Current Affairs & G.K in Tamil & English 6 November 2013

1. Which one of the following often referred as the “Crossroads of the South Pacific”?
[A]Fiji Islands
[B]Cooks Islands
[C]Solomon Islands
[D]New Caledonia

Fiji Islands
Fiji Islands are often called as the “Crossroads of the South Pacific” because of it’s geographical location. The Fiji Islands are a hospitable land of contrast in people, flora, fauna and culture.

2. In a first of its kind in the country, a project to satellite-tag "Amur Falcons" (birds) is being undertaken in which state?
[A]Assam
[B]Nagaland
[C]Tripura
[D]Odisha

Nagaland
A project to satellite-tag Amur Falcons is being undertaken in Nagaland. The five-day mission is taking place in collaboration with scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests, the UNEP, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and the Nagaland Forest Department. Every year, from October to November, a large number of Amur Falcons arrive in the northeast, especially in Nagaland, from South-Eastern Siberia and Northern China.

3. “Mark Schwarzer” famous football goal keeper, who announced his retirement from international football, belongs to which country?
[A]Australia
[B]France
[C]Italy
[D]Mexico

Australia
Mark Schwarzer is an Australia goalkeeper. On 6 November 2013, he announced his retirement from international football. He represented Australia at international level on 109 occasions since his debut in 1993, and one of the key players in qualifying for three consecutive world cups.

4. The “Special Protection Group” (SPG) of India is responsible for protection of?
1.Prime Minister of India
2.Former Prime Ministers and their family members
3.President of India
4.Vice-President of India
Chose the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A]Only 1 & 2
[B]Only 1 & 3
[C]Only 1, 2 & 3
[D]1, 2, 3 & 4

Only 1 & 2
The Special Protection Group (SPG) is the executive protection agency of the Government of India. It is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister of India, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members. The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

5. Which of the following countries recently begin “Hand in Hand” 10 day anti-terror military drill with India?
[A]Afghanistan
[B]China
[C]Pakistan
[D]Sri Lanka

China
Armies of India and China are come together to hold their 3rd joint military exercise in China. The 10 day anti- terror military exercise code named as “Hand in hand”.

6. Which among the following has become the first state in the country to ban e-cigarettes?
[A]Himachal Pradesh
[B]Punjab
[C]Haryana
[D]Uttarakhand

Punjab
Punjab has become the first state in the country to ban e-cigarettes and users of any other electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS). Promoters will be prosecuted under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for selling unapproved drugs and could end up serving a year in jail.

7. SN Goenka, who recently passed away was a pioneer in the field of ?
[A]Vipassanā
[B]Jnana Yoga
[C]Kundalini awakening
[D]Astral projection

Vipassanā
Spiritualist and pioneer of the Vipassana meditation in India, SN Goenka, 90, died recently at his residence in Mumbai due to old age. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2012.

8. Which among the following Indian cities was once known as ‘Chicago of the East’ due to its gang wars?
[A]Mumbai
[B]Patna
[C]Gorakhpur
[D]Kolkata

Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur in UP was once infamously called ‘Chicago of the East’ due to its gang wars, turned into a hub of Bhojpuri films over the years and is the headquarters of North Eastern Railways.

9. Mithi Virdi nuclear plant is coming up in which of the following states?
[A]Rajasthan
[B]Gujarat
[C]Maharastra
[D]West Bengal

Gujarat
The proposed Rs 6,000 crore Mithi Virdi nuclear plant is coming up in Saurashtra region’s Bhavnagar district in Gujarat.

10. “Biotic Index” gives us an idea about pollution of____?
[A]Water
[B]Air
[C]Soil
[D]All the above

Water
Biotic Index is a scale for showing the quality of an environment by indicating the types of organisms present in it. It is often used to assess the quality of water in rivers. It is measured from 1 to 10 and corresponds to the four basic water qualities (Excellent, Good, Fair or Poor).