D) Tetanus

Ans : (C)

46. In which part of India does saffron grow ?

(A) Darjeeling district

(B) Kashmir

(C) Hills in Madhya Pradesh

(D) Nilgiri Hills

Ans : (B)

47. India is one of the largest producer of which of the following spices ?

1. Black pepper

2. Cardamom

3. Cloves

4. Ginger

Select the correct answer by using the codes given below :

(A) 1 and 3

(B) 2 and 3

(C) 1, 2 and 4

(D) 3 and 4

Ans : (C)

48. Which one of the following is not a Fundamental Right ?

(A) Right to strike

(B) Right against exploitation

(C) Right to equality

(D) Right to freedom of religion

Ans : (A)

49. Who can issue the writs for enforcement of the fundamental rights ?

(A) The District Judge

(B) The Human Rights Commission

(C) The High Court and the Supreme Court

(D) The Director General of Police

Ans : (C)

50. What does hail consist of ?

(A) Granular ice

(B) Crystals of ice

(C) Water droplets

(D) Masses of ice in layers one above the other

Ans : (D)

Bank Probationary Officer’s Exam:General Awareness

Bank Probationary Officer's Exam.

General Awareness

1. Who amongst the following does not belong to political party which is normally referred as left front?
(A) Prakash Karat
(B) A.B.Bardhan
(C) D.Raju
(D) T.J.Chandrachoodan
(E) M.Veerappa Moily
Ans (E) M.Veerappa Moily is a congress leader.
2. Sujat and Balsara villages were in news recently as breach in main Narmada Canal made them flooded. Both these villages are in which of the following States?
(A) Maharashtra
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Gujarat
(D) Rajasthan
(E) None of these
Ans (C)
3. As per the estimates given by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) the Indian Economy will grow at which of the following rates in 2008 ?
(A) 7%
(B) 7.5%
(C) 8%
(D) 8.5%
(E) None of these
Ans (C)
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the recommendations of the committee setup on Financial Sector Reforms under the Chairmanship of Raghuram G.Rajan ?
(1) Give more freedoms to banks to setup branches and ATMS anywhere
(2) Setup an office of financial ombudsmen
(3) All deposits taking institutions should be free from the supervision of the RBI
(A) Only 1
(B) only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) Only 2 & 3
Ans (A)
5. The Govt. of which of the following States has formed a Fisherman Debt Commission and a moratorium has been placed on proceedings relating to all debts incured by poor fisherman from banks and cooperatives ?
(A) West Bengal
(B) Keral
(C) Orissa
(D) Karnataka
(E) None of these
Ans (B)
6. Federal Reserves is the Central Bank of ___
(A) Britain
(B) U.S.A.
(C) Japan
(D) Canada
(E) China
Ans (B)
7. Which of the following was the issue over which one section of the UPA withdrew its support and Union Govt. headed by Dr. Man Mohan Singh was required to prove its majority in the Lok Sabha ?
(1) Inflation , which was on a rise consistently for some time
(2) Reservations of Gurjarrs in Govt. jobs
(3) Nuclear deal with USA
(A) Only 1
(B) only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) Both 1 & 2
(E) Only 2 & 3
Ans (C)
8. As a gesture to promote denuclearization and also to end nuclear arms programme the cooling tower of a nuclear complex situated in "Youngbyon" was demolished recently. This nuclear complex is in which of the following countries ?
(A) South Korea
(B) Iran
(C) China
(D) North Korea
(E) None of these
Ans (D)
9. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) keeps on modifying various rates / ratios to keep the flow of liquidity in the market in a balanced situation . Which of the following rates/ratios/indexes is NOT directly controlled by the RBI ?
(A) Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
(B) Bank Rate
(C) Repo Rate
(D) Reserve Repo Rate
(E) Wholesale Price Index (WPI)
Ans (E)
10. China has signed an agreement with which of the following countries, which will help both the parties to make the East China Sea "a sea of peace, co-operation and friendship" ?
(A) North Korea
(B) South Korea
(C) Japan
(D) Russia
(E) All of these
Ans (C)
11. The former President of which of the following countries has taken over as the Prime Minister of the nation in May 2008 ?
(A) Venezuela
(B) Russia
(C) Uganda
(D) Tanzania
(E) None of these
Ans (B)
12. Which of the following companies of Indian origin has been placed amongst the World's seven Best Firms in Financial Sector ?
(A) IDBI Bank
(B) HDFC Bank
(C) Bajaj Capitals
(D) ICICI Bank
(E) None of these
Ans (B)
13. Michel Sleiman has taken over as the president of ____
(A) Lebanon
(B) Cuba
(C) Yemen
(D) Zambia
(E) Turkey
Ans (A)
14. Which of the following is/are true about the "Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana" to be launched in the near future ?
(1) This scheme is to develop those villages where SC/ST population is in prominence
(2) About 70,000 villages are identified for the same
(3) A special fund of Rs.7,000 Crore is setup for the scheme
(A) Only 1
(B) only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
15. Which of the following countries had decided to come out of the membership of OPEC ?
(A) Iran
(B) Indonesia
(C) Kuwait
(D) Saudi Arabia
(E) None Of these
Ans (B)
16. Many Banks have adopted / launched "Core Banking Solution (CBS)" .Core Banking Solution is _______
(A) a marketing strategy adopted by the Banks
(B) a new type of ATM useful for rural population
(C) a delivery channel for quick and fast delivery
(D) a new product launched to help senior citizens only as they are not able to visit branches / ATMs frequently
(E) None of these
Ans (C)
17. As per the figures released recently, the rate of growth of agriculture during 2007-08 has been at the level of approximately ______
(A) 2.5 %
(B) 3 %
(C) 4.5 %
(D) 5 %
(E) 6.33 %
Ans (C)
18. The import of which of the following has raised the Current Account Deficit of India by about 77 % ?
(A) Oil
(B) Gas
(C) Sugar
(D) Foodgrain
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
19. The National e- Governance plan was launched by the Govt. of India in the year 2006 with which of the following intentions/objectives ?
(1) To provide qualitative service of Govt. business to the citizens of India
(2) To promote IT sector in India so that trained IT personnel do not go out of the country for jobs
(3) To keep a vigil on the business transaction of Indian population to avoid illegal transactions
(A) Only 1
(B) only 2
(C) Only 3
(D) All 1,2 & 3
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
