1. Diplomacy/IR
  2. Persons in News (PIN), Sports, Misc GK

Diplomacy/International Relations (IR)

1. Which of the following was/were the essence of the peace-building efforts of the United Nations from 1980s onwards?

  1. To resolve underlying disputes between the belligerents
  2. To monitor arms control agreements
  3. Providing development assistance to maintain peace

Select the correct answer using the code given below

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 12
  4. 23

Still looking for answer
2. Which of the following memorandum of understandings were signed between India and Myanmar on May 2012 when the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh visited the country?

  1. On India-Myanmar border area development
  2. On establishment of joint trade and investment forum
  3. On establishment of the advance centre for agricultural research and education
  4. On establishment of Rice Bio Park at New Delhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. 1, 2 and 3
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 4
  4. 3 and 4

….India will also help establish an Advance Centre for Agriculture Research and Education at the Yezin Agriculture University in Nay Pyi Taw and a Rice Bio Park at the Department of Agriculture Research in the same city.
Thus fourth statement is incorrect (because Rice park will not be in Delhi)
Eliminate C and D.
Remaining Statement 1,2 and 3 are correct according to Pres release http://pib.nic.in/archieve/others/2012/may/d2012052801.pdf
So answer is (A)
3. On June 2012, about 40 nations participated in an Investment Summit held in New Delhi organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry in association with the Government of India to attract foreign direct investment to a country. Which one among the following is the beneficiary country?

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Nepal
  3. Bangladesh
  4. India

Nearly 40 countries, including Iran, China and Pakistan are expected to take part in the investment meet on Afghanistan to be held on Thursday to mobilise flow of private capital to the war-torn country.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-25/news/32409116_1_afghanistan-war-torn-country-investment-summit
Answer (A)
4. Consider the following statements :
1. Vladimir Putin took his oath of office in May 2012 as the President of Russia for the third time defeating Dmitri Medvedev.
2. Mr. Putin has been facing unprecedented challenges after mass protest against his election.
3. Dmitri Medvedev was the Prime Minister of Russia during the presidency of Mr. Putin.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1,2,3
  2. 2,3
  3. 1,2
  4. 1 only

Yes Putin took oath in May 2012 for third time. But he did not defeat Medvedev (because Medvedev did not contest against him, he simply stepped aside.) So statement 1 is incorrect.
2 is correct, he is facing mass protests.
So answer is (B) : 2 and 3 correct
5. Which one among the following statements about Aung San Suu Kyi is not correct?

  1. She is the chairperson of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar
  2. On April 2012, she was elected to the Upper House of the Parliament
  3. On June 2012, she delivered her Nobel acceptance speech two decades after being awarded the Peace Prize
  4. She did her graduation from India

She is the Chairperson of The National League for Democracy of Myanmar. So A is correct.
She had graduated with a degree in politics, from Shri Ram College, India so D is correct.
C is also correct.
But she is the leader of opposition in Lower house of Myanmaar. She won by-election for a lower house seat in the Kawhmu Township constituency, outside Rangoon.So (B) is incorrect.
Therefore answer is (B)
6. Recently, in which of the following countries, the PM has to be changed due to an instruction of the country’s Supreme Court?

  1. Pakistan
  2. Bangladesh
  3. Russia
  4. Nepal

Pakistan, where Gilani had to step down
Answer is (A)

Persons in News (PIN), Sports, Misc GK

1. Who among the following was chosen by the Government of Japan to confer the prestigious Fukuoka Prize for the year 2012?

