Advance Reservation Period for Booking Reserved Train Tickets Reduced to 60 Days from Existing 120 Days from Today i.e. 1ST May 2013

Advance Reservation Period for Booking Reserved Train Tickets Reduced to 60 Days from Existing 120 Days from 1ST May 2013

The Ministry of Railways has decided that the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) for booking reserved train tickets will be reduced from existing 120 days to 60 days (excluding the date of journey) from today i.e. 1st May 2013. The details are as below:-

I.    With effect from 01.05.2013, the ARP will be of 60 days (excluding the day of journey) and booking will be done accordingly. However, all the bookings done upto 30.4.2013 under the ARP of 120 days will remain intact.

II.    Cancellation of the booking made beyond the ARP of 60 days will, however, be permitted.

III.    There will be no change in the case of certain day time express trains like Taj Express, Gomti Express etc. where lower time limits for advance reservations are at present in force.

IV.    There will also be no change in the case of limit of 360 days for foreign tourists.

Source : PIB

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Some useful Current Affairs Questions- March/April 2013!!!!

Some useful Current Affairs Questions- March/April 2013!!!!

1) Who is selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2012?

Ans. Ravuri Bharadhwaja for his contributions to Telugu literature.

2) Recently, who was re-elected for a second term as IAEA Chief?

Ans. Yukiya Amano

3) Where was India‟s first all Women Post Office inaugurated recently?

Ans. New Delhi

4) Who scored the fastest debut century in test cricket recently?

Ans. Shikhar Dhawan

5) Malala Yousafzai has recently signed a deal to publish her autobiography. Name the title?

Ans. I Am Malala

6) Indian President was the Chief Guest at the Independence Day celebrations ofwhich country during March 2012?

Ans. Mauritius

7) Who has been elected as the new Pope of the Catholic Church?

Ans. Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina & he has chosen the name "Francis‟

8) Which film was adjudged best feature filmin the 60th National Film Awards?

Ans. Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi) directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia

9) The 5th BRICS summit was recently held at?

Ans. Durban, South Africa (March 26-27).The member states of BRICS are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

10) The code name given to the entire plan of the execution of Afsal Guru, the parliament attack convict:

Ans. Operation Three Star

11) Which country will host ICC World T20 2014?

Ans. Bangladesh

12) Who is elected as the President of Venezuela recently?

Ans. Nicolas Maduro

13) The President of Bangladesh who passed away recently?

Ans. Zillur Rahman

14) Who are the three personalities recently selected by the Indian Parliamentary Group for the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award?

Ans. Arun Jaitley (2010), Karan Singh (2011) and Sharad Yadav (2012)

15) Which team won the Santosh Trophy Football tournament 2013 held in Kerala?

Ans. Services

16) Who was honoured with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize recently?

Ans. Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women‟s Association (SEWA), was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

17) Who was crowned the Femina Miss India 2013?

Ans. Navneet Kaur Dhilon

18) When is the First International Happiness Day celebrated?

Ans. 20th March 2013

19) Who is chosen for Saraswati Samman award 2013?

Ans. Sugathakumari (Malayalam Poet)

20) Which former British Prime Minister popularly known as the "Iron Lady‟ passed away on April 8?

Ans. Margaret Thatcher. She was the longest serving British prime minister (1979-1990) of the 20th century and is the only woman to have held the office. 

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Latest Current Affairs April 2013

Latest Current Affairs April 2013

Useful for all competitive Examinations, GK Quiz etc…..

DOWNLOAD IN PDF-CLICK HERE

1. Which Bollywood actress will be part of the Cannes Film Festival’s (Festival begins on May 15 and ends on May 26) prestigious international jury, presided over by the American director and producer, Steven Spielberg?

[A] Aishwarya Rai

[B] Sushmita Sen

[C] Sridevi

[D] Vidya Balan

Ans. [D] Vidya Balan

2. Which company has launched Officejet Pro X500 series of printer on 24th April 2013, and which is recognised as the world's fastest desktop printer by Guinness World Records?

[A] IBM

[B] HP

[C] Dell

[D] Samsung

Ans. [B] HP

3. Which cricketer hit the fastest ever century in the history of cricket by reaching 100 in merely 30 balls during Royal Challengers Bangalore-Pune Warriors IPL match on 23 April 2013?

[A] Yuvraj Singh

[B] Chris Gayle

[C] Brendon McCullum

[D] Shahid Afridi

Ans. [B] Chris Gayle

 4. Today on 22 April 2013, the world is observing the International Mother Earth Day with an aim of spreading awareness to protect earth’s environment. What is the theme selected for 2013 for this day?

[A] Face of Climate Change

[B] Go Green

[C] Go Ecogreen

[D] Climate Green

Ans. [A] Face of Climate Change

5. World renowned mathematical wizard and astrologer Shakuntala Devi, also known as the 'human computer', passed away on 22nd April 2013. In which year she made it to Guinness records by giving result of multiplication of two 13- digit numbers in 28 seconds flat which was faster than the computer at that time?

