G.K OF 2008
Gagan Narang - World Record in 10m Air Rifle
During the World Cup Finals in
The old world record was set by Austrian Farnik Thomas in 2006 at World Cup Final in
American Matthew Emmons (Gold)
Chinese Zhu Qinan (Bronze)
Gagan had won a bronze in the World Cup in
Saina Nehwal Wins Badminton World Junior Championship
Saina Nehwal defeated Sayaka Sato of
Anil Kumble Retires
Anil Kumble said goodbye to Test Cricket after playing at his favorite pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in
MS Dhoni was appointed as the Indian captain.
The legendary leg-spinner has 619 wickets in the Test Cricket (Third highest wicket taker in Test Cricket after Muttiah Muralitharan, and Shane Warne)
A Brief look at Kumble's Career
| | Tests | ODI |
| Matches | 132 | 271 |
| Runs scored | 2,461 | 938 |
| Batting average | 17.57 | 10.53 |
| Centuries | 1 | 0 |
| Half Centuries | 5 | 0 |
| Top score | 110* | 26 |
| Wickets | 619 | 337 |
| Bowling average | 29.59 | 30.89 |
| 5 wickets in innings | 35 | 2 |
| 10 wickets in match | 8 | N/A |
| Best bowling | 10/74 | 6/12 |
Saurav Ganguly Announces His Retirement
Saurav Ganguly announced to quit international cricket after the India-Australia test series. Saurav has been of the greatest test captains
Viswanathan Anand wins World Chess Championship
Viswanathan Anand won the 12-game World Chess Championship at
Mahesh Bhupathi & Mark Knowles Win Davidoff Swiss Indoors Title
Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles have won the ATP Davidoff Swiss Indoors tournament in Basel on October 26, 2008 defeating Christopher Kas and Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany by 6-3, 6-3.
Sachin Tendulkar Becomes Highest Run Scorer In Test Cricket
Sachin Tendulkar became the leading run scorer in test cricket. He broke Brain Lara's record of 11,953 runs while batting against
Tendulkar also holds the record of having the maximum runs in 50-50 version of the game. He has made 16,361 runs from 417 one-day matches with an average well above 45.
Sachin Tendulkar also holds the world record of scoring maximum number of centuries in both forms of the game.
It is the first time that
Jeev Milkha Singh Wins Barclay's
Golfer Jeev Milkha Singh won the $ 5 million Barclays Singapore Open title on November 16, 2008 and thereby bagged the Asian Tour Order of Merit title. This is his third title this year. Earlier he had won the Bank Austria Golf Open on European Tour and the Nagashima Shigeo Invitational Sega Sammy Cup on Japan Tour.
Awards Presented in 2008
Arjuna Awards, 2007 (For Players)
| Sr. No | Awardee | Game/Sports |
| 1. | Chitra Soman | Athletics |
| 2. | Anup Sridhar | Badminton |
| 3. | Johnson Varghese | Boxing |
| 4. | Harika Dron-avalli | Chess |
| 5. | Arjun Atwal | Golf |
| 6. | Prabhjot Singh | Hockey |
| 7. | Tombi Devi | Judo |
| 8. | Bajranglal Takhar | Rowing |
| 9. | Avneet Kaur Sidhu | Shooting |
| 10. | Alka Tomar | Wrestling |
| 11. | Farman Basha | Power-Lifting |
Dhyan Chand Award, 2007 (Life Time Achievement in Sports and Games)
| Sr. No | Name | Game/Sports |
| 1. | Hakam Singh | Athletics |
| 2. | Mukhbain Singh | Hockey |
| 3. | Gian Singh | Wrestling |
Dronacharya award, 2007 (For Coaches)
| Sr. No. | Name | Game/Sports |
| 1. | Sanjeev Kumar Singh | Archery |
| 2. | Jagdish Singh | Boxing |
| 3. | G.E. Sridharan | Volleyball |
| 4. | Jagminder Singh | Wrestling |
Rajiv Award Sadbhavana Award, 2007
- Social worker and Gandhian N. Radhakrishnan
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, 2007 (
- Mahender Singh Dhoni
Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (at par with the Arjuna Awards)
- Neel Chand
- Mohinder Singh
- Tushar Kanti Rath
- Captain M.S. Kohli
ICC Cricket Awards, 2008
| Sr. No. | Awardee | Country | Award |
| 1. | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | | Cricketer of the Year |
| 2. | Dale Steyn | | Test Player of the Year |
| 3. | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | | ODI Player of the Year |
| 4. | Charlotte Edwards | | Women's Cricketer of the Year |
| 5. | Ajantha Mendis | | Emerging Player of the Year |
| 6. | Ryan ten Doeschate | | Associate ODI Player of the Year |
| 7. | Yuvraj Singh | | Twenty20 International Performance of the Year |
| 8. | Simon Taufel | - | Umpire of the Year |
| 9. | | - | Spirit of Cricket Award |
ICC World Test Team of 2008
| Name | Country |
| Graeme Smith (captain) | |
| Virender Sehwag | |
| Mahela Jayawardena | |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | |
| Kevin Pietersen | |
| Jacques Kallis | |
| Kumar Sangakkara (wicket-keeper) | |
| Brett Lee | |
| Ryan Sidebottom | |
| Dale Steyn | |
| Muttiah Muralidaran | |
| 12th man: Stuart Clark | |
ICC World One Day Team of 2008
| Herschelle Gibbs | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | |
| Ricky Ponting (captain) | |
| Yunus Khan | |
| Andrew Symonds | |
| Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper) | |
| Farveez Maha-roof | |
| Daniel Vettori | |
| Brett Lee | |
| Mitchell Johnson | |
| Nathan Bracken | |
| 12th man: Salman Butt | |
This is really important for all Competitive Exams.