20. As per the figure released recently what was the per capita income at Current Price in the year 2007-08 in India? About ____
(A) Rs. 20,000/-
(B) Rs. 25,000/-
(C) Rs. 23,000/-
(D) Rs. 33,000/-
(E) Rs. 48,000/-
Ans (D)
21. Ana Ivanovic won the "French Open Women's Singles" of Lawn Tennis after defeating _______
(A) Katrina Srebtnik
(B) Dinara Safina
(C) Virginia Ruano Pascual
(D) Victoria Azarenka
(E) None of these
Ans (B)
22. The World Environment Day is celebrated on which of the following days?
(A) 5TH October
(B) 5TH August
(C) 5TH July
(D) 5TH June
(E) None of these
Ans (D)
23. Who amongst the following is included in the list of "Biggest Brains in Business"?
(A) L. N. Mittal
(B) Anil Ambani
(C) Kumar Mangalam Birla
(D) Mukesh Ambani
(E) Ratan Tata
Ans (A)
24. Which of the following cannot be called as a value Added service offered by a Bank?
(A) Special accounts for poor sections of the society
(B) Accident insurance cover
(C) Instant Credits of Outstation Cheques
(D) Free cheque book
(E) All are value Added services
Ans (D)
25. Which of the following is the total amount Government of India has earmarked for Agriculture Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme 2008 ?
(A) Rs.10,000 Crore
(B) Rs.25,000 Crore
(C) Rs.45,000 Crore
(D) Rs.72,000 Crore
(E) Rs.83,000 Crore
Ans (D)
26. Which of the following States of India was recognized as the Best e- Governed State in 2007 ?
(A) Jammu & Kashmir
(B) Tamil Nadu
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Goa
(E) Delhi
Ans (E)
27. Daiichi Sanyo which has taken a major stake in India's Pharma company Ranbaxy is a firm based in ____
(A) China
(B) South Korea
(C) North Korea
(D) Japan
(E) USA
Ans (D)
28. Which of the following airlines became the first Indian Based Airlines to operate flight to China?
(A) Indian
(B) Air India
(C) Kingfisher
(D) Jet Airways
(E) None of these
Ans (D)
29. Which of the following meets / summit was organized in Damascus in March 2008 ?
(A) Arab League Summit
(B) G-8 Summit
(C) G-15 Summit
(D) Meeting of trade Minister of WTO members
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
30. India recently signed a Bilateral Investment Promotion Agreement (BIPA) with which of the following countries ?
(A) China
(B) Bangladesh
(C) Nepal
(D) Bhutan
(E) Myanmar
Ans (E)
31. Opening the Saving Bank Account of a minor girl will be called as which of the following in Banking terminology ?
(A) Retail Banking
(B) Merchant Banking
(C) Institutional Banking
(D) Social Banking
(E) Corporate Banking
Ans (A)
32. Which of the following terms NOT used in Banking Sector?
(A) SLR
(B) NPA
(C) Credit Rating
(D) Fixed
(E) PURA
Ans (E)
33. Banking Sector will fall under which of the following sectors?
(A) Agriculture Sector
(B) Service Sector
(C) Manufacturing
(D) Industrial Sector
(E) None of these
Ans (B)
34. An account in which trading of shares in their electronic form is done is known as _____
(A) Demat Account
(B) NRI Account
(C) NRIO Account
(D) Current Account
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
35. Which of the following is NOT a measure of the Risk Management in Banks ?
(A) CRR
(B) RTGS
(C) SLR
(D) Deposit Insurance
(E) All are the measures of risk management
Ans (B)
36. The foreign Direct Investment this year in India reached to the level of about US $ 3.74 billion. In comparison to last years investment the increase is About _______
(A) 50 %
(B) 100%
(C) 125 %
(D) 200 %
(E) 250 %
Ans (C)
37. The duration of which of the following Policies / Schemes is from 2004-2009 ?
(A) Foreign Trade Policy
(B) 11th Five Year Plan
(C) 10th Five Year Plan
(D) National Rural Guarantee Act
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
38. Which of the following test is conducted to know if a sportsman has taken any performance enhancing drugs ?
(A) EEG
(B) Narco Test
(C) ELISA Test
(D) Mind mapping
(E) DOPE tEST
Ans (E)
39. Who amongst the following is the recipient of the IIFA Awards 2008 as Best Actress?
(A) Shamita Shetty
(B) Rani Mukherjee
(C) Priyanka Chopra
(D) Konkana Sen
(E) Kareena Kapoor
Ans (E)
40. Who amongst the following is the author of the book "Toward a Hunger Free World" ?
(A) A.P.J.Abdul Kalam
(B) Ashok Lahiri
(C) Amartya Sen
(D) M.S.Swaminathan
(E) None of these
Ans (D)
41. Which of the following awards is given in the field of cinema?
(A) Kalidas Samman
(B) Dronacharya Award
(C) Arjun Award
(D) Kalinga Award
(E) Dada Sahab Phalke Award
Ans (E)
42. Sudan recently cut its ralations with which of the following countries following an attack on Khartoum by a Darfur Rebel Group ?
(A) Chad
(B) Uganda
(C) Libya
(D) Lebanon
(E) None of these
Ans (A)
43. Who amongst the following is the Chairperson of the Children's Film Society?
(A) Kareena Kapoor
(B) Jaya Bachchan
(C) Shabana Azmi
(D) Sridevi
(E) None of these
Ans (E) Nafisa Ali
44. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of an autonomous organization under Ministry of Rural Development ?
(A) NIMI
(B) IGNOU
(C) CAPART
(D) NPCIL
(E) ICRP
Ans (C)
45. World's largest oil reserves (about 2/3rd) are located in ____
(A) Russia
(B) Middle East
(C) Africa
(D) Europe
(E) Canada
Ans (B)
46. Who amongst the following is the author of "Animal People" which was adjudged as the Best Book of the Year?
(A) V.S.Naipaul
(B) Indra Sinha
(C) William Darlymple
(D) Bill Clinton
(E) John Banville
Ans (B)
47. What is India's rating in the "Doing Business Report" prepared by the World Bank ?
(A) 55th
(B) 80th
(C) 100th
(D) 120th
(E) None of these
Ans (D) According to 2008 India's rating in the "Doing Business Report" prepared by the World Bank was 120th but to 2009 India's rating in the "Doing Business Report" prepared by the World Bank is 122nd position.
48. Which of the following term related with the game of Cricket ?
(A) Grand Slam
(B) Half Nelson
(C) Ashes
(D) Screen
(E) Love
Ans (C)
49. The Russian President visited China in May 2008 and signed a deal for the security of which of the following?
(A) Global Energy
(B) China Sea
(C) Intellectual Property Rights of the Chinese Scientists
(D) Nuclear installation in China
(E) None of these
Ans (D)
50. Which of the following Programmes / Schemes of the Govt. of India is NOT directly related with agriculture activities ?
(A) Drought Prone Areas Programmes (DPAP)
(B) Promotion of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
(C) Integrated Westlands Development Programme (IWDP)
(D) ANNAPURNA
(E) Desert Development Programme (DDP)
Ans (D)

