Daily Current Affairs Updates: 28 March 2014

1) SC appoints Gavaskar interim BCCI chief for IPL 7: The Supreme Court installed batting legend Sunil Gavaskar as the interim head of India's troubled cricket board on Friday after forcing the scandal-tainted incumbent N Srinivasan from office. Three days after warning Srinivasan they would order him to stand down if he tried to cling to power, a panel of judges announced that 64-year-old Gavaskar would take the helm of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

2) Air Force's new C-130J aircraft crashed near Gwalior, five killed: Less than 10 minutes after it took off from Agra, one of the Indian Air Force's newest and sturdiest aircraft crashed near Gwalior, killing all five people on board. The US-made C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft came down 115 kms or 72 miles west of Gwalior, while on a routine training mission. The Defence Minister said it had ordered an investigation into the cause of the accident. The black Box and the flight data recorder of the aircraft have been recovered and could help unravel what went wrong.

3) India first team to enter World T20 semi-finals: Leg-spinner Amit Mishra continued his awesome form as India roared into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 with an eight-wicket demolition of hosts Bangladesh in Dhaka on Friday. The victory marks India's first semi-final appearance in the tournament since winning the inaugural title in South Africa in 2007.

4) India become No. 1 in ICC T20I Rankings: India are on top of the world. The MS Dhoni-led side is now the number one ranked team in ICC Twenty20 International Rankings Table. Last night, India defeated Bangladesh by 8 wickets at the ICC World Twenty20 to rise to the top of the rankings. It was a double delight for India at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium yesterday as they not only reached the semi-finals of World T20 but also climed to the top of rankings table. India has won three matches in a row at World T20.

5) China Executed More People In 2013 Than The Rest Of The World Combined: China defended the death penalty on Thursday as a traditional deterrent, after a report said its annual executions had again far exceeded the rest of the world's combined. Beijing judicially put to death thousands of people in 2013 compared to a total of 778 elsewhere, the campaign group Amnesty International said in its annual report. It did not give a specific figure for China as Beijing considers the statistic a state secret and does not release it.

6) NATO names Norway's Stoltenberg as new Secretary-General: NATO designates Jens Stoltenberg, the former Prime Minister of Norway, as its new Secretary-General. He succeeds Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

7)  RBI extends deadline to implement Basel III norms to 2019: The Reserve Bank of India has extended the timeline for full implementation of the Basel III capital regulations by a year to March 31, 2019. This breather comes in the wake of industry-wide concerns about the potential stresses (of the implementation of the regulations) on the asset quality and consequential impact on the performance/profitability of banks.

Know Basel III?- Basel III (or the Third Basel Accord) is a global, voluntary regulatory standard on bank capital adequacy, stress testing and market liquidity risk. It was agreed upon by the members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in 2010–11, and was scheduled to be introduced from 2013 until 2015; however, changes from 1st April 2013 extended implementation until 31 March 2018 & now to 2019.

8) Ajay S Shriram elected CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) President: Ajay S. Shriram, Chairman and Sr. Managing Director of DCM Shriram Ltd, has been elected as the President of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2014-15. He succeeds S Gopalakrishnan of Infosys as the new President.

9) Veteran Malayalam director P Ramdas passed away: Yesteryear veteran director P Ramdas, who introduced the neo-realistic wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1950s through his path breaking movie Newspaper Boy, has passed away at a hospital in Kottayam.

10) West Zone beat North Zone to clinch Deodhar Trophy: A clinical all-round performance took West Zone to their third successive Deodhar Trophy as they registered a comprehensive 133-run win over North Zone in the final yesterday. Riding on Kedar Devdhar's 94 and skipper Cheteshwar Pujara's patient half-century, West Zone posted a challenging 281 for three in 50 overs.

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Daily Current Affairs: 27 March 2014

1) SC Suggests Gavaskar as BCCI President: In a big setback BCCI President N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Thursday proposed his replacement by Sunil Gavaskar and suspension of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) along with Rajasthan Royals (RR) from IPL 7 till the pendency of case of betting and spot fixing scandal before it.