General Knowledge Update 2 - October 2008
New RBI Governor:
Finance Secretary Duvvuri Subbarao has been named the 22nd Governor of Reserve Bank of
Sixth Pay Commission for Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Defence has notified the new allowances on the basis of the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission for officers of the Armed Forces.
54th National Film Awards
Presented by: President Pratibha Patil
| Dilip Kumar (Bollywood Actor), Lata Mangeshkar (Singer), Saroja Devi (South Indian Actress) | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Konkona Sen Sharma | Best supporting actress award. |
| Tapan Sinha | Dadasheb Phalke Award |
| Lage Raho Munna Bhai | Best entertainment film |
| Soumitra Chatterjee | Best actor award for the Bengali film Podokkhep |
| Madhur Bhandarkar | Best director award (Traffic Signal) |
People In News:
Amartya Sen is part of committee appointed by International Monetary Fund to advise on governance reform.
Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal has been conferred the third Malcom S Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours heroes of entrepreneurial capitalism and free enterprise.
Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal arrived on September 14, 2005 on his first visit to
Bhupen Hazarika is conferred the 'Asom Ratna' on his 83rd birthday.
Former Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh unseated from Punjab Assembly and disqualified for the remaining tenure of the 13th Vidhan Sabha for his alleged involvement in corruption.
News in
Agreement between
For exploration and production of oil and gas, exchange of training and human resource development, exchange of visits of professionals and technicians.
Meghalaya becomes the first state to allow Muslim women to offer Ramzan prayer in mosque alongside men.
Economic News:
Finance Minister P Chidambaram inaugurates the Universal Arogya Medical Insurance Scheme for persons belonging to below poverty line category.
More in Current GK 2008 Series
This is Very Important GK Update for the competitive Exams. Make sure that you remember these names for your next competitive exam and interview.
Happy Learning!!
Noble Laureates for the year 2008
Physics:
1. Yoichiro Nambu
"for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken symmetry in subatomic physics"
1. Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa
"for the discovery of the origin of the broken symmetry which predicts the existence of at least three families of quarks in nature"
Chemistry:
1. Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien
"for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP"
Physiology or Medicine:
1. Harald zur Hausen
"for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer" Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier "for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus"
Literature:
1. Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio
"author of new departures, poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy, explorer of a humanity beyond and below the reigning civilization"
Peace:
1. Martti Ahtisaari
"for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts"
Prize in Economics:
1. Paul Krugman
"for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity"
Suggested
Noble price winners of 2008
Hello Friends,
Here we are with another General Knowledge Update for you. I hope you are preparing well for the Bank PO Examination for SBI and BOB. SSC exams are also scheduled in near future.
Today we have a list of Nobel Prize Winners from
The list is:
Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Field: Literature
For: Gitanjali (His collection of Poems, English version, published in 1912)
Year: 1913
- He was first Asian to win Nobel Prize
- He wrote our National Anthem (Later translated into English and is known as morning song of
- He founded Shanti Niketan, which later became
- He also wrote the National Anthem of
Sir C.V. Raman (Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman) (1888 - 1970)
Field: Physics
For: "RAMAN" effect (Scattering of Light)
Year: 1930
- He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize.
- He also received Bharat Ratna and Lenin Peace Prize.
- He founded Indian Institute of Science,
Dr. Hargobind Khorana (1922 - )
Field: Medicine and Physiology
For: Genetic Study
Year: 1968
- He produced the first artificial gene in his laboratory.