  1. Vandana Shiva
  2. Amir Khan
  3. Arundhati Roy
  4. Medha Patkar

Veteran environmental philosopher and activist Vandana Shiva has been chosen for this year’s Fukuoka Prize, a prestigious award being bestowed by Fukuoka city government in Japan on people who contribute to academia, arts, and culture in Asia.
Answer (A)
2. Consider the following statements about Jeet Thayil :
1. He has been nominated for the 2012 Man Booker Prize for his debut novel, Narcopolis.
2. Narcopolis is a novel on the background of communal riots in Gujarat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. Both 1 and 2
  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Narcopolis is his first novel, and he is nominated for Booker prize. So statement 1 is correct.
His novel Narcopolis is, a dark tale about the opium and heroin dens of Mumbai thought to be based on his own experiences. So statement 2 is incorrect.
Answer (A)
3. Consider the following statements about General Bikram Singh :

  1. He is the 25th Chief of Indian Army.
  2. Prior to his appointment to the top post, he served as commanding officer of the Northern Army Command.
  3. He is a veteran infantry officer.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3

Gen Bikram Singh, a veteran infantry officer, on Thursday took over as the 25th Chief of the Indian Army. Prior to his appointment as Army Chief, Gen Bikram was commanding the Kolkata-based Eastern Army Command. So statement 1 and 3 are correct but (2) is incorrect.
Answer (C)
4. In May 2012, which of the following has signed an agreement with Bangladesh to design and develop a new city “Notun Dhaka” (New Dhaka), in Bangladesh?

  1. Reliance
  2. Sahara
  3. Tata
  4. Aditya Birla

Sahara India Pariwar has signed an agreement with the Bangladesh government to design and develop a new city near Dhaka — Notun Dhaka (New Dhaka).
Answer is (B)
5. Who among the following was the winner of Men’s Singles Wimbledon Championship, 2012?

  1. Roger Federer
  2. Andy Murray
  3. Novak Djokovic
  4. Rafael Nadal

Federer had defeated Andy Murray and won that title.
Answer is (A)
6. Which of the following statements about London Olympics, 2012 is/are correct’)

  1. London got a distinction to host the modern Olympic Games three times. The city had previously hosted the Games in 1908 and in 1948.
  2. Motto of the London Olympics is ‘Inspire a Generation’.
  3. Saina Nehwal was the official flag bearer of 83-member Indian contingent at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. 1 only
  2. 2 only
  3. 1 and 2 only
  4. 1, 2 .and 3

Answer is (C)
7. Why was Ashok Sen in news?

  1. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha
  2. He was one of the winners of the first Yuri Milner Fundamental Physics Prize
  3. He was selected as Jury member to decide on the awardees of Nobel Prize for the year 2013
  4. He was selected for the S. S. Bhatnagar Award

He is Yuri Milner awardee. Same person was also asked in General Studies (Mains) 2012.
Answer is (B)
8. India’s Kutandei Francis was awarded the year 2012 Ramon Magsaysay Award for his

  1. visionary zeal and profound faith in community energies and his sustained programme, in pursuing the holistic economic empowerment of women and their families.
  2. steadfast passion in placing the power and discipline of science in the hands of farmers
  3. passionate commitment as journalist to restore the now poor to India’s consciousness, moving the nation to action
  4. convincing validation of free and fair elections as the foundation and best hope of secular democracy in strife-torn India

Mr. Kulandei Francis got the award for “his visionary zeal, his profound faith in community energies, and his sustained programmes in pursuing the holistic economic empowerment of thousands of women and their families in rural India.”
Answer is (A)
9. New Public Management stands for

  1. shift from conventional public policy to cost effectiveness
  2. cluster rather than pyramids of organization in structural frameworks
  3. flexible and adaptive opera­tional systems
  4. rigid planning and conven­tional bureaucratic hierarchy

Select the correct answer using code given below.

  1. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  2. 1 and 2 only
  3. 1, 2 and 3 only
  4. 3 and 4 only

Lolz, this is from Public Administration (optional subject). I suppose UPSC babu was half drunk or half asleep when he assembled the paper from the secret question bank file saved in the secret computer in the secret basement of UPSC .
Therefore I’m putting this into misc.GK / Junk questions.
Anyways for the solution part, page 239 of Public Administration in India by Siuli Sarkar
4th statement is false, rest are correct, so answer is (C)