Sports News in Brief: December 2009

BOXING
WBC World Heavy-weight Title
Vitali Klitschko retained his title, winning a unanimous points decision against American challenger Kevin Johnson. The 38-year-old Ukrainian spent the entire fight on the offensive against previously unbeaten Johnson but could not find his customary knockout as his opponent opted for survival.

Suranjoy wins gold at President's Cup boxing
Asian champion Suranjoy Singh has become the first Indian boxer to clinch a gold medal at the inter-continental President's Cup. He out-punched Frenchman Nordine Oubaali 8-1 in the flyweight (51kg) final, in Baku, Azerbaijan. The 22-year-old Manipuri's triumph also fetched him US $3,000 at the prestigious season-ending event, where confederations from Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Oceania are pitted against each other.

CHESS
Asian Team Championship, 2009
India-A men's team overwhelmed Sri Lanka to annex the gold in the Tata Steel Asian Team Chess Championship which concluded at Kolkata. Vietnam took the silver while Iran had to be content with the bronze. In the women's section, Vietnam crushed Nepal 4-0 to total 11 points and win the gold. 

National Premier Title
Baskaran Adhiban won the title with a round to spare in match against Abhijeet Gupta of PSPB. Adhiban also bagged his first Grandmaster norm in the process, something which he had narrowly missed thrice in the last two years.