- He shared the Nobel Prize with Marshall Nuremberg and Robert Holley.
Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997)
Field: Peace
For: Exemplary Charity and Social Service
Year: 1979
- Born in
- Original Name: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
- Founded Missionaries Of Charity in
- Received Bharat Ratna Award in 1980
- Receive Magsaysay Award in 1962.
Dr. Subramaniam Chandrasekar (1910 - 2000)
Field: Physics
For: his work on stars and their evolution (Chandrasekhar's Limit).
Year: 1983
- The space telescope Chandra launched by NASA was named after him.
- He also served as the Governor of Maharashtra
- He received Bharat Ratna in 1998
Dr. Amartya Sen
Field: Economics
For: Mathematical Solution to "Arrow's Impossibility Theorem"
Year: 1998
There are some more Nobel Laureates who are related to
V.S. Naipaul, Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul (1932- )
[British writer of Indian origin]
Field: Literature
Year: 2001
Rajendra K. Pachauri (1940 - )
For: Peace and Environment Conservation
Year: 2007
- He accepted the prize on behalf of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as he was the chairman.
- He shared the award with Al Gore, Vice President of USA
Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)
[British writer]
For: Literature
Year: 1907
- He wrote novels, poems and short stories
- He is known for his books "The Jungle Book" (1894), "The Second Jungle Book" (1895). Remember "Mowgli" J.
Bharat ratna in 2008
Bharat Ratna is
Some Facts:
- The award is conferred to the People who make great contribution in the field of art, literature, and science, and social service.
- The award was started by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, on January 2, 1954.
- The honour has been awarded to forty persons.
- Two non-Indians and a naturalized Indian citizen are among the awardees.
- With 8 honours each Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are the states with the most number of awardees.
- The award is designed in the shape of a "peepul leaf" and with words "Bharat Ratna" written on it. The reverse side of the medal carries the state emblem and motto.
- The award to Subhash Chandra Bose (1992) was withdrawn
- The award was briefly suspended from July 13, 1977 to January 26, 1980.
No one has been awarded Bharat Ratna since 2001.- Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was awarded Bharat Ratna in 2008
| S.No | Recipient | Year |
| 1 | Lata Mangeshkar | 2001 |
| 2 | Ustad Bismillah Khan | 2001 |
| 3 | Pandit | 1999 |
| 4 | Amartya Sen | 1999 |
| 5 | Gopinath Bordoloi | 1999 |
| 6 | M. S. Subbulakshmi | 1998 |
| 7 | Chidambaram Subramaniam | 1998 |
| 8 | Jayaprakash Narayan | 1998 |
| 9 | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | 1997 |
| 10 | Gulzarilal Nanda | 1997 |
| 11 | Aruna Asaf Ali | 1997 |
| 12 | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad | 1992 |
| 13 | J. R. D. Tata | 1992 |
| 14 | Satyajit Ray | 1992 |
| 15 | Rajiv Gandhi | 1991 |
| 16 | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | 1991 |
| 17 | Morarji Desai | 1991 |
| 18 | B. R. Ambedkar | 1990 |
| 19 | Nelson Mandela | 1990 |
| 20 | M. G. Ramachandran | 1988 |
| 21 | Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan | 1987 |
| 22 | Acharya Vinoba Bhave | 1983 |
| 23 | Mother Teresa | 1980 |
| 24 | K. Kamaraj | 1976 |
| 25 | V. V. Giri | 1975 |
| 26 | Indira Gandhi | 1971 |
| 27 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | 1966 |
| 28 | Dr. Zakir Hussain | 1963 |
| 29 | Pandurang Vaman Kane | 1963 |
| 30 | Dr. Rajendra Prasad | 1962 |
| 31 | Dr. B. C. Roy | 1961 |
| 32 | Purushottam Das Tandon | 1961 |
| 33 | Dhondo Keshav Karve | 1958 |
| 34 | Govind Ballabh Pant | 1957 |
| 35 | Bhagwan Das | 1955 |
| 36 | Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvarayya | 1955 |
| 37 | Jawaharlal Nehru | 1955 |
| 38 | Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan | 1954 |
| 39 | Chakravarti Rajagopalachari | 1954 |
| 40 | Sir C. V. Raman | 1954 |
Suggested
Bharat ratna on wiki pedia
2. No Jewel in India’s Crown for seven years!
Is not it very discouraging that we have not had a Bharat Ratna Awards for so long. Leave a comment about what you think.
Finally the award was continued in 2008. Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was awarded Bharat Ratna in 2008.