[A] 1977

[B] 1978

[C] 1979

[D] 1980

Ans. [D] 1980

4. Who has been on Monday, 22 April 2013, elected unopposed as the Bangladesh's new President?

[A] Sheikh Hasina

[B] Abdul Hamid

[C] Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmad

[D] Zillur Rahman

Ans. [B] Abdul Hamid

5. Which country will host ICC World T20 2014?

[A] Australia

[B] India

[C] South Africa

[D] Bangladesh

Ans.[D] Bangladesh

6. Who has been appointed as the President of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in India on 31 March 2013?

[A] Adi Godrej

[B] Naina Kidwai

[C] Shikha Sharma

[D] Rajan Bharti Mittal

Ans.[D] Rajan Bharti Mittal

7. Who has been awarded Pandit Hridayanath Mangeshkar Award on 31st March 2013?

[A] Lata Mangeshkar

[B] Asha Bhosle

[C] Kishore Kumar

[D] Md Rafi

Ans.[B] Asha Bhosle

8. The four private daily newspapers (namely Pyidaungsu Daily (Union Daily), Shwe Naing Ngan Thit Daily (Golden Freshland Daily), San Taw Chein Daily (Standard Times Daily) and Voice Daily) started temporary publication on Monday, 1 April 2013 after a gap of five decades in which country?

[A] Myanmar

[B] Afghanistan

[C] Oman

[D] Iraq

Ans.[A] Myanmar

9. Which state's assembly passed the new Lokayukta Bill on 2nd April 2013?

[A] Bihar

[B] Gujarat

[C] Tamilnadu

[D] Himachal Pradesh

Ans.[B] Gujarat

10. Minister of Railways Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday, 2nd April 2013, launched Wi-Fi- facility as a pilot on the which route Rajdhani Express?

[A] Delhi-Mumbai

[B] Delhi-Bangalore

[C] Delhi-Jammu

[D] Delhi-Howrah

Ans.[D] Delhi-Howrah

11. The Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament opens its sixth edition on 2nd April at which place?

[A] Eden Garden Stadium, Kolkata

[B] Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

[C] Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata

[D] Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, Delhi

Ans.[C] Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata

12. President Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday, 3rd April 2013, signed the Bill which gives India a strong anti-rape law. Bill was earlier passed by the two Houses of Parliament. Which bill is this?

 [A] Violence Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013

[B] Crime Against Women Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013

[C] Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2011

[D] Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013

Ans.[D] Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2013

13. Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan has been roped in to endorse which jewellery brand on 3rd April 2013?

[A] Gitanjali

[B] Malabar Gold & Diamonds

[C] Asmi

[D] PP Jewellers

Ans.[B] Malabar Gold & Diamonds

14. Who has been elected as the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the year 2013-14 on Friday 5th April 2013?

[A] Adi Godrej

[B] S Gopalakrishnan

[C] Chanda Kochar

[D] Indira Nooyi

Ans. [B] S Gopalakrishnan

15.Google Mapathon 2013 has triggered a controversy in India with the official survey and mapping organisation of the country objecting to the Google online contesting for national security reasons. Which organisation has registered a complaint with the Delhi police against Google?

[A] Survey of India

[B] Maps of India

[C] India Urban Planning commission

[D] Indian Society for Land Development and Planning

Ans.[A] Survey of India

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Legendary Actor Pran awarded Bollywood’s Highest Honour Dada Saheb Phalke Award (2012)

Legendary Actor Pran awarded Bollywood’s Highest Honour Dada Saheb Phalke Award (2012)

Legendary actor, Pran Krishan Sikand, 93, on 12 April 2013 was awarded with Bollywood’s highest honour in Indian Cinema Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2012. The award is instituted on the name of the Dada Saheb Phalke, the man who made first feature film in India.

He is the 44th Dada Saheb Phalke Award Winner. He gave a different and unique frame to the negative and character roles of Indian Cinema with his impressive performances. His contribution to the film industry makes him a celebrated actor of the industry. He brought new mannerism and style, in the arena of acting.

Pran got his first break in a Punjabi Film Yamla Jat in 1940 in undivided India. But his debut in Bollywood happened in the film Ziddi, in which he acted alongwith the evergreen hero of bollywood Dev Anand in 1948.

Pran served Bollywood for a career span of more than six decades in more than 350 films and is known for his brilliant performances in films like Ram Aur Shyam, Purab aur Paschim, Karz, Zanjeer and Amar Akbar Anthony and many more.