CRICKET
Australia-West Indies Test series
Australia survived a tense final session to force a draw against the West Indies in an absorbing second Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia triumphed over a never-say-die West Indies inside four overs on the final day to win the third and final Test by 35 runs, and win the three-Test series 2-0. The West Indies came into the final day requiring 51 more runs for the unlikeliest of victories with Nos. 10 and 11 at the crease, but were eventually dismissed for 323.

South Africa-England Test series
Last man Graham Onions played out a tense final over from Makhaya Ntini as England escaped with a draw on the fifth and final day of the first Test against South Africa at Centurion.

Graeme Swann took five for 54 as England wrapped up victory by an innings and 98 runs on the fifth day of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead.

Australia-Pakistan Test Series
Chasing a mammoth total of 422 runs, Pakistan had a daunting task of surviving the penultimate day of the first Test match at Melbourne, and Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz made the task impossible with his maiden five wicket haul. Riding on Hauritz's splendid spell (5-101) Australia defeated Pakistan by 171 runs. For Aussie captain, Ricky Ponting, the win was more special, as he has now captained the most Test victories (42) than any other player in the world, and played in more wins (93).

India-Sri Lanka Test Series
India became the number one team in Test rankings after they spanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket Test, played in Mumbai, to clinch the three-match series 2-0.

India-Sri Lanka ODI series
The first match at Rajkot saw a flurry of 4s and 6s resulting in both teams together scoring 825 runs in 100 overs, at a strike rate of 8.25 per over. In the end India just managed to scrape through with a three-run victory. Batting first, India amassed 414 runs in 5 overs. It was the highest ODI total ever recorded on Indian soil. Lankans finished at 411 for 8 in 50 overs, becoming first team ever to score 400-plus while chasing and still lose.

Tillakaratne Dilshan's power-packed century provided the perfect platform for the visitors as Sri Lanka defeated India by three wickets in the second match at Nagpur to level the series 1-1.

Gautam Gambhir hit 150 not out and Virat Kohli his first ODI ton as India beat Sri Lanka by 7 wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, taking an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

The fifth and final match had to be abandoned because of the 'dangerous' pitch at Feroze Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi. The controversy forced the DDCA to apologise and the BCCI to disband the pitch committee headed by Daljit Singh.

India-Sri Lanka T20 series
Yuvraj Singh belted a whirlwind 60 and bagged three wickets to fashion a six-wicket win for India in the second T20 International against Sri Lanka at Mohali. The win enabled India to level the two-match series. Sri Lanka had defeated India by 29-run loss in the first match in Nagpur.

India is ranked world number one
On December 6, 2009 millions of Indians were united in celebration as their team ascended to the top of the ICC Test rankings after defeating Sri Lanka in the third and final Test at Mumbai. Fittingly, the win that made it possible was marked by stand-out performances from the men who have played a crucial role in India's ascent. Virender Sehwag has scored more runs than any other Indian batsman over the last 25 Tests—played over a two-year period starting November 2007. His rollicking 293—at a pace that left the bowlers ample time to finish the demolition job— proved pivotal as India fulfilled its tryst with the top slot.

Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan have been India's highest wicket-takers during this period. Both picked up six wickets apiece for the match, with Zaheer coming up with a five-wicket haul to polish off the tail and take India to a comfortable win by an innings and 24 runs.

Sehwag breaks records
Virender Sehwag has become the first Indian to post two double centuries against Sri Lanka. He is also the first Indian batsman to rake-up 200 runs through boundaries (202 runs in 40 fours and seven sixes). Only John Edrich (238 runs in 1965), Mathew Hayden (218 runs in 2003) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (206 runs in 2002) have recorded more runs through boundaries than Sehwag. He has also become the first Indian batsman to share six double century stands for the first wicket in Tests.

FOOTBALL
FIFA World Player of Year
Argentine and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi has been named World Player of the Year, while Portuguese and Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo has secured the Puskas Goal of the Year gong.

SAFF title, 5th
India avenged their last edition title loss as they prevailed over Maldives 3-1 via penalty shoot-out in the SAFF Championships summit clash to claim their fifth crown. The championship was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. After the match failed to produce any goal in the regulation and extra times, the match was decided in a penalty shoot-out.

HOCKEY
Champions Challenge, 2009
New Zealand defeated Pakistan 4-2 to lift the title. Earlier, Pakistan had defeated India 6-3 in the semi-finals.

Champions Trophy, 2009
Australia clinched the ABN AMRO Hockey Champions Trophy title in stunning fashion beating Germany 5-3. Australia clinched the title for the second year in a row and had won the title nine times earlier. The championship was held in Melbourne.

SHOOTING
Gagan shoots double gold in Asian event
Gagan Narang shot an individual gold and also helped India bag the team gold in the Asian Air Gun Championships in Doha. The team comprising Narang, P.T. Raghunath and Sanjeev Rajput won the gold with a score of 1782. The silver was won by China (1779) while Iran (1764) bagged the bronze.

In the junior men's air rifle, Chain Singh won the bronze. In the youth category, Navdeep Singh Rathore shot 585 to qualify for the inaugural edition of the Youth Olympics in 2010.

