1. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer from the codes given below the lists: [1995]

List-I

List-II

A. Ernesto Zedillo

1.Uruguay

B. Alberto Fujimori

2. Brazil

C. Julio Maria Sanguinetti

3.Mexico

D. Fermando H. Cardoso

4.Bolivia

5. Peru

Codes:

(a) A-3; B-5;C-1; D-2 (b) A-4; B-5;C-3; D-1

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(c) A-3; B-4;C-4; D-2 (d) A-5; B-3;C-1; D-4

2. Which one of the following countries had in 1994 voted against joining the European Union? [1995]

(a) Norway (b) Sweden

(c) Finland (d) Austria

ADVERTISEMENTS:

3. Comet shoemaker-Levy 9 hit the planet: [1995]

(a) Pluto (b) Mars

(c) Jupiter (d) Saturn

4. The signatories to the treaty banning chemical weapons include: [1995]

ADVERTISEMENTS:

(a) U.S.A Russia, India, Iran and Israel

(b) Iraq, Libya, India, Russia and China

(c) Brazil, Angola, North Korea, Pakistan and U.S.A

(d) Syria, Sri Lanka, Japan, Singapore and France

ADVERTISEMENTS:

5. The Prime Minister of which one of the following countries is chosen by tbe ruling prince from a state of three candidates put up to him by the President of France? [1997]

(a) San Marius (b) Liechtenstein

(c) Malta (d) Manaco

6. The world’s fastest computer has been able to perform (as of Dec. 1996): [1997]

(a) 106 operations per second

(b) 109 operations per second

(c) 1012 operations per second

(d) 1015 operations per second

7. The Basque separatist organization is active in: [1997]

(a) Russia (b) Cyprus

(c) Portugal (d) Spain

8. The film ‘ The Making of the Mahatama’ has been directed by: [1997]

(a) Peter Ustinov (b) Richard Attenborough

(c) Shyam Benegal (d) MiraNair

9. A major health mission carried out in 1996 was: [1997]

(a) war against leprosy

(b) small-pox eradication

(c) pulse polio immunization

(d) popularisation of oral rehydration theraphy

11. Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jos Remos Horta who shared the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize are known for their work for the cause of: [1997]

(a) East Timor (b) Gautemala

(c) Bosnia (d) Barunda

12. In which one of the following countries are 75 percent of seats in both Houses of Parliament filled on the basis of first pat-then post system and 25 percent on the basis of Proportional Representation system of elections? [1997] (a) Germany (b) Italy

(c) France (d) Russia

13. The economic and monetary union of 15 European countries is proposed to be made by 1999. But the currencies of two countries, franc, have already the same value and circulate freely in both the countries. The countries are: [1997]

(a) France and Switzerland

(b) Switzerland and Luxemburg

(c) Luxemburg and Belgium

(d) France and Belgium

14. The meeting of G-15 countries held in Malaysia in 1997 was attended by: [1998]

(a) 14 member countries

(b) 15 members countries

(c) 16 member countries

(d) 17 member countries

15. The recent Land Mines Conference to sign the historic treaty was held in the Capital city of: [1998]

(a) Canada (b) Japan

(c) Sweden (d) Zimbabwe

16. Nobel Prize in Economics for the year 1997 was awarded for contribution in the area of: [1998]

(a) International Economics

(b) Financial Economics

(c) Public Economics

(d) Development Economics

17. The currency of the proposed European Monetary Union will be: [1998]

(a) Dollar (b) Euro

(c) Guilder (d) Mark c

18. Assertion (A): The United States of America has threatened to ask the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to apply sanctions against the developing countries for the non- observance of 1LO convention.