August 11th, 2008Posted in General Knowledge
MEDALS IN DIFFERENT SPORTS
| Sport | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Hockey | 8 | 1 | 2 | 11 |
| Shooting | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Weightlifting | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wrestling - Freestyle | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF MEDALS
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| Year | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| | | | | |
| 1928 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1932 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1936 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1948 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1952 | 1 (H) | 0 | 1 (W) | 2 |
| 1956 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1960 | 0 | 1 (H) | 0 | 1 |
| 1964 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1968 | 0 | 0 | 1 (H) | 1 |
| 1972 | 0 | 0 | 1 (H) | 1 |
| 1980 | 1 (H) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | 1 (T) | 1 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 (WL) | 1 |
| 2004 | 0 | 1 (S) | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 2 | 5 | 15 |
(H) - Hockey Team
(W) - Wrestling, won by Kha-Shaba Jadav in
(T) - Tennis, won by Leander Paes at
(WL) - Weight Lifting, won by Karnam Malleshwari at
(S) - Shooting, won by Rajyawardhan Singh Rathore at
We hope we will get the honour to add more names to this list in coming days!!
We wish all the luck to the Indian Olympic Contingent competing at
General Knowledge for Entrance and Recruitment Exams
KHEL RATNA AWARDS
Official Name: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award
Special: It is
Started In: 1991-92
Here is the list of people who have been awarded Khel Ratna so far.
| S. No. | Year | Name of the Sportsperson(s) | Sport Discipline |
| 01 | 1991-92 | Viswanathan Anand | Chess |
| 02 | 1992-93 | Geet Sethi | Billiards |
| 03 | 1993-94 | Not Conferred | |
| 04 | 1994-95 | Cdr. Homi D. Motivala and Lt. Cdr. P. K. Garg | Yachting (Team Event) |
| 05 | 1995-96 | Karnam Malleswari | Weightlifting |
| 06 | 1996-97 | Leander Paes and Nameirakpam Kunjarani (Joint) | Tennis and Weightlifting respectively |
| 07 | 1997-98 | Sachin Tendulkar | Cricket |
| 08 | 1998-99 | Jyotirmoyee Sikdar | Athletics |
| 09 | 1999-2000 | Dhanraj Pillay | Hockey |
| 10 | 2000-01 | Pullela Gopichand | Badminton |
| 11 | 2001-02 | Abhinav Bindra | Shooting |
| 12 | 2002-03 | Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat and K. M. Beenamol (Joint) | Shooting and Athletics respectively |
| 13 | 2003-04 | Anju Bobby George | Athletics |
| 14 | 2004-05 | Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore | Shooting |
| 15 | 2005-06 | Pankaj Advani | Billiards & Snooker |
| 16 | 2006-07 | Manavjit Singh Sandhu | Shooting |
| 17 | 2007-08 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni | Cricket |
Are you preparing for a competitive exam like Bank Probationary Officer (PO) Recruitment, Bank Clerical, NDA, CDS, B. Ed., ETT etc. Here is a series of updates that we release every week just for you.
Happy Learning!!
G-8 Environment Ministers Meeting:
Held in
What is G-8?
Aim: Debt Relief to 36 poorest countries of the World.
Members: US,
NOTE: Formerly G7 (excluding
G-8
Held between July 7 and 9, 2008. The agenda was to control Climate Change, controlling price hike for food and petroleum.
Agni - III Test Fired Successfully:
Type: Intermediate Ballistic Missile
On: May 07, 2008
Range: 3500 KM
Tested At:
NOTE:
Agni-I was short range ballistic missile. Range: 700- 800 KM
Agni-II was medium range ballistic missile. Range: 2,500 KM
Agni - V will be an ICBM (InterContinental Ballistic Missile). ICBM is a land-based or mobile rocket-propelled missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to a range greater than 5,500 KM
Prithvi - II Test Fired Successfully:
Type: Surface to Surface
On: May 23, 2008
Range: 350 KM
Tested At: Integrated
Hatf - VIII Test Fired (
Type: Surface to Surface
Range: 350 KM
Total Countries Ranked: 178
- Against the decision for a price hike in petroleum.
- Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Headquarters:
- An international oil cartel originally formed in 1960.
- Other 12 members are:
Will be located in Agatti Atoll in
Books:
Animal's People by Mr. Indra Sinha
Adjudged Best Book of the year by the Commonwealth Foundation for the year 2008
Midnights Children by Mr. Salman Rushdie
It has been awarded "Best of Booker" prize in 2008. It was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981.
People in News:
Ms. Tessy Thomas:
She became the first woman Scientist to lead the Agni Missile Project.