2) India officially declared polio-free: The World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia Region, home to a quarter of the world’s population, was certified polio-free on Thursday by an independent commission under the WHO certification process. To mark the occasion, the WHO presented official certification to India for its achievement.

3) Samsung launched Galaxy S5 in India:  Smart phone manufacturer Samsung Electronics, on Thursday, introduced Galaxy S5 in the domestic market.  The features include a 16-megapixel camera, fast 3G speeds at 42Mbps and Octa-core processor capable of operating all eight cores at the same time, said a company release. It has a perforated pattern on the back cover, and is being offered in charcoal black, shimmery white, electric blue and copper gold, and is IP67 dust and water resistant. It has a finger scanner and biometric screen locking feature. Galaxy S5 also introduces S Health 3.0, a fitness application. Galaxy S5 to be available from April 11 in the range of Rs.51,000 to Rs.53,000

4) Ya.G. Sinai is 2014 Abel Laureate: Russian mathematician Yakov Grigorevich Sinai, one of the most influential mathematicians of the 20th Century, has been chosen for the 2014 Abel Prize by the Norwegian Academy of Science Letters. The President of the Academy, Nils Chr. Stenseth, announced this on Thursday in Oslo. He was awarded for his contribution to “dynamical systems, ergodic theory and mathematical physics.” The Abel Prize recognises contributions of extraordinary depth and influence to the mathematical sciences and has been awarded annually since 2003.

5) T20 World Cup: England won against Sri Lanka: Opener Alex Hales smashed his maiden T20 hundred to help England upset world No. 1 Sri Lanka in a thrilling World Twenty20 Super-10 stage match in Chittagong on Thursday. The 24-year-old smashed a 64-ball 116 not out as England chased down a challenging 190-run target in 19.2 overs. With England needing 23 off the last two overs Hales smashed Nuwan Kulasekara for a six to reach his hundred off 60 balls and then hit Angelo Mathews for the winning six, to anchor England’s best chase in all T20 cricket. Hales hit six sixes and 11 boundaries in a breathtaking display of batting.

6) Turkey bans YouTube: Turkey banned video-sharing website YouTube on Thursday, having blocked Twitter a week earlier after both were used to spread audio recordings damaging to the government, local media reported. The move came hours after the release of an audio file on YouTube, purporting to be of a security meeting in which top government, military and spy officials discuss a possible scenario for military action inside Syria.

7) 3rd Nuclear Security Summit 2014 held in Netherlands: The Third Nuclear Security Summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands from 24 to 25 March 2014. The summit was attended by 58 World leaders. The third NSS synergizes previous two summits without their backdrops.

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General Knowledge Questions for PA/SA Exam: Part 4

1) Dr. Julius K. Nyerere was the first winner of which award?

(A) Gandhi Peace Prize

(B) Bharat Ratna

(C) Ramon Magsaysay Award

(D) Pulitzer Prize

Ans. (A) Gandhi Peace Prize

2) Which Indian state has the largest tribal population in India?

(A) Madhya Pradesh

(B) Uttar Pradesh

(C) Arunachal Pradesh

(D) Goa

Ans. (A) Madhya Pradesh

3) Due to which physical property does the water drop take round (spherical) shape?

(A)Viscosity

(B)Surface Tension

(C)Polarization

(D)Buoyancy

Ans. (B)Surface Tension

4) Who authored the 'Buddhacharita', a Sanskrit narrative on the life of Gautam Buddha?

(A)Kalhana

(B)Banabhatta

(C)Bhavabhuti

(D)Ashvagosh

Ans. (D)Ashvagosh

5) Jerry Young and David Flio are associated with the foundation of which of the following companies?

(A)Seiko

(B)Google

(C)Intel

(D)Yahoo

Ans. (D)Yahoo

6) Who wrote the novel 'Train to Pakistan'?