Reason (R): The United States of America itself has adopted and implemented those ILO conventions. [1998]

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

(b) Both A and R are true but R is NOT a correct explanation of A

(c) A is true both R is false

(d) A is false but R is true

19. The number of economically active women (excluding students and those doing domestic duties in their there homes) as a percentage of all women of working age (generally those aged 15-64 years) was the highest in 1996 in [1998]

(a) USA (b) China

(c) Russia (d) S. Korea

21. Neem tree has acquired industrial importance as a source of: [1999]

(a) biopesticide and antifertility compound

(b) antifertility compound, biofertilizer and anti cancer drug

(c) biofertilizer, biopesticide and antifertility compound

(d) anti-cancer drug, biopesticide and biofertilizer

23. Resurgent Indian Bonds were issued in US dollar, Pound Sterling and: [2000]

(a) Japanese Yen (b) Deutsche Mark

(c) Euro (d) French France

24. The theme of the World Development Report 2001 is: [2001]

(a) from plan to market (b) knowledge for development

(c) attacking poverty (d) the state in the changing world

25. Which one among the following countries has the lowest GDP per capita? [2003]

(a) China (b) India

(c) Indonesia (d) Sri Lanka

26. A great landslide caused by an earthquake killed hundreds of people in January 2001 near: [2001]

(a) San Salvador (b) San Jose

(c) Managua (d) Guatemala City

27. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: [2001]

List-I (Country) – List-II (President)

A. Columbia – 1. Vicente Fox

B. Philippines – 2. Hugo Chavez

C. Mexico – 3. Gloria Macapagal Arroya

D. Venezuela – 4. Andres Pastrana

Codes:

(a) A-4; B-3;C-2; D-1

(b) A-3; B-4;C-2; D-1

(c) A-4; B-3;C-1; D-2

(d) A-3; B-4;C-1; D-2

28. Consider the following names: [2002]

1. Archbishop Desmond Tutu

2. Leach Walesa

3. Shimon Peres

4. Yasser Arafat

Who among these won the Nobel Peace Prize?

(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1,3and4

(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1,2,3 and 4

29. Recently, several hundred South African soldiers were sent to Burundi: [2002]

(a) to side with the Tutsi tribe in the country’s civil war

(b) to side with the Hutu tribe in the on going ethnic conflict

(c) as a part of United Nations special force to keep control on the ethnic groups revolting against the government

(d) as South Africa’s protection force to help mediate an agreement between warring groups of civil war

30. The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum was held in the year 2001 in: [2002]

(a) Bangkok (b) Hongkong

(c) Jakarta (d) Shanghai

31. In the year 2001, India offered a grant of five million dollars to Tajikistan to: [2002]

(a) tackle the drought situation

(b) set up a Software Technology Park

(c) promote mineral exploration

(d) procure defence equipment

32. A World Summit with representation from all the countries will be held in Johannesburg in “September 2002 on the subject of: [2002]

(a) AIDS control (b) global terrorism

(c) human rights (d) sustainable development

33. Match List I (Country) with List II (President) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists: [2002]

List I (Country) – List II (President)

A. Congo – 1. Levy Mwanawasa

B. Nigeria – 2. Joseph Kabila

C. Uganda – 3. OlusegunvObasanjo

D. Zambia – 4. Yoweri Museveni Codes:

(a) A-2; B-3;C-4; D-1

(b) A-3; B-2;C-1; D-4

(c) A-2;B-3;C-1;D-4

(d) A-3; B-2; C-4; D-1

34. In the year 2001, NASA launched a spacecraft to Mars named: [2002]

(a) Mars Climate Orbiter (b) Mars Global Surveryer

(c) Mars Odyssey (d) Mars Polar Lander

35. The main reason for unrest and violence in Zimbabwe in recent years is due to: [2002]

(a) conflict between different native ethnic groups

(b) prolonged crisis over land reforms

(c) economic crisis due to continuous drought and famine

(d) power struggle between political groups of white European settlers and native black community

36. The Basque people who are frequently in the news for their separatist activity live in: [2003]

(a) France (b) Italy

(c) Portugal (d) Spain

37. What was the man reason for a great civil strife in Argentina recently? [2003]

(a) Ethnic conflict between the native Red Indian tribes and others

(b) Economic crisis due to huge public debt

(c) The issue of using native languages as medium of instruction in schools

(d) Clashes between government troops and secessionist groups

38. In which one of the following countries, did an ethnic violence between the communities of Hema and Lendu results in the death of hundreds of people? [2004]

(a) Democratic Republic of Congo

(b) Indonesia

(c) Nigeria.