Mr. Min Bahadur:
He became the oldest person to climb
Mr. B. S. Yedddyurappa
He became the 19th Chief Minister of Karnataka.
The recent trend shows that the General Awareness (General Knowledge or GK) part of many competitive exams include question from world Geography where they may ask about the Capital of a Country. Here is the list of all the 195 countries of the world including their capitals. Usually the questions relate to country that is in news for some reason. So please try to remember as many as you can and relate them to current events.
The
Costa Rica:
The
Kosovo: Pristina
Samoa:
Hello Friends,
Here we come with another useful General Knowledge update for competitive exams like Bank
New and Old
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The greatest monuments of the ancient world were listed as
1. The Pyramids of
These are royal tombs built more than 4000 years ago for the Egyptian Pharaohs and house their mummified bodies surrounded by their treasures and personal belongings. They are about 70 in number and represent 1200 years of ancient Egyptian history that flourished around the lower Nile (near
2. The Colossus of Rhodes It was a bronze statue of the Greek Sungod, Helios (Apollo) in the port city of Rhodes along the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. It was sculpted around 325 BC-292 BC by Charles of Lindus. It was destroyed during an earthquake in 224 BC.
3. The Hanging Gardens of
4. The Mausoleum at Halicamassus Also known as the Tomb of Mausolus (the King of Caria in Asia Minor-325 BC) at Halicamassus on the eastern side of Aegean Sea in Turkey.
5. The Pharos of
6- The Statue of Zeus (Jupiter) at
7 The
New Seven Wonder
| Wonder | Location |
| Taj Mahal | |
| | |
| Christ the Redeemer | |
| Colosseum | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Here is another GK Update from GJ Tutorial. This information is useful for General Knowledge section of various entrance examinations and recruitment exams.
This is very general information meant specifically for people who have not studied science as a subject after class 10 (So you forgot all this!! Right!!). This is meant to be a refresher and we believe you do not need to read more for this as far as GK is concerned.
So Lets Recall what we learnt when we were young!!
Part 1: Space
Universe:
Everything that exists.
All of space and time taken together.
Milky Way:
Our Solar System is a part of galaxy called "Milky Way". The nearest galaxy is "Andromeda Nebula".
Solar System:
The Sun and the collection of celestial bodies that orbit it. These include the nine planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) and their 60 moons, the asteroid belt, the comets and other heavenly bodies. (Diameter: 1170 Crore Km Approx).
The solar system's nearest neighbor in the galaxy is the triple star system Alpha and Proxima Centauri, which is 4.3 light-years away from the sun.
Origin:
The planets were formed out of the gas clouds surrounding the newly born Sun (a Star). This gave birth to the Solar System.
Age of Solar System:
About 4600 million years.
Sun:
1. Sun is an average sized Star (A Dwarf Star).
2. Forms 99% of the mass of Solar System.
3. Surface Temperature: 5,800 kelvins (K)
4. Core Temperature: 15,000,000 K
5. Provides us heat and light, generated by a nuclear reaction.
6. Photosphere: Glowing Surface of Sun.
7. Chromospheres: The inner reddish region.
8.
Planets:
The bodies revolving around the sun (at the same time rotating on their own imaginary axis).
Nine Planets are:
1. Mercury
2. Venus (Rotates clockwise)
3. Earth
4. Mars
5. Jupiter
6. Saturn
7. Uranus (Rotates clockwise)
8.
9. Pluto (Not considered a planet any more)
Note: Pluto had been considered a planet from the time of its discovery in 1930 until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (the organization that classifies astronomical objects) created the dwarf planet category.
How to Remember All The Planets in Order:
use the phrase "My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets" where the first letter of each word reminds us of a planet starting from Mercury to Pluto.
Types of Planets:
1. Inferior planets: Mercury and Venus, whose orbits lie between the sun and Earth
2. Superior Planets: The planets whose orbits lie beyond Earth's orbit are the superior planets
OR: based on similarity of structure.
1. Inner Planets: (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars)
2. Outer Planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). Also called Jovian (Jupiter Like) Planets.
Satellites (Moons)
They revolve around planets.
1. Earth has only one moon.
2. Mars has two moons
3. Jupiter and Saturn have more than 50 known moons each
4. Uranus has more than 25
5.
6. Saturn's moon Titan is Largest Satellite (larger than mercury).
7. Rings: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have planetary rings made up of innumerable tiny satellites.
Asteroids: They are many smaller bodies that circle the sun in orbits that lie in a belt between Mars and Jupiter.
Ceres is the largest asteroid.
Meteoroids, Meteors (Shooting Star), Meteorites
Small chunks of stony or metallic matter from outer space that enter the Earth's atmosphere and vaporize.