(A)R.K.Narayan

(B)Mulk Raj Anand

(C)Khushwant Singh

(D)Dharamvir Bharti

Ans. (C)Khushwant Singh

7)  Who is the first indian cricketer to take Hat Trick in Test Cricket?

(A)Chetan Sharma

(B)Kapil Dev

(C)Harbhajan Singh

(D)Irfan Pathan

Ans. (C)Harbhajan Singh

8) In history, how do we better know Mughal empress Arjumand Banu Begum?

(A)Mumtaz

(B)Noorjahan

(C)Hazrat Mahal

(D)Manmati

Ans. (A)Mumtaz

9) Suva is the capital of which of the following countries?

(A)S Africa

(B)Fiji

(C)Canada

(D)West Indies

Ans. (B)Fiji

10)  Tehri Hydro Power Complex is built on which of the following rivers?

(A)Yamuna

(B)Ganga

(C)Gomati

(D)Bhagirathi

Ans. (D)Bhagirathi

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Daily Current Affairs Updates: 26 March 2014

1) Lok Sabha polls: Congress released 2014 people's manifesto: The Congress on Wednesday released its 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto. The document focuses on inclusive growth, agriculture, education and health. Party president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi were present at the party office to release the manifesto. Speaking at the party office in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said that UPA has delivered 90% of the promises of our 2009 manifesto.

2) Laureus World Sports Awards 2014 winners revealed: Three of the most exciting young sports stars of their generation, who have proved world-beaters despite their age, have been honoured at the 2014 Laureus World Sports Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

>> Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, the youngest four-time Formula One world champion in history at 26, was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, US swimmer Missy Franklin, at 18, became the youngest ever winner of the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, while Spain’s Marc Márquez received the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, after winning the World MotoGP Championship at just 20 years and 266 days.

 Other winners are as follows:

>> Formula one champion 'Sebastian Vettel': Sportsman of the Year

>> US swimmer Missy Franklin: World Sportswoman of the Year (youngest ever)

>> Marc Marquez (Spain): Breakthrough of the Year Award

>> Bayern Munich: World Team of the Year Award

>> Rafael Nadal: Laureus Comeback Award

>> Marie Bochet (France): World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability

>> Jamie Bestwick (UK): World Action Sportsperson of the Year

Two additional Awards were also presented

>> Spirit of Sport Award: Afghanistan Cricket Team

>> Sport for Good Award: Magic Bus (a sports-based community project in India)

The annual award, widely considered as the "Oscars of sports, was established in 1999.

3) Facebook to buy virtual reality firm Oculus for $2bn: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is definitely not finished with his shopping. Barely a month after Facebook spent $19 billion on WhatsApp, the company on Wednesday announced that it was buying Oculus VR, a firm that was working on a virtual reality headset for video gamers. For Oculus, Facebook is forking out around $2 billion. According to the company, "this includes $400 million in cash and 23.1 million shares of Facebook common stock."

4) Jude Felix Appointed As New Coach Of Senior Men's Hockey Team: Former India captain Jude Felix has been appointed as coach of the senior men's national hockey team and the Olympian will work under Chief Coach Terry Walsh, Hockey India (HI) said. Felix will join the training camp of the senior men hockey team at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi for preparations of the FIH Men's World Cup 2014 to be held at The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 to June 15.

5) Kotak Mahindra Bank links current accounts to Twitter: Digitally-savvy customers of private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank will soon be able to check their balance and do a host of non-financial services transactions using the microblogging website Twitter. The bank on Wednesday launched a new current account product directed at the younger lot that will enable the account holders to undertake 21 such services like cheque book requisitioning, checking last few transactions, etc, using their Twitter accounts.

6) Bayern Munich clinch Bundesliga title with seven games to spare: Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga title in record time on Tuesday night with a 3-1 win over Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium. After being crowned champions with six games to spare last season, the Bavarians have gone one better this year, winning with seven still left to play.

7) Investment limit in inflation bonds doubled to Rs 10 lakh: The Reserve Bank on Wednesday said the investment limit in the inflation indexed bonds for individuals has been doubled to Rs 10 lakh.