TENNIS
Davis Cup, 2009
Spain won its fourth Davis Cup title when Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez took the doubles to give the team an unassailable 3-0 lead over the Czech Republic. Spain also becomes the first country since Sweden in 1998 to retain the Davis Cup, after triumphing in 2008 in Argentina.

WRESTLING
Commonwealth Free-style Championship
Indian women wrestlers put up a good show by winning three gold, four silver and five bronze medals followed closely by Canada and Cameroon during the championship held at Jalandhar. Among Indian wrestlers Babita, Geeta and Alka Tomar won gold in the 51, 55 and 59 Kg free-style wrestling.

Indian men grapplers put their opponents on the mat and put up a splendid show by winning 14 medals. Hosts India won seven golds, three silver and four bronze in the free style competition and clinched the team championship trophy.

DIARY OF EVENTS 2009 (NATIONAL)

DIARY OF EVENTS 2009
NATIONAL

JANUARY:

• JAN 8 – Overseas Indian Citizenship cardholders can practice their professionin India

• JAN 11 – The center forms a three member board comprising HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh, the former Nasscom president Kiran Karnik and C. Achutan to take charge of Satyam.

• Jan 15 – Radha Vinod Raju appointed as the first Director General of the National Investigation Agency

• Jan 21 – The Tamil Nadu government decides to launch the Chief Minister's Insurance Scheme for Life Saving Treatments which will benefit 1 crore families/

• JAN 24 – India and Kazakhstan sign a major agreement for supply of uranium and a comprehensive cooperation in civil nuclear energy program. An extradition treaty was also inked.

• JAN 28 - Cabinet approves the Rs.14,600 crore Chennai Metro Rail Project.

FEBRUARY

• FEB 4 – India signs its first commercial pact with the French nuclear giant Areva for reactors, fuel supply.

• FEB 5 – The UN Secretary-General Ban ki- Moon is presented the Sustainable Development Leadership Award 2009 in New Delhi.

• FEB 10 – Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, the noted Hindustani vocalist is presented with Bharat Ratna.

• FEB 11 – Scientists of National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal (Haryana)announced the cloning of world's first buffalo

• Sumn Sharma became the world's first woman to fly the MIG –35 fighter jet.

• FEB 22 – Tirupur become the 32nd district of Tamil Nadu.

• FEB 26 – Supreme Court orders a probe by B. N. Srikrishna, the retired judga of the apex court into the violent incidents on the Madras High Court.

MARCH

• MAR 3 – The Howrah –New Delhi Rajdhani Express , the country's first super fast train completes 40 years of service.

• MAR 7 – Manipur Human Right activist Irom Chanu Sharmila on a continued fast for the past nine years demanding complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 is freed from judicial custody.

• MAR 21 – Mohanrao Bhagwat takes over as the chief of Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh.

• MAR 24 – Sister Mary Prema is elected the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity in place of ailing Sister Nirmala.

• MAR 27 – The Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson for 2008is conferred on Nirupama Subramaniam, Islamabad correspondent of The Hindu and Vinita Deshmukh, editor of Intelligent Pune.

APRIL

• APR 13 – Tech Mahindra acquires Satyam Computer Serveces.

• APR 20 – The PSLV – C12 puts in Orbit Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT–2), a surveillance satellite procured from Israel and Anusat, built by Anna University, Chennai after lift- off from Sriharikota.

• APR 21 – Senior Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla takes over as the 16th Chief Election Commissioner. V. S. Sampath assumes office a the new Election Commissioner.

• APR 29 – Four passengers died and 11 other injured after an unidentified person hijacks a suburban train from near the Central Railway Station and drives it at high speed resulting in head on collision with goods train at Vyasarpadi Jiva Railway Station.

  • India and Israel ink Rs.1200 crore deal to revive ammunition production in Nalanda, Bihar.
  • India and Kuwait sign three pacts for strengthening cooperation in science and technology, education and culture.
  • 47 Indian companies including SBI and Reliance industries make to the list of 2000 biggest companies of world.
  • India regained Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament after a gap of 13 years defeating Malaysia in the finals.

MAY

• MAY 18 – Sensex gains 2110.79 points. For the first time in the history of the stock market, the market remains closed for 2 hours because of steep climbing.

• MAY 25 – Cyclone 'Aila' pounds West Bengal

• MAY 28 – Rani Abbaka, the Coast Guards' first inshore patrol vessel is launched atVisakhapatnam.

• MAY 31 – Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naiktakes charge as the 19th Chief of Indian Air Force.

JUNE

• JUN 3 – Meira Kumar is lected as the first women Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

• JUN 6 – Protests continued in the Kashmir against the rape and death of two women Nilofar Ahanger and Asiya jan at Shopian on May 29 night.

• Vice Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma is named the nation's Chief of Naval Staff.

• Indian Scientists announced the birth of world's second cloned buffalo named 'Garima' at the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal.

• JUN 8 – Seven times Member of Parliamint Karia Minda is unanimously elected Deputy Speaker, Lok Sabha.