(d) Zambia

39. Serbia was in the international news in the recent times for: [2004]

(a) harbouring terrorists associated with relegious fundamentalism

(b) supplying raw uranium to North Korea

(c) its long-running civil war killing or displacing thousands of people

(d) cultivation of drug-yielding crops and smuggling of drugs

40. The reason for Chechnya to be in the news recently is: [2004]

(a) discovery of huge reserves of oil

(b) separatist rebellious activities by the local people

(c) continuous conflict between the government troops and the narcotic mafia resulting in a great loss of human life

(d) intense cold wave killing hundreds of people

41. The Prime Minister of which one of the following countries was assassinated in the year 2003 ? [2004]

(a) Czech Republic (b) Romania

(c) Serbia (d) Slovenia

42. More than 40 Heads of States/Governments were invited by Vladimir Putin in May, 2003 to: [2004]

(a) discuss the issues related to the rehabilitation of Iraq

(b) celebrated the tricentenary of the city of St. Petersburg

(c) convene a meeting of European and CIS countries to discuss the issue of missile shield for European and CIS countries

(d) develop the strategies for containing global terrorism

43. The research work of Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield, the Nobel Prize winners for Medicine in 2003, relates to: [2004]

(a) the control of AIDS

(b) magnetic resonance imaging

(c) respiratory diseases

(d) genetic engineering

44. In 2003, Alison Richard took over as the first ever women Vice-Chancellor of: [2004]

(a) Oxford University (b) Cambridge University

(c) Harward University (d) Purdue University

45. George W. Bush, the President of America, comes from which of the following American States? [2004]

(a) California (b) Texas

(c) Virginia (d) Indiana

46. Which of the following authors won the Booker Prize twice? [2004]

(a) Margaret Atwood (b) J.M. Coetzee

(c) Graham Swift (d) Ian McEwan

Answers:

1. (a) “Ernesto Zedillo is from Mexico, Alberto Fujimori is from Peru, Julio Maria Sanguinetti is from Uruguay and Fernando H. Cardoso is from Brazil.

2. (a) In 1994, Norway voted against joining the European union while Sweden, Austria and Finland were in favour of joining the European Union.

3. (c) Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 was discovered by Keroshil Shoemaker and David Levy on 24th March 1.994. This comet was roaming from 4 billion years and it came under the gravitational impact of Jupiter and hit it.

4. (a) The treaty banning chemical weapon was signed on 25th April 1997. There were 160 countries including U.S.A, Russia, India, Iran and Israel who signed the treaty.

5. (d) The Prime Minister of Manaco is chosen by the ruling prince from a state of three candidates put up to him by the President of France,

6. (c) As of 1996, the world’s fastest computer has been able to perform 10th operations per second.

7. (d) The Basque separatist movement is active in Spain.

8. (c) Shyam Benegal is the director of the film “The making of Mahatma” starring Anupam Kher as Mahatma Gandhi.

9. (c) The pulse polio immunization was a major health mission carried out in 1996 to make India polio free. The programme is still being carried out.

11. (a) Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jos Remos Horta are known for their for the cause of East Timor. They got Nobel Prize for it in 1996.

12. (b) Due to unstability of the government in Italy, it has made its new system based on Bicamera proposal.

13. (c) The currencies of two countries, France, have already the same value and circulate frealy in both the Mountries Luxembury and Belyium.

14. (c) The G-15 meet of 1997 was held 3-5th November 1997 at Qualalmpur in Malayasia. Kenya was sworn as its 16th member but the organisation name will remain G-15.