8) Turkish court orders lifting of Twitter ban: A Turkish court on Wednesday ordered the lifting of last week's Twitter ban which came after the social media site was used to spread audio recordings implicating Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in corruption.

9) Dendroid virus threatening Android phones in India: Indian cyber security sleuths have alerted users of Android smartphones about the malicious activities of a tricky virus called 'Dendroid' whose infection could "completely compromise" their personal phone device. The virus of the Trojan family, once activated, could change the command and control server of a user's personal Android phone and intercept private SMSes coming in or going out. Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) said "Do not download and install applications from untrusted sources, install applications downloaded from reputed application market only."

10) J&K becomes first state to declare poll booths as 'no smoking zones': Jammu and Kashmir becomes the first state in the country to declare all election booths as 'no smoking zones' with chief electoral officer (CEO) Umang Narula on Tuesday directing all returning officers (ROs) and district election officers (DEOs) to ensure that all booths are 'smoke free'.

11) Arjun Kapoor named national ambassador for Earth Hour 2014: Young actor Arjun Kapoor has been named the national ambassador of the Earth Hour to be observed March 29. He is glad that he can influence young minds and bring about positive change.

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Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 1.1.2014 Finance Ministry Issued Orders

No.1/1/2014-F-II (B)

Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Expenditure

North Block, New Delhi

Dated: 27th March. 2014

OFFICE MEMORANDUM

Subject: Payment of Dearness Allowance to Central Government employees - Revised Rates effective from 1.1.2014.

The undersigned is directed to refer to this Ministry’s Office Memorandum No.I-8/2013-E-II (B) dated 25th September, 2013 on the subject mentioned above and to say that the President is pleased to decide that the Dearness Allowance payable to Central Government employees shall be enhanced from the existing rate of 90% to 100% with effect from January, 2014.

2. The provisions contained in paras 3, 4 and 5 of this Ministry’s O.M. No.1(3)/2008-E-11(B) dated 29th August, 2008 shall continue to be applicable while regulating Dearness Allowance under these orders.

3. The additional installment of Dearness Allowance payable under these orders shall be paid in cash to all Central Government employees.

4. The payment of arrears of Dearness Allowance shall not he made before the date of disbursement of salary of March. 2014.

5. These orders shall also apply to the civilian employees paid from the Defence Services Estimates and the expenditure will be chargeable to the relevant head of the Defence Services Estimates. In regard to Armed Forces personnel and Railway employees, separate orders will he issued by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Railways, respectively.

6. In so far as the employees working in the Indian Audit and Accounts Department are concerned, these orders are issued with the concurrence of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

sd/-

(A.Bhattacharya)

Under Secretary to the Government of India

View Official Order: Click Here

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Daily Current Affairs: 25 March 2014

1) IPL fixing scandal: SC asks Srinivasan to step down for fair probe-  Coming down heavily on BCCI president N Srinivasan, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked him to step down for a free and fair probe in the betting and spot fixing scandal involving his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan and some cricketers, failing which it would pass an order.

2) Russia suspended from G8, but not expelled: The United States and its allies suspended Russia from the Group of Eight, but the BRICS nations refused to join in the campaign to isolate Moscow. At a meeting in the Netherlands on Monday the leaders of the G8 announced that they would cancel their planned June meeting in Sochi, Russia, and would meet instead in Brussels in the G7 format without Russia.

3) MK Alagiri expelled from DMK:  DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Friday suspended his elder son MK Alagiri from the party, citing indiscipline. In a statement DMK said former Union minister M K Alagiri has been suspended from all party posts for anti-party activities. DMK on January 10 had suspended five loyalists of Alagiri for violating party discipline. The suspension of the five come just days after Karunanidhi warned his son for going against party decorum and publicly airing his views about alliance issues.

4) Japanese architect Shigeru Ban wins 2014 Pritzker Prize: Shigeru Ban, Japanese architect known for his creative and inexpensive designs for disaster relief shelters, has won the 2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize. The annual award, considered the most prestigious prize in the world of architecture, is given to designers who have “significantly contributed to humanity” and for “excellence in built work.”

