General knowledge 2011-2012 (till may 23rd)

• Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to clinch Italian Open Title.

(Spaniard Rafael Nadal defeated world no. 1 Novak Djokovic to claim his sixth Italian Open Title on 21 May 2012. It was Nadal’s second straight final victory against the Serbian tennis maestro. Earlier Nadal had defeated Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Finals on 22 April 2012)

• Chelsea defeated Bayern Munich to win its First Champions League Title.

(Chelsea, the English football club defeated German football club Bayern Munich to win its first Union of European Football Association (UEFA) Champions League Title on 19 May 2012. Didier Drogba hit the crucial penalty in the penalty shootout to win it 4-3 for the English club. Before the penalty shootout, both the teams were level at 1-1.

Didier Drogba scored the maximum number of goals for Chelsea this season. He hit a total of 34 goals and was instrumental in getting the team its first ever Champions League Title. He was also declared the UEFA Man of the Match for the match-winning performance in the final clash.)

• Shyam Benegal to be presented with South Asian Cinema Foundation's Excellence in Cinema Award.

(The South Asian Cinema Foundation (SACF) in association with British Film Institute (BFI) Southbank and The Nehru Centre decided to honour the work of veteran Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal with the South Asian Cinema Foundation's 'Excellence in Cinema Award' on 9 June 2012. He is to be presented the award in recognition of his contribution to new wave Indian cinema. Benegal who is also a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, will be sixth filmmaker to be honoured by SACF.)

• 73-Year-Old Tamae Watanabe became World’s Oldest Women to climb the Mount Everest

• Maria Sharapova defeated Li Na to retain Italian Open title.

• Russian-made Soyuz craft launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

(Russia is now the sole nation capable of transporting humans to the International Space Station after the withdrawal of the US shuttle but this blast-off was the first manned flight from Baikonur since 21 December 2011)

• Jean-Marc Ayrault took over as the New Prime Minister of France.

• Saurabh Chandra took the Additional Charge of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce.

• Rahul Khullar appointed as the New Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

• Tibetan Spiritual Leader, The Dalai Lama, received the 1.7 Million Dollar Templeton Prize.

(The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, received the 1.7 million dollar Templeton Prize on 14 May 2012 for his role in promoting links between spirituality and science. The award was conferred at a ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral, London.

The Dalai Lama was given this award given his immortal service to humanity, in promoting nonviolence, respect and harmony among the world's different religious traditions, and encouraging greater understanding between modern science and Buddhist science.

The prize money will be used for three different purposes. The bulk of the money will be used to Save the Children in India. The other two fractions of the prize amount will be used in promoting research into spirituality and science and providing science education for Tibetan monks.)

• Key Afghan Peace Negotiator Arsalan Rahmani Daulat assassinated in Kabul.

(Arsalan Rahmani Daulat, the Key Afghan peace mediator, was assassinated 13 May 2012. The assassination of Daulat has raised the fears of disruption in the already fragile peace talk.)

• Roger Federar defeated Tomas Berdych to win Madrid Open Title.

(Swiss tennis star Roger Federar defeated Czech Tomas Berdych to win Madrid Open title on 13 May 2012. The Madrid Open title is set to reinstate Federar as the no. 2 spot in the world tennis ranking, the position he had earlier lost to his rival Rafael Nadal.)

• 14 People died in a Plane Crash in Jomsom in Nepal.

(An Agni Airplane crashed in Jomsom in western Nepal crashed on 14 May 2012 killing nearly 14 of the 21 people on board while, 7 people were rescued alive. The plane was flying from Pokhara to Jomsom, Mustang.

There were three crew members on board the plane and 18 passengers, most of whom were Indian. The plane got crashed as the pilot failed to turn the plane from a narrow turn. The front portion of the plane was left completely damaged.

The high-altitude Jomsom, about 200 km northwest of the capital Kathmandu is the gateway to Muktinath Temple, a pilgrimage destination for Hindus from Nepal and India.)

'Paa' child actor Taruni Sachdev died in this plane crash.

• Pakistan Successfully test-fired Hatf III Ghaznavi Missile.

• 50 People killed in a Superjet 100 Aircraft Crash in Russia.

(All of nearly 50 people on board were killed in a Superjet 100 aircraft crash about 40 miles (64 km) south of Jakarta on 9 May 2012. The Superjet 100 aircraft, Russia's first all-new passenger jet since the fall of the Soviet Union went missing on 9 May 2012.

The flight was carrying Indonesian businessmen, eight Russians, including embassy officials, pilots and technicians, and journalists. Indonesia's Sky Aviation inked a deal in August 2011 with Sukhoi to buy 12 of the Sukhoi Superjet 100s. The Superjet 100, was on its promotional trip when it got crashed.)

• 40 People died in Bomb Explosion in the Capital City of Syria.

(40 people killed and scores others left injured in two powerful bomb blasts in Damascus on 10 May 2012. The blast prompted UN observer chief to appeal for help to finish off the violence in Syria. According to The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, 50 people including civilians and security forces members died in the attack. The target of the attack was an intelligence services base.