• JUN 16 –The Maharashtra Government rejects the indictment of the then Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor by the Ram Pradhan Committee which probed the 26/11 attack.

• JUN 18 – Central paramilitary forces and the State Armed Police launched offensive against Maoists and the supporters of the Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities in West Bengal's Lalgarh area.

• JUN 20- The Centre launched a round the clock anti- ragging helplinethat can be accessed at 1800-180-5522

• JUN 21 – Satyam Computer Services unveils its new brand identity 'Mahindra Satyam'.

• JUN 23 – Maoists ambush police party and then free Misir Besra, a top ranking leader in Bihar's Lakhisarai district.

• JUN24 – Hans Raj Bharadwaj is appointed Karnataka Governor. Rameshwar Thakur to be Madhya Pradesh Governor and Devanand Konwar is named Governor of Bihar.

• JUN 25 – Nandan M. Nilkeni is to be Chairperson of the Unique Identification Authority

  • Gopal Subramaniam becomes the new Solicitor General of India

 

JULY

• JUL 2 – In a landmark judgment, the Delhi High Court strikes down the provision of Section 377 of the IPC, which criminalized consensual sexual acts of adults in private.

• JUL 3 – Railway Minister Mamta Banerjee presents the first Railway budget of the new UPA Govt., highlights being Izzat Pass for unorganized sector,Duronto trains and low cost air-conditioned 'Yuva ' trains.

• JUL 9 – The toll in the hooch tragedy in Ahmedabad's Rakhiyaal area goes up to 105.

• JUL 18 – Margaret Alva is appointed Uttarakhand Governor and Jagannath Pahadia to be Haryana Governor and Syed Sibtey Razi is shifted to Assam.

• JUL 20 – India and the US finalise 3 agreements – a military end user pact, the Technology Safeguards Agreement and Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement – with the visiting of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

• The Supreme Court declines to stay the Delhi High Court judgment declaring the Section 377 of IPC unconstitutional and decriminalizing unnatural sex between consenting adults.

• JUL 22 – A longest total solar eclipse of the century lasting 6 minutes and 39 seconds sweeps across the narrow swathe of Asia.

• JUL 23 The Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Ajad inaugurates the 'Kalaignar Insurance Scheme for Life saying Treatments for One Crore Poor Families' in Chennai.

• Jul 25 – The President Pratibha Patil presents the Indira Gandhi International prize for Peace Disarmament and development for 2007 to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates at Rashtrapati Bhavan

• The BSF for the first time inducts 178 women recruits for guarding international borders at the Kharkhan camp, 150 kms from Chandigarh.

• Jul 26 – The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launches the nation's first indigenous nuclear powered submarine INS Arihant for sea trials.

• JUL 30 – The Rajasthan Governor Shailendra Kumar approves the Bill which provides for 5% reservation to Gujjars and three other communities , besides 14 % quota to the economically backwards classes.

 

AUGUST

• Aug 3 – Rida Shaikh becomes the first person to die of swine flu in India.

• Aug 11 – The agrees to abolish the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and work for a new set up of the hill district.

• AUG 19 – Jaswant Singh is expelled from the BJP for his book- 'Jinnah:India, Partition Independence.

• Eminent Sanskrit poet, author of 'The Ramayana: A Linguistic Study', Satya Vrat Shastri is presented the 42nd Jnanpith Award by the Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at New Delhi.

• AUG 24 – The Prime Minister Council on Climate Change gives "in principle" approval for the National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency.

• AUG 26 – Supreme Court judges agreed to make their assets public.

• The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act gets Presidential assent.

• AUG 29 – The Indian Space Research Organisation loses radio contact with Chandrayaan- 1 and the first moon mission ends in ten months instead of its stated life of two years.

SEPTEMBER

• SEP 2 – The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy(60) is killed as the helicopter in which he was traveling crashes into Pavurala Gutta, a steep hollock between Atmakur and Rollapenta villages in Kurnool district.

• SEP 7 – Class X Board exams in CBSE schools stand cancelled beginning 2011.

• 'Kanchivaram' wins Best Feature Film award Prakash Raj adjudged Best Actor as the 55th National Films Awards 2007 announced. The Best Actress award goes to Kannada actorUmashree for her role in 'Gulabi Talkies'.

• SEP 8 – The National Mission for Female Literacy christened Saakshar Bharat Mission is launched by P.M.

• SEP 20 – Top Maoist leader Kobad Gandhi is arrested.

• SEP 23 – PSLV puts Oceansat-2 and six other foreign nano satellites into orbit.

• SEP 26 – Chhatradhar Mahato, convener of the Maoist backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee is arrested by police near Lalgarh in West Bengal.

• SEP 30 – Veteran playback singer Manna Dey is selected for 2007 Dadasahab Phalke award.

• More than 32 persons on board a boat killed after it capsizes in the Mullaiperiyar dam in Kerela's Iduki district.

• The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohammad ElBardei is honoured with the indira Gandhi Prize for Peace and Disarmament and Development 2008.