5) Lightweight revolver “Nirbheek” launched: More than a year after the shocking Delhi gang rape, the Indian Ordinance factory on Tuesday launched a light-weight revolver, “Nirbheek,” designed especially for women to defend themselves from assault. “Nirbheek,” a .32 bore revolver, weighing 500gm, can be carried by women in their purses or handbags. The nomenclature of the light-weight revolver is inspired by ‘Nirbhaya,’ the name given by the media to a paramedical student who was brutally gang raped (and who died later) in a bus in Delhi in 2012. The revolver, priced at Rs 1,22,360, is made of titanium alloy, said Abdul Hamid, General Manager of the Field Gun Factory.

6) Jet Airways' acting CEO quits: Jet Airways' acting CEO Ravishankar Gopalakrishnan has resigned from the post, spending less than three months in the job. He was made CEO in mid-January when Gary Kenneth Toomey quit from the position. The airline had then said Gopalakrishnan will remain CEO till a new chief is appointed. Jet spokespersons did not comment on the latest CEO resignation.

7) Takru is new revenue secretary: The government on Tuesday appointed Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Takru as revenue secretary. He will take over charge from Sumit Bose, also finance secretary. Bose retires on March 31. Gurdial Singh Sandhu from the Rajasthan cadre was named financial services secretary. He will take over from Takru when the latter relinquishes his charge, the appointments committee of the Cabinet said on Tuesday.

 

8) Veteran actress Nanda passes away at 75: Legendary actress Nanda who is best known for films like Hum Dono (1961), Teen Deviyan and Kanoon (1960), passed away on Tuesday morning, following a heart attack. She was 75.

9) Amitabh Bachchan receives India’s Global Icon of the Year award: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was conferred India’s Global Icon of the Year award at the NRI of the Year awards. The 71-year-old, who has been ruling the film industry for over four decades now, dedicated the award to the younger generation of actors in the film industry.

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Daily Current Affairs Quiz Questions: 23 & 24 March 2014

1) World Tuberculosis Day was observed across the world on 24 March 2014 with the theme?

(A) I am stopping TB

(B) Actions for life – Towards a world free of TB

(C) On the move against TB: Transforming the fight towards elimination

(D) Reach the three million A TB test, treatment and cure for all.

2) Name the Maldives President, whose party is set for a coalition rule in the country, after polls held recently?

(A) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

(B) Abdulla Yameen

(C) Mamnoon Hussain

(D) Emomalii Rahmon

3) World Meteorological Day 2014 was observed on March 23 with the theme?

(A) Weather and climate: engaging youth

(B) Climate for you

(C) Powering our future with weather, climate and water

(D) Weather, climate, water and sustainable development

4) Name the veteran BJP leader who has quit the party and filed his nomination as an independent candidate from Barmer on 24 March 2014?

(A) Murali Manohar Joshi

(B) L K Advani

(C) Jaswant Singh

(D) Arun Jaitley

5) Who was selected for the 23rd G D Birla Award for scientific research for the year 2013?

(A) Puran Chand Pradhan

(B) Nibir Mandal

(C) Rajesh Gopakumar

(D) D.D. Sarma

6) Dalai Lama on 23 March 2014 released a book on which former prime minister of India?

(A) Lal Bahadur Shastri

(B) Indira Gandhi

(C) Jawaharlal Nehru

(D) Rajiv Gandhi

7) Which company unveiled the world's largest TV "Big Hoss" recently?

(A) LG

(B) Panasonic

(C) Sony

(D) Samsung

8) Who will captain Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 7 starting April 16, 2014?

(A) Kumar Sangakkara

(B) Darren Sammy

(C) Amit Mishra

(D) Shikhar Dhawan

9) Which bank has on 24 March 2014 launched IMT (Instant Money Transfer), which allows cardless cash withdrawal at its IMT-enabled ATMs, a first-of-its-kind initiative by any public sector bank?