The opposition Syrian National Council accused President Bashar al-Assad’s government of being involved in the twin bombings, which were among the deadliest attacks in the country's 14-month uprising.

This was the second attack within a period of two days. Earlier on 9 May 2012 a roadside bomb exploded near the convoy of UN observers into the southern flashpoint city of Daraa. There have been numerous bomb explosions in Damascus over the past few months as Assad faces aviolent protest against his regime which his forces are attempting to crush.

Suicide bombers had targeted two security service bases in Damascus on 23 December 2011, killing 44 people. The government had blamed Al Qaida for the attack.)

• Indian Athletes bagged Four Gold, One Silver and Four Bronze Medals at Asian Grand Prix.

Sajeesh Joseph bagged gold in the men's 800m in 1:47.78

MR Poovama clinched the women's 400m in 52.94.

(The men's 4X400m relay team of Joseph Abraham, Jitin Paul, Shake Mortaza and MP Kunhu pocketed gold in 3:08.00 while the women team of Saraswati Chand, Debashree Majumdar, Ratandeep Kaur and Poovama also did the same. 

Sahana Kumari got India a silver in women's high jump. Renjith Maheshwary got bronze in men's 4X100m relay, Sinimol Pualose pocketed bronze in triple jump women's 800m. Ghamanada Ram won bronze in men’s 800m)

• Endre Szemeredi won the prestigious Abel Prize, equivalent to Noble Prize, for the year 2012.

(The Abel Prize is an international prize presented annually by the King of Norway to one or more outstanding mathematicians. The prize is named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel (1802–1829). It has often been described as the "mathematician's Nobel prize", and is among the most prestigious awards in mathematics. It comes with a monetary award of six million kroner, which is approx. 1.06 million US dollars.)

• An Armadillo will be the mascot for the 2014 Football World Cup in Brazil.

• Lt. Gen. Bikram Singh has been appointed new army Chief of India.

• Zaheerul Islam has been appointed new Chief of Pak ISI.

• Francois Hollande defeated Nicholas Sarkozy to become 24th French President.

(The Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande defeated the Union for a Popular Movement leader and incumbent president Nicholas Sarkozy to become the 24th French President .)

• Vladimir Putin sworn in as the President of Russia.

• Miss India World Vinya Mishra awarded with Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award.

(Yesteryear actress Sushma Seth and Miss India World Vinya Mishra were awarded with Kalpana Chawla excellence award on 6 May 2012 at Mavlankar Auditorium, New Delhi. The other awardees included Padmabhushan kuchipudi and bharatnatyam dancer Swapnasundari, IPS Officer Shalini Singh, who had won the police medal for meritorious service in 2012 and jewellery designer Puneeta Trikha.

The award instituted by PECOBA (Punjab Engineering College Chandigarh Old Boys Association was conferred by late astronaut's father Banarsi Lal Chawla Chawla. The awards are being given every year in the memory of Kalpana, who died in Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on 1 February 2003.)

• Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was elected as Chair of ADB's Board of Governors.

(Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on 4 May 2012 was elected as Chair of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Board of Governors. India will host the 46th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in New Delhi in 2013.)

• 24 people killed and scores injured in the Suicide Blast in Pakistan.

(A teenage suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Bajaur on 4 May 2012. The suicide bomber aged 14 to 16, detonated explosives strapped to his chest killing at least 24 people and leaving several others injured.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility of the blast, saying it had wanted to kill the local chief and deputy of a tribal police force recruited by the government to help defeat the Islamist insurgency in the northwest.)

• 59th National Film Awards(2012) were announced on 3rd may at new delhi.

Best Feature Film: Deool(marathi) and Pyaari

Best Actor: Girish Kulkarni for Deool
Best Director: Gurvinder singh

Best Actress: Vidya Balan, The Dirty Picture

Best Hindi Film: I Am

Best Choreography: Bosco-Caeser for Senorita from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Best Children’s Film: Chillar Party

• Justice Bhandari elected to International Court of Justice (ICJ)

(India's nominee Justice Dalveer Bhandari of the Supreme Court was on Friday elected to the post of Judge of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the elections held in New York, United States. )

• President Pratibha Patil re-appointed Goolam E. Vahanvati Attorney-General for Two Year Term.

(Goolam E. Vahanvati is the first Muslim to hold the top law officer's post in the past six decades. He represented the government in such important matters as B.P. Singhal (the scope of doctrine of pleasure with respect to removal of Governors); the appointment of the Central Vigilance Commissioner, Lafarge (illegal mining); illegal mining in Karnataka; Right to Education; and the row over the date of birth of the Chief of the Army Staff.)

• Aditya Mehta defeated Pankaj Advani to clinch the 28th Asian snooker title.

• Prime Minister inaugurate Guru Gobind Singh Refinery petro-chemical plant in Bathinda.

(Prime Minister inaugurate $4b Guru Gobind Singh Refinery petro-chemical plant in Bathinda. The refinery is built by a joint venture of state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and steel czar Lakshmi N. Mittal's investment firm.