OCTOBER

• OCT 2 – The Union Cabinet renames the National Rural Employment Act after Mahatma Gandhi.

• Heavy rains lash Karnataka and the pilgrim center town of Mantralayam lies submerged. The Krishna and its tributaries in Andhra Pradesh reach levels not seen in 100 years and Kurnool lies in neck deep water.

• OCT 5 – Ganga Dolphin is declared the National Aquatic Animal at the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Athaurity.

• OCT 6 – Maoists behead the Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar.

• OCT 12 – The Rajasthan High Court stays the new law providing 19% reservation for Gujjars and the newly created economically backward class in the state.

• OCT 22 – The Centre gives nod to a proposal to enhance the quota for woman in urban local bodies from one-third to 50%.

• OCT 24 – K. Radhakrishnanis appointed the ISRO chairman.

• OCT 25 – Dorjee Khandu is sworn in as Arunachal Pradesh C.M. for second consecutive term.

• OCT 29 – At least 4 persons killed and 150 injured in a massive fire at the Indian Oil Corporation's fuel depot in the Sitapura industrial area on the outskirts of Jaipur.

• OCT 31 – P.S. Veeraraghavan takes over as Diretor, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre,.

NOVEMBER

• NOV 11 – Cyclone Phyan kills 4 persons and causes massive damage to property in the coastal districts of Maharashra.

• NOV 12 – N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief The Hindu is chosen for the 2009 K.R.Narayanan Award.

• NOV 19 – Bangladesh Prime Minister Shekh Hasina is chosen for the 2009 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

• NOV 23 – The Centre launches the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

• NOV 24 – Mumbai gets its brand new anti-terror outfit, Force One with the passing out parade of the first batch.

• NOV 25 – President Pratibha Patil becomes the first woman Head if State to fly abroad a SU-30 MKI fighter plane.

• NOV 30 – Srikumar Banerjee takes over as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy.

DECEMBER

• DEC 1 – Najam Sethi, the former Editor-in-chief of the Friday Times and Daily Times , Pakistan is awarded the "2009 Golden Pen of Freedom"of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), during the 62nd World Newspaper Congress and 16th World Editors' Forum inaugral in Hyderabad.

• DEC 3 – The Cabinet clears the National Green Tribunal Bill.

• The Taiwanese film 'I Can't Live Without You' (No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti) directed by Leon Dai bags the prestigious Golden Peacock at the 40th IFFI

• Celebrated singer Lata Mangeshkar is presented with the Frances' highest civilian award Officer of The Legion of Honour.

• DEC 4 – Senior All Parties Hurriat Conference leader Fazal Haq Qureshi, critically injured in an assassination attempt.

• DEC 10 – The Lok Sabha passes the Essential Commodities (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2009(Suger cane pricing bill).

• DEC 14 – The CBI rules out rape, murder of two women in Shopian on May 29, says it is case of drowning in Rambiara, Nallah near Zawoora Bridge.

• DEC 18 – L.K. Advani steps down as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and becomes chairman of the BJP's Parliamentary Party. Sushma Swaraj takes his place. Arun Jaitely renominated Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

• The Rajya Sabha post-facto approves the SBI-State Bank of Saurashtra merger.

• DEC 19 – The Gujrat Assembly passes the Gujrat Local Authorities Laws (Amendment), 2009 making voting compulsory in elections to all the local bodies in the State.

• DEC 21 – A.R. Rehman presented the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year Award by Prime Minister in New Delhi. Life Time Achievement Award goes to sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar.

• DEC 22 – India and Bhutan sign four MoUs after a summit with the visiting monarch. New Delhi agrees to fund nearly a quarter of Thimpu's Tenth Plan outlay of Rs. 14,800 Crore.

• DEC 26 – The Andhra Pradesh Governor N.D. Tewari resigns in the wake of TY expose.

• DEC 28 – The Chhattisgarh Governor E.S.L. Narsimhan takes charge of Andhra Pradesh.

• DEC 30 – Lokmanya Tilak award for The Hindu Editor-in-Chief N. Ram.

Award News | Current Affairs India's 56th National Film Awards 2010 People Choice Awards 2010

Award News | Current Affairs

» N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of the Hindu newspaper, has received the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Journalist Award, 2010, which is conferred for excellence in journalism on a personality making important contribution to the field of journalism at national level. Vir Sanghvi of Hindustan Times was the recipient of the Tilak Award in 2009.
 
» Mridula Koshy's If It is Sweet, a collection of short stories, has bagged the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize, 2009 award. The New Delhi-based author will get Rs 1 lakh and a citation. 

In 2008, Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif's A Case of Exploding Mangoes had won the award.

The Shakti Bhatt Foundation is a non-profit trust set up by the late writer/editor's family to keep her memory alive. 
 
» Ten young scientists have won this year's NASI Scopus Awards instituted by the National Academy of Sciences, India, and Elsevier, a leading research publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services.