1. Before they encounter Earth's atmosphere these are called meteoroids.
2. Once they enter the atmosphere, they are called meteors.
3. Most meteors are so tiny that they vaporize completely soon after entering the atmosphere. The large meteors that survive the fall to Earth are called meteorites.
The poll for "What would you like to read" has suddenly shifted to "General Knowledge". Respecting your opinion, today we have useful general knowledge update for Indian Economy. This information is very useful for upcoming Bank
INDIAN ECONOMY
A policy of mixed economy is followed in the country. In a mixed economy, the public sector enterprises (government-owned) exist alongside the private sector to achieve a socialist pattern of society in a welfare state.
PLANNING IN
Planning Commission (Estb. 1950)
In March 1950, Government of India constituted a statutory body with the Prime Minister of India as its Chairman-called the Planning Commission. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Chairman of the Planning Commission.
National Planning Council (Estb. 1965)
It is an advisory body attached to the Planning Commission and was established in 1965. It includes experts representing a cross-section of the Indian economy.
National Development Council (Estb. 1951)
Chief Ministers of the states, together with the members of the Planning Commission, constitute the National Development Council. The Prime Minister of India presides over the Council.
Five Year Plans
The development plans are drawn by the Planning Commission to establish
(I) Planning Commission of
(ii) National Planning Council
(iii) National Development Council and State Planning Commissions
DETAILS OF THE FIVE YEAR PLANS
FIRST FIVE YEAR PLAN (1951-56)
In July 1951, the Planning Commission issued the draft outline of the First Five Year Plan for the period April 1951 to March 1956. It was presented to the Parliament in December 1952. In the First Plan, agriculture received the main thrust, for sustaining of growth and development of industries which would not be possible without a significant rise in the yield of raw materials and food.
Objectives:
i) To increase food production.
ii) To fully utilise available raw materials.
iii) To check inflationary pressure.
Outlay: The total proposed outlay was Rs. 3,870 crore.
SECOND FIVE YEAR PLAN (1956-61)
The main objective was to launch upon industrialisation and strengthen the industrial base of the economy. It was in this light that the 1948 Industrial Policy Resolution was revised and a new resolution of 1956 was adopted. The Second Plan started with an emphasis on the expansion of the public sector and aimed at the establishment of a socialistic pattern of society.
Objectives:
i) A sizeable increase in national income so as to raise the level of living.
ii) Rapid industrialisation of the country with particular emphasis on the development of basic and key industries.
Outlay: The Second Plan proposed a total public sector outlay of Rs. 4,800 crores though actual outlay was only Rs. 4,672 crore.
THIRD FIVE YEAR PLAN (1961-66)
In the third Plan, the emphasis was on long-term development. The Third Plan report stated that during the five-year period concerned, the Indian economy "must not only expand rapidly but, at the same time, become self-reliant and self-generating."
Objectives:
i) An increase in national income of more than 5 per cent annually. The investment pattern laid down must be capable of sustaining this growth rate in the subsequent years.
ii) An increase in the agricultural produce and to achieve self sufficiency by increasing food grain production.
iii) Greater equality of opportunities, more even distribution of economic power and reducing wealth and income disparities.
FOURTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (1969-74)
After the ‘Plan Holiday', the Fourth Plan was begun in 1969.
Objectives:
i) To achieve stability and progress towards self-reliance.
ii) To achieve an overall rate of growth of 5.7 per cent annually.
iii) To raise exports at the rate of 7 per cent annually.
Outlay: The total proposed outlay was Rs. 24,880 crore, which included Rs. 15,900 crores as public sector outlay and Rs. 8,980 crore as private sector outlay.
FIFTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (1974-79)
The Plan was formulated against the background of sever inflationary pressure.
Objectives: In addition to removal of poverty and attainment of self-reliance, the Fifth Plan had the following major objectives.
i) 5.5 per cent overall rate of growth in Gross Domestic objectives.
ii) Expansion of productive employment and fuller utilisation of existing skills and equipment.
iii) A national programme for minimum needs and extended programmes of social welfare.
Outlay: A total outlay of Rs. 53,410 crore was proposed for the Fifth Plan.
SIXTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (1980-85)
The draft of the Sixth Five Year Plan (1978-1983) was presented in 1978. However, the plan was terminated with the change of Government in January 1980. The new Sixth Five Year Plan was implemented in April 1980.
Objectives:
i) To eliminate unemployment and underemployment.
ii) To raise the standard of living of the poorest of masses.
iii) To reduce disparities in income and wealth.
Outlay: The proposed outlay for the Sixth Plan totalled Rs.