HPCL Mittal Energy Ltd, a joint venture of Mittal’s Mittal Energy Investments and state-owned Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) was built in 42 months. HPCL and Mittal Energy Investment Pte Ltd, Singapore — a Lakshmi Mittal Group company, hold 49 per cent stake each in HEML, while 2 per cent is held by financial institutions.)

• The Central government has appointed new Governor for 5 states.  B V Wanchoo as the new governor of Goa, Margaret Alva as the new governor of Rajasthan, Aziz Qureshi as the new governor of Uttarakhand , E S L Narasimhan  as the new governor of Andhra Pradesh and K Sankaranarayanan as the new governor of Maharashtra .

• Former BJP President Bangaru Laxman has been convicted for accepting bribe of Rs 1 lakh in 2001 by a Delhi court..

(That was revealed by a sting operation which had sent a shock wave during the tenure of NDA government and led to resignation of Defense Minister Fernandez. Bangaru Laxman has also been sentenced with a 4-year jail term after his conviction.)

• Delhi's metro services get green feeder vehicles.

(Feeder service:Eco Friendly Metro Feeder Service G-Rik that was flagged off by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit at her residence in New Delhi on Friday. The battery-powered and pollution-free vehicles were inducted into the transport system in the city to provide commuters feeder services from the Metro stations)

• Navy inducts stealth frigate INS Teg.

(The Indian Navy on Friday added more teeth to its war fighting capabilities with the induction of guided missile stealth frigate INS Teg to its inventory. An advanced version of the Talwar-class frigates which are already in service with it, Teg was commissioned by Vice-Admiral K. N. Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command, at a ceremony at the Yantar Shipyard at Kaliningrad, Russia).

• Sachin, Rekha nominated to Rajya Sabha.

(Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and bollywood diva Rekha were among four eminent persons who have been nominated to Rajya Sabha by the UPA Government.

Article 80 of the Constitution provides for nomination of persons having special knowledge or practical experience in matters such as literature, science, art and social service)

• Pakistan Successfully test-fired Upgraded Version of Shaheen-1 Missile.

(1.Pakistan successfully launched an upgraded ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead Wednesday, days after its neighbor and archenemy India conducted its own missile test agni V, the Pakistani military said. 

2.The Hatf IV Shaheen-1A missile was fired into the sea, the military said in a written statement. It was described as an intermediate-range missile having a longer range than its predecessor, the Shaheen-1, which is believed to fly up to 750 kilometers (465 miles). )

• Maoists released Orissa MLA Jhina Hikaka from Captive.

(1.Maoists released Orissa MLA Jhina Hikaka on 26 April 2012, after keeping him in captivity for more than 30 days. Hikaka, who was abducted by the Maoists in the wee hours of 24 March 2012 was handed over to lawyer Nihar Ranjan Patnaik at Balipeta village in Narayanpatna forests.

2.The Maoists had also abducted two Italian tourists Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo who were released subsequently by them following a talk between the Maoist leaders and the government appointed interlocutors. Colangelo was released on 25 March 2012 while Bosusco was freed on 12 April 2012.)

• Abhishek Manu Singhvi resigned as Congress Spokesperson.

(Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the spokesperson of the ruling Congress Party, tendered his resignation on 23 April 2012. Singhvi also resigned from a powerful parliamentary law committee that he headed).

• 120 People killed in the Plane Crash in Pakistan.

(A passenger aeroplane crash near Islamabad in Pakistan on 20 April 2012, left more than 100 people dead. The tragic incident occurred while the airliner was attempting to land during a thunderstorm).

• The 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography went to Agence France-Presse photographer Massoud Hossaini.

(The 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography went to Agence France-Presse photographer Massoud Hossaini for his heartbreaking image of a 12-year-old Afghan girl, Tarana Akbari, surrounded by dead bodies after a suicide bomber’s attack at a crowded shrine in Kabul).

• India Successfully test-fired Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni-V.

(India on 19 April 2012 successfully test-fired its maiden nuclear-tipped inter-continental ballistic missile ( ICBM) Agni-V. The missile successfully struck its target ranging more than 5000 kms away from its launching point. It was test-fired from a mobile launcher at the Wheeler Island off the Orissa coast in the bay of Bengal.The missile reached an altitude of 600 km and attained velocity of 7000m/second. With the successful launch of Agni-V, India has entered into an elite group of nations (USA, Russia, China, UK and France) which has such technology.)

• RITSAT-1 to launch on april 20,2012 .

          (Radar Imaging Satellite , that can take images in cloudy conditions)

• Joy Mukherjee the veteran actor of Bollywood, who starred in several hit films as ‘Love in Shimla’,’ Phir Wohi Dil Hoon’, died on March 9, 2012.

• Bharti Airtel offers 4G service in India.

(Bharti Airtel on 10th april become the first company in India to offer high-speed Internet services using fourth-generation (4G) telecommunications technology.The company said high-speed wireless broadband "has the potential to transform India" and to provide a platform for "building the country's digital economy.")

• Veteran Litterateur, Freedom Fighter and Former Minister Nityananda Mohapatra died.

(Nityananda Mohapatra (17 July