India Quiz (general)
After an extended hiatus, I'm back. Here is a new one, diverse topics - but one underlying theme: India.

1. What is the tree scientifically called Ficus benghalensis more commonly known as? It is widely found in India and can grow into a giant covering several hectares.

2. Which financial institution of the Indian government, established in 1935, had Sir Osborne A. Smith as its first head. Its first chief in independent India was Sir Chintaman D.Deshmukh, and the present head of this organization has his office at the Central Office Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, Mumbai?

3. How many companies comprise the BSE Sensex? Which of the following is NOT a member of that list: Hindalco Industries Ltd., Cipla Ltd., Tata Chemicals Ltd., Bharti Tele Ventures Ltd., Zee Telefilms Ltd. [Effective March 24, 2005]

4. Which 87-year old freedom fighter was the lone opposition to APJ Abdul Kalam in his presidential election?

5. Which Indian scientist was recently awarded the $1M Dan David prize from Israel (shared with MIT’s Robert Langer and Harvard’s George Whitesides) for his outstanding contributions to materials science? He is currently Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore and has also been Chairman of the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. [for udct junta – he was the main speaker at MM Sharma’s felicitation function at the time of his retirement from udct]

6. Which actress won the Miss India contest in 1979? She starred with Amol Palekar in ‘Naram Garam’ and is presently married to Paresh Rawal.

7. What is the name of the supersonic cruise missile being developed by a company setup as part of a Joint Venture through an Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and Russia? The name of the missile is derived from the names of two major rivers – one Indian and the other Russian, and is supposed to represent the confluence of two great nations. Needless to say, the Indian effort is conducted through the DRDO. It is touted to be superior to the Tomahawk cruise missiles of the US, and recently ran into issues over intellectual property rights between India and Russia.

8. Who captained India’s women cricket team to the finals of the world cup in South Africa earlier this year?

9. Which paramilitary force was formed in 1990 for the exclusive role of fighting insurgency in Kashmir? Although raised as a paramilitary force, it comprises exclusively of soldiers on deputation from the Indian Army, and now has more than 40,000 soldiers in J&K.

10. Who was appointed Chief Justice of India, exactly one year ago, on June 1, 2004?

11. What was the most significant change brought about in the preamble to the constitution of India by the 42nd Amendment of 1976?

12. In 1992, which corporate watchdog body based in Mumbai did the govt. of India establish following the Harshad Mehta stocks scandal to regulate the functioning of the financial markets?



- posted by Aditya @ 3:39 PM