1, 58, 710 crore.
SEVENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (1985-90)
The draft of the Seventh Plan was approved on November 9, 1985 by the National Development Council. The plan was part of the long-term plan for the period of 15 years.
Objectives:
i) Decentralisation of planning and full public participation in development.
ii) The maximum possible generation of productive employment.
iii) Removal of poverty and reduction in income disparities.
EIGHTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (1992-97)
The Eighth Plan proposed a growth rate of 5.6 per cent per annum on an average during the plan period. The Eighth Plan focused on (i) clear prioritisation of sectors/projects for investment in order to facilitate implementation of the policy initiatives taken in the areas of fiscal, trade and industrial sectors and human development.
Objectives:
i) Generation of adequate employment of achieve near full employment level by the turn of the century.
ii) Containment of population growth through people's active co-operation and an effective scheme of incentives and disincentives.
iii) Universalisation of elementary education and complete eradication of illiteracy among the people in the age group of 15 to 35 years.
THE NINTH FIVE-YEAR PLAN (1997-2002)
It began on April 1, 1997. The Ninth Plan was the first concrete attempt to translate the programme of economic reforms and the New Economic Policy within the framework of an indicative Plan. The Approach Paper to the Ninth Plan (1997-2002) was approved by the N.D.C. on 16th January, 1997.
Objectives:
i.) Priority to agriculture and rural development
ii.) Accelerating growth rate of economy
iii.) Food and nutritional security for all
iv.) Containing growth rate of population
v.) Empowerment of women and socially disadvantaged groups such as SC/ST, backward classes and minorities.
vi.) Promoting and developing participatory institutions like "Panchayati Raj" institutions, co-operatives and self-help groups.
TENTH FIVE YEAR PLAN (2002-07)
On December 21, 2002, the Tenth Five Year Plan was approved by the National Development Council (NDC). The Plan has further developed the NDC mandated objectives, of doubling per capita income in 10 years, and achieving a growth rate of 8% of GDP per annum. An 8% growth rate is considered necessary for achieving the social and economic targets of Tenth Plan Keeping in mind decadal growth performance and the steady acceleration that the country has recorded in growth over the past two decades, it is a realisable target. The plan has a number of new features, such as, for the first time
(a) It recognises the rapid growth of labour force over the next decade
(b) Addresses the issue of poverty and the unacceptably low levels of social indicators
(c) Adopted a "differential development strategy" to equate national targets into balanced regional development as there is vast difference in the potentials and constraints of each state
(d) Recognises that the governance is perhaps one of the most important factors for ensuring realisation of the Plan
(e) Identifies measures to improve efficiency, unleash entrepreneurial energy, and promote rapid and sustainable growth
(f) Proposes major reforms for agricultural sector making 'agriculture' the core element of the Plan.
Since economic growth is not the only objective, the Plan aims at harnessing the benefits of growth to improve the quality of life of the people by setting the following key targets:
1. All children to be in school by 2003 and all children to complete five years of schooling by 2007
2. Reduction in poverty ratio from 26% to 21%
3. Growth in gainful employment to, at least, keep pace with addition to the labour force
4. Decadal population growth to reduce from 21.3% in 1991-2001 to 16.2% by 2001-11
5. Reducing gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by 50%
6. Literacy rate to increase from 65% in 1999-2000 to 75% in 2001
7. Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to be reduced from 72 in 1999-2000, to 45 in 2007
8. .Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to be reduced from 4 per 1000 in 1999-2000 to 2 per 1000 in 2007
9. Providing portable drinking water in all villages
10. Cleaning of major polluted river stretches
11. Increase in forest/tree cover from 19% in 1999-2000 to 25% in 2007
ELEVENTH PLAN (2007-2012)
The United Progressive Alliance government issued a paper in the eleventh plan titled "Towards faster and more inclusive growth." According to the approach paper, the monitorable targets of five-year plan are:
1. GDP growth rate to be increased to 10% by the end of the plan;
2. Farm sector growth to be increased to 4%;
3. Creation of seven crore job opportunities;
4. Reduce educated unemployed youth to below 5 percent
5. Infant mortality rates to be reduced to 28 per 1000 births;
6. Maternal death rates to be reduced to 1 per 1000 births;
7. Clean drinking water to all by 2009;
8. Improve sex ratio to 935 by 2011-12 and to 950 by 2016-17;
9. Ensure electricity connection to all villages and broadband over power lines (BPL) households by 2009
10. Roads to all villages that have a population of 1000 and above by 2009;
11. Increase forest and tree cover by 5%;
12. Achieve the World Health Organization standard air quality in major cities by 2011-12;
13. Treat all urban wastewater by 2011-12 to clean river waters;
14. Increase energy efficiency by 20 percent by 2016-17
Hello friends,
We are back with another GK update for you. This time we are posting information about
1. Area
3280463 Sq. KM
2. Geographical location
Latitudes: 8° 4' to 37° 6 ' north
Longitudes: 68° 7 ' to 97° 25' east.