The winners include Kaviyarani R. Prasad, Siddhartha Gadgil and Vijay B. Shenoy of the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science; Tanmay Basak of IIT-Madras, and Suresh Babu of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. The other winners are Vinay Nandicoori of the National Institute of Immunology, Ellora Sen of the National Brain Research Centre, Siddharth Pandey of IIT-Delhi, S.N.Tripathi of IIT-Kanpur, and Pratap Ray Chaudhuri of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai.

Science and Technology Minister Prithiviraj Chavan presented the awards here on Friday. Each award carries a plaque, a citation and Rs.50,000 in cash.

Kok Keng Lim, managing director, Elsevier (Science and Technology), Asia Pacific (Academic and Government), and A. Surolia, vice-president, NASI Council, appreciated the efforts of the award winners to take science to newer heights.
 
» Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi has been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi award , 2009 for his work, Hawa mein hastakshar (Signature in the wind).

The other poets honoured with Sahitya Akademi award are: Praduman Singh Jindrahia (Dogri), Jess Fernandes (Konkani), Raghu Leishangthem (Manipuri), Vasant Abaji Dahake (Marathi), Phani Mohanty (Oriuya), Damayanti Beshra (Santhali) and Puviarasu (Tamil).
   
Those who won awards for collections of short stories include Vaidehi (Kannada), late Manmohan Jha (Maithili), Samiran Chhetri 'Priyadarshi' (Nepali), Major Ratan Jangid (Rajasthani), Prashasya Mitra Shastri (Sanskrit) and Anand Khemani (Sindhi).
   
Well-known novelists Dhrubajyoti Bora (Assamese), late Manoranjan Lahary (Bodo), U.A. Khadar (Malayalam) and Yarlagadda Laxmi Prasad (Telugu) were also honoured with the 2009 awards.

India's 56th National Film Awards 2010

• Best Actor Award went to: Upendra Limaye for his role in Jogva a Marathi film
• Best Actress Award was given: to Priyanka Chopra for Fashion.
• Best Supporting Actor was awarded to: Arjun Rampal for his role in 'Rock On'
• Best Supporting Actress was awarded to: Kangna Ranaut for Fashion
• Best Feature Film was awarded to: Antaheen (Bengali)
• Best Male Playback Singer went to: Hariharan for his song Jeev Dangla Gungla Rangla from the movie Jogva
• Best Female Playback Singer went to: Shreya Ghoshal for Phenrari Mon and Jeev DanglaGungla Rangla.
• Best Cinematography was awarded to: Avik Mukhopadhyay for his work in Antaheen.
• Best Screenplay was won by: Sachin Kundalkar for Ganha a Marathi film.
• Best Choreography went to: Chinni Prakash and Rekash for Jodha Akbar's song 'Azeem-o-Shaan Shahesha'

People Choice Awards 2010

Winner of Favorite Female Artist is: Taylor Swift. Taylor has been a favorite in awards in 2009 and it seems she is still on top in 2010.

Winner of Favorite Pop Artist is: Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga also won the Favorite Breakout Music Artist. Eminem/Keith Urban received the award for Favorite Male Artist. Favorite Rock Band was awarded to Paramore.

Carrie Underwood won the Favorite Country Artist award. For Favorite Music Collaboration was to awarded Run This Town.

Mariah Carey received the Favorite R&B Artist where she gave her memorable tipsy speech.

In the Movie section for the night Sandra Bullock received the Favorite Movie Actress and the The Proposal won the Favorite Comedy Movie, which Sandra played the lead.

Taylor Lautner won Favorite Breakout Movie Actor for his role in Twilight, The Twilight Saga, which also won the Favorite Movie award plus the Favorite Franchise award. The Twilight Saga also received the award for the Favorite On Screen Team making them the biggest winners of the night.

No Surprise in Favorite Movie Actor award goes to Johnny Depp with Hugh Jackman receiving the Favorite Action Star award.

Jim Carrey won the Favorite Comedic Star award.

Miley Cyrus received the award for Favorite Breakout Movie Actress.

The Favorite Family Movie award went to Pixars animated movie "UP".  While Inglorious Basterds received the award for Favorite Independent Movie. 

Ashton Kutcher had a whole section all to himself as the Favorite Web Celeb.

For the Small Screen there where plenty of awards and winners.

Favorite Talk Show was awarded to The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The Big Bang Theory won the Favorite TV comedy award. American Idol was given the Favorite TV Competition show and True Blood won the Favorite TV Obsession. Favorite TV Drama winner was House and the Favorite Animal Show went to Dog Whisperer, Favorite Sci-Fi Fantasy Show went to Supernatural.

The two Newcomer Awards was The Vampire Diaries as Favorite New TV Drama and Favorite New TV Comedy was Glee.

TV actors deserve the same respect as movie stars seeing as they work continually. Here are the favorites on the small screen.

Katherine Heigl was awarded the Favorite TV Drama Actress Award and Hugh Laurie won the Favorite TV Drama Actor award.

Steve Carrell was chosen as the Favorite TV Comedy Actor and Alyson Hannigan is the Favorite TV Comedy Actress.