Current Affairs & G.K November 12,13 2013

1. Srishsti Rana, who has recently won Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 crown, hails from which among the following states?
[A]Kerala
[B]Haryana
[C]Tripura
[D]Assam

Haryana
Srishsti Rana won the Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 crown in late October 2013. This is the second win in a row at the Miss Asia Pacific World pageant. Earlier, Miss Asia Pacific World title won by Himangini Singh Yadu in 2012. Rana is 21 years old. She belongs to Haryana.

2. Which of the following has emerged as India’s most attractive brand in banking and financial services industry (BFSI) category?
[A]SBI
[B]UCO
[C]LIC
[D]ICICI

LIC
State-run insurance major LIC has emerged as India’s top-notch brand in banking and financial service industry category followed by private sector financial powerhouse ICICI, which ranked second in the category.

3. The BASIC countries are a bloc of four larger developing countries. Which one of the following is not a BASIC country?
[A]Brazil
[B]Switzerland
[C]India
[D]China

Switzerland
The BASIC countries are a bloc of four large developing countries comprises Brazil, South Africa, India and China formed by an agreement on 28 November 2009. The four committed to reduce greenhouse gas emission.

4. Which one of the following IT companies of India was recently making news with respect to an alleged work visa fraud in US?
[A]Wipro
[B]Infosys
[C]TCS
[D]IBM

Infosys
In October 2013, Infosys agreed to settle a civil suit by paying US$ 34 million. Infosys says that it has agreed to pay not because it has done anything wrong but only because it wanted to avoid the nuisance of prolonged litigation. Infosys had denied any claims of systemic visa fraud, misuse of visas for competitive advantage, or immigration abuse.

5. India has recently notified which of the following countries as a notified Jurisdictional Area under Income Tax Act 1961?
[A]Cyprus
[B]Mauritius
[C]Belgium
[D]Switzerland

Cyprus
India has declared Cyprus as a notified jurisdiction for failing to provide effective information to it, a move that may affect investments into the country as several companies based in Europe and the US route their investments through Cyprus to benefits from its favourable tax regime. The notification will make it difficult for tax payers to claim deductions on transactions with entities based in Cyprus.

6. As per the latest ICC ranking, Virat Kohli has become the third Indian batsman to hold the number one batting rank in ODI cricket, after ___?
[A]Virendra Sewhag and Sachin Tendulkar
[B]Sachin Tendulkar and Goutham Gambhir
[C]Virendra Sewhag and M S Dhoni
[D]Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni

Sachin Tendulkar and M S Dhoni
Virat Kohli became the number one batsman in One-day cricket after a superb batting show against Australia in the just concluded series, in which he scored 344 runs. Kohli is the third Indian batsman to hold the number one batting rank in ODI cricket, after Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni.

7. Which of the following countries have launched Missions to Mars apart from India?
1.Russia
2.China
3.US
4.Japan
5.Italy
Chose the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A]Only 1, 2, 3 & 4
[B]Only 2, 3, 4 & 5
[C]Only 1, 3, 4 & 5
[D]1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Only 1, 2, 3 & 4
India is the fifth country to launch a mission to Mars. The other countries that have launched missions to Mars include Russia, China, Japan and the US.

8. The “Attaprakaram” and “Kramadipika” are manuals still in use in the study and practice of __?
[A]Bharatanatyam
[B]Kuchipudi
[C]Koodiyattam
[D]Yakshagana

Koodiyattam

9. Which among the following country is largest buyer of wheat from India?
[A]South Korea
[B]Bangladesh
[C]Ethiopia
[D]Thailand

South Korea
South Korea, Ethiopia, Bangladesh and Thailand are the large buyers of India’s wheat, respectively.

10. Viraat Ramayan Mandir, world’s largest Hindu temple is to be built in __?
[A]Bihar
[B]Odisha
[C]Jharkhand
[D]Gujarat

Bihar
Bihar state unveiled a model of the world’s largest Hindu temple. At 405ft (123m), the proposed Viraat Ramayan Mandir would be nearly double the height of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, which currently holds the title. The temple will be spread over 190 acres in Motihari district, about 120 km from the city of Patna.