15. (a) The historic treaty on land mines was signed on 3 to 5th December at the conference held Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

16. (b) The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1997 was awarded jointly to Robert C. Merton and Myron S. Scholes “for a new method to determine the value of derivatives”

17. (b) EMU is the agreement among the participating member states of the European Union to adopt a single hard currency and monetary system. The European Council agreed to name this, single European currency the Euro.

18. (b)

19. (b) It was 43% in China in 1996.

21. (c) Neem has been patented by India for its use as Biofertilizer, Biopesticide and antifertility compound as contraceptive.

23. (b) The RESURGENT INDIA BONDS (RIBs) are bank instruments issued by SBI representing foreign currency denominated deposits in the form of promissory notes. Offered to Non-Resident Indians and Overseas Corporate Bodies. Bonds being denominated in foreign currency i.e., in US dollar, Pound Sterling and Deutsche Mark, bonds are free from forex risk.

24. (c) from plan to market – Theme of 1996 report; knowledge for development – Theme for 1999; the state in the changing world – Theme of 1997 report

25. (b) According to 2010 data, GDP per capita: China – 4283 USD; India – 1176 USD; Indonesia – 2963 USD; Sri lanka-2364 USD

26. (b) Hundreds of people were killed near”j>ai v-dUw. to landslide caused by an earthquake measruing 6.3 on Ricchter scale in year 2001.

27. (a) Columbia is situated in North-Western part of South America whose president is Andres Pstrana. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became President of philipines on 20th January 2001. Mexico is situated in North America whose president is Vincent Fox whereas the president of Venezuela is Huga Chavez.

28. (b) The Nobel Peace Prize had been won by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Shimon Peres and Yaser Arafat whereas Lach Welesa is a novelist.

29. (d) To stop the on going civil war in Burundi, South Africa sent its peace keeping force to mediate an agreement between warring groups of civil war.

30. (d) The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation foram was held on 20-21 October 2001 at Sanghai in China.

31. (a) To tackle the drought situation in Tajikistan, India offered a grant of five million dollars.

32. (d) In September 2002 in Johannesburg “World Conference on Sustainable Development was held in which nearly 200 countries participated.

33. (a) The President of Congo is Joseph Kabila, President of Nigeria is Olusegum Obasanjo, President of Yuganda is Yoweri Museveni and President of Zambia is Levy Mwanawasa.

34. (c) In the year 2001, NASA launched a spececraft named Mars Odyssey which costed Rs. 40 crore Dollars on 7th April.

35. (c) The main reason for unrest and violence in Zimbabwe in recent year is due to prolonged crisis over land reforms.

36. (d)The Basque people live in the north central Spain and frequently in news for their separist activity in Spain.

37. (b) Argentina faced economic crisis due to huge public debt caused a great civil strife and people became anxious about their finance future.

38. (a) The ethnic violence between the communities of Hema and Lendu results in the death of hundred people in Democratic Republic of Congo.

39. (c) Serbia was in international news in recent times for its long running civil was killing or displacing thousands of people.

40. (b) The reason for chechenya to be in the news recently is departist rubellious activities of the local people against the Russian government.

41. (c) The Prime Minister of Serbia was assassinated in the year 2003.

42. (b) More than 40 head of State Government were invited by Vladimir Putin to celebrate the tricentenary of the city of St. Peters berg.

43. (b) The research work of Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield, the Nobel Prize winners for medicine in 2003 relates to magnetic resonance imaging.

44. (b) In 2003, Alison Richard took over as the first ever women Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University.

45. (b) George W. Bush, the President of America, comes from the American state of Texas.

46. (b) J .M. Coetzee, a South African writer and scholar won the Booker Prize twice. He got his first Booker Prize in 1983 for his book “Life and times of Michael K” and got second Booker Prize in 1999 for his book “Disgrace” – a novel about life in post apartheid South Africa.

47. (c) Shirin Ebadi is a lawyer from Iran and has constituted significantly for the democratisation of polity in Iran. She also participated in the world social forum held in Mumbai. She won Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.