About Pran Krishan Sikand

• He was born in Old Delhi on 12 February 1920

• In 2001 he was awarded with India’s third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan

• In his career span, he received four film fare awards

• He was awarded the title of Villain of the millennium by Stardust in 2000

• In 2010 he was named among the Top 25 Asian Actors of All times by CNN

About the Award

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. The Award is given to a prominent personality from the Indian film industry, noted and respected for significant contributions to Indian cinema. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal, a cash prize of Rs.10 lakhs and a shawl. The award is given on the basis of recommendations of a Committee of eminent persons.

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Current Affairs April 2013 & GK Questions- Part 8

Current Affairs April 2013 & GK Questions- Part 8

Useful for PA/SA Exam & all competitive Examinations, GK Quiz etc…..

DOWNLOAD IN PDF-CLICK HERE

1. Where is the headquarters of the National Institute of Oceanography located?

(A) Dona Paula (Goa)

(B) Kochi (Kerala)

(C) Mumbai (Maharashtra)

(D) Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh)

2. 'Wings of Fire' and 'Ignited Minds' books are authored by which Indian scientist ?

(A) H.G.Khurana

(B) M.S.Swaminathan

(C) A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

(D) S.Chandrasekhar

3. Who amongst the following is the author of the book "To a Hunger Free World"?

(a) A.P.J Abdul Kalam

(b) Ashok Lahiri

(c) Amartya Sen

(d) M.S Swaminathan

4. What is the capital of Belgium?

(a) Minsk

(b) Brussels

(c) Copenhagen

(d) Budapest

5. The Olympic games are normally held at an interval of how many years?

[A]2 years

[B]3 years

[C]4 years

[D]5 years

6. Who built "The Red Fort" in New Delhi?

[A]Akbar

[B]Shah Jahan

[C]Jahangir

[D]Sher shah

7. Bandipur Sanctuary is located in which state?

[A]Tamil Nadu

[B]Uttar Pradesh

[C]Karnataka

[D]Madhya Pradesh

8. Where is The National Chemical Laboratory situated?

[A]New Delhi

[B]Bangalore

[C]Pune

[D]Chennai

9. 'Daughter of the East' book is the autobiography of which Asian woman leader?

[A]Benazir Bhutto

[B]Aung San Suu Kyi

[C]Maghawati Sukarnoputri

[D]Indira Gandhi

10. Which country was first to give the "right to vote" to women in elections?

[A]Norway

[B]Finland

[C]New Zealand

[D]Australia

11. Baku is the capital city of which country?

(A) Azerbaijan

(B) Kazakhstan

(C) Kyrgyzstan

(D) Uzbekistan

12. Where was the first Indian Institute of Management (IIM) established in 1961?

(A) Kolkata

(B) Bengaluru

(C) Ahmedabad

(D) Lucknow

13. The first satellite to orbit the earth was launched on 4 October,1957. Can you name it?

[A] Voyager 1

[B] Explorer 1

[C] Apollo 1

[D] Sputnik 1

14. Where is the head office of the World Trade Organisation(WTO) located?

[A] Tokyo

[B] Munich

[C] Geneva

[D] Washington

15. Which of the following will be the venue of the India-ASEAN Summit to be held in 2013?

[A] Beijing

[B] New Delhi

[C] Jakarta

[D] Brunei

16. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has left on 10th April 2013 for his 3 days visit an European country to seek greater business ties. Which country PM is visiting?

[A] Germany

[B] France

[C] Spain

[D] UK

17. What is the term of a member of Rajya Sabha ?

(A) 3 years

(B) 4 years

(C) 5 years

(D) 6 years

18. Which pigment gives plants and leaves their green colour ?

(A) Betalain

(B) Chlorophyll

(C) Carotenoid

(D) Anthocyanin

19. What is the interest rate at which banks borrow money from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) called?

(A) Repo Rate

(B) Reverse Repo Rate

(C) Call Money Rate

(D) Prime Lending Rate (PLR)

20. 'Sick man of Europe' is the nickname of which European country?

(A) Italy

(B) Greece

(C) Ireland

(D) Turkey

21. What is the normal heart rate of adults at rest?

(A) 68 beats per minute

(B) 72 beats per minute

(C) 76 beats per minute

(D) 80 beats per minute

22. On 15 January 1949, General K.M.Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of India. In memory of this event which national day is celebrated on 15th January ?

(A) Army Day

(B) Navy Day

(C) Indian Air Force Day

(D) Armed Forces Flag Day

23. Margaret Thatcher, a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister

of the United Kingdom of the 20^th century, and the only woman to have held the post died on Monday 8th April 2013. In which year she became the Prime Minister for the first time?

[A] 1975

[B] 1979

[C] 1981

[D] 1990

24. As announced on Monday, 8th April 2013, which state in India will host the World Chess Championship from November 6 to 26 in 2013?

[A] Andhra Pradesh

[B] Maharashtra

[C] Tamilnadu

[D] Madhya Pradesh

25. On the recommendations of N.R.Sarkar committee, where was the first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) established in 1950?

(A) Mumbai

(B) Kanpur

(C) Kharagpur

(D) Chennai

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