3. Indian Standard Time
GMT + 05:30 (Standard for
4. Border Countries:
Myanmar to the east;
5. Coastline
7,516.6 km including the mainland,
6. Capital
7. National Flag
The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.
8. National Emblem
Replica of the Ashoka's Pillar at Sarnath, UP
9. National Anthem
Jana Gana Mana, written by Rabindra Nath Tagore in 1911
10. National Song
Vande Maatram, Bankim Chandra Chatterji, taken from Novel "Ananda Math" published in 1882
11. National Bird
Peacock
12. National Game
Hockey
13. National Animal
Tiger
14. National Flower
Lotus
15. National Calendar
Saka, Introduced on March 22, 1957
16. National Days
26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day)
2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi)
30th January (Martyrs' Day)
5th September (Teachers' Day, Birthday of Dr. S. Radha Krishnan)
14th November (Children's Day, Birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru)
17. Type of Government
Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government
18. Legislature (Bicameral)
Lok Sabha (House of the People)
Rajya Sabha (Council of States)
19. States
28
20.
7
21. Largest State in Population
Uttar Pradesh
23. Life expectancy
63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)
24. Largest state in area
Rajasthan
25. Largest desert in
Rajasthan
28. First state to achieve nearly 100% rural electrification
Haryana
29. Population 2001 Census
1,027 millions
30. Population Growth Rate
1.93 per cent during 1991-2001.
31. Rank in population
Second
32. Major Export of
Tea
33. Major Bank
Reserve Bank of
34. Highest per capita income
Punjab (Among States),
35. Lowest per capita income
36. Membership of U.N.O
1945
37. First General Elections
1951-52
38. First Five Year Plan
1951
39. Financial Capital
Mumbai
40. Languages
22 Languages recognized by constitution. Hindi is the Official Union Language.
41. Literacy rate
64.84 % (75.26% for males and 53.67% for female)
42. Coldest place
Dras Sector
43. First Indian Lady in the Space
Kalpana Chawla
44. First Indian Man in the Space
Rakesh Sharma
45. Sex ratio (Male: Female)
1000:933 (2001 Census)
46. Formation of INC (Indian National Congress)
1885
47. Hindi became National Language
1953
48. Muslim League formed in
1906
49. Wettest Place
Mawsynram, Meghalaya
50. Wettest state
Meghalaya
51. Biggest District
Bastar (M. P.)
52. Rural Population
About 72%
53. Largest Desert
Thar (Rajasthan)
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G-8 Environment Ministers Meeting:
Held in
What is G-8?
Aim: Debt Relief to 36 poorest countries of the World.
Members: US,
NOTE: Formerly G7 (excluding
G-8
Held between July 7 and 9, 2008. The agenda was to control Climate Change, controlling price hike for food and petroleum.
Agni - III Test Fired Successfully:
Type: Intermediate Ballistic Missile
On: May 07, 2008
Range: 3500 KM
Tested At:
NOTE:
Agni-I was short range ballistic missile. Range: 700- 800 KM
Agni-II was medium range ballistic missile. Range: 2,500 KM
Agni - V will be an ICBM (InterContinental Ballistic Missile). ICBM is a land-based or mobile rocket-propelled missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to a range greater than 5,500 KM
Prithvi - II Test Fired Successfully:
Type: Surface to Surface
On: May 23, 2008
Range: 350 KM
Tested At: Integrated
Hatf - VIII Test Fired (
Type: Surface to Surface
Range: 350 KM
Total Countries Ranked: 178
- Against the decision for a price hike in petroleum.
- Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Headquarters:
- An international oil cartel originally formed in 1960.
- Other 12 members are:
Will be located in Agatti Atoll in
Books:
Animal's People by Mr. Indra Sinha
Adjudged Best Book of the year by the Commonwealth Foundation for the year 2008
Midnights Children by Mr. Salman Rushdie
It has been awarded "Best of Booker" prize in 2008. It was awarded the Booker Prize in 1981.
People in News:
Ms. Tessy Thomas:
She became the first woman Scientist to lead the Agni Missile Project.
Mr. Min Bahadur:
He became the oldest person to climb
Mr. B. S. Yedddyurappa
He became the 19th Chief Minister of Karnataka.
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