(A) Bank of India

(B) State Bank of India

(C) Union Bank of India

(D) Indian Overseas Bank

10) Vodafone on 24 March 2014 launched M-Pesa its popular mobile money transfer and payment service M-Pesa in Tamil Nadu, partnering with which private sector bank?

(A) HDFC Bank

(B) Yes Bank

(C) Axis Bank

(D) ICICI Bank

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State Bank of Travancore Recruitment 2014 for Faculty & Office Asst Posts

State Bank of Travancore Rural Development Trust, State Bank of Travancore has issued notification for recruitment of the 20 Faculty, Office Assistant and other support staff at State Bank of Travancore-Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs) on contract basis at Alappuzha, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Waynad. Eligible candidates can send their applications on or before 31-03-2014.

State Bank of Travancore Vacancy Details:

Total No. of Posts: 20

Name of the Posts:

1. Faculty: 08 Posts

2. Office Assistant: 08 Posts

3. Attender: 04 Posts

Age Limit: Candidates age limit should be between 20 to 45 years for Post No.1 & 3 and 20-35 years for Post No.2.

Educational Qualification: Candidates should possess MSW / M.Com / M.Sc / M.A in Rural Development/ MA in Sociology/ Psychology / B.Sc in Agriculture & Allied Subjects/ BA/ BSc with BEd for Post No.1, BSW / B.A/ B.Com/B.Sc with Knowledge in basic Accounts for Post No.2 and should have passed SSLC or its equivalent examination for Post No.3.

How to Apply: Eligible candidates can send their applications in the prescribed format along with relevant certificates by Regd. Post by mentioning the nature of assignment applied and RSETI preferred on the cover of the envelop to “The Deputy General Manager (FI & AGRI), State Bank of Travancore, Head Office, Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram – 695012 on or before 31-03-2014.

There is no application fee to apply.

Last Date for Submission of Applications: 31-03-2014.

For more details regarding age limit, educational qualification, selection process and how to apply and other details see notification.

See Recruitment Notice: Click Here

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General Knowledge Questions for PA/SA Exam- Part 3

1) The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was established in

(A) 1992

(B) 1947

(C) 1990

(D) 1976

2) The Indian rupee is a legal tender in two other countries. One is Nepal. The other is

(A) Pakistan

(B) Sri Lanka

(C) Bhutan

(D) Afghanistan

3) Which Indian state leads in the production of rubber?

(A) Tamil Nadu

(B) Kerala

(C) Karnataka

(D) Gujarat

4) Which of the following is India’s biggest dam?

(A) Bhakra Nangal

(B) Hirakud

(C) Farakka

(D) Pong Dam

5) ‘India for the Indians’ was the political message of:

(A) Dayanand Saraswati

(B) Swami Vivekananda

(C) A.O. Hume

(D) D. Wacha

6) Who among the following is credited with the invention of polio vaccine?

(A) Louis Pasteur

(B) Albert Sabin

(C) Jonas Salk

(D) Alexander Flemming

7) Currency of Denmark is

(A) Rand

(B) Krone

(C) Pound

(D) Peseta

8) Name the personality who was also known as Deshbandhu.

(A) S. Radhakrishanan

(B) G. K. Gokhale

(C) Chittaranjan Das

(D) Madan Mohan Malviya

9) Which of the following chemical elements is used for the bleaching process?

(A) Fluorine

(B) Bromine

(C) Chlorine

(D) Xenon

10) Which of the following is the densest planet of the solar system?

(A) Earth

(B) Saturn

(C) Jupiter

(D) Mercury

Answers

1) Ans. (A) 1992

2) Ans. (C) Bhutan

3) Ans. (B) Kerala

4) Ans. (A) Bhakra Nangal

5) Ans. (A) Dayanand Saraswati

6) Ans. (C) Jonas Salk

7) Ans. (B) Krone

8) Ans. (C) Chittaranjan Das

9) Ans. (C) Chlorine

10) Ans. (A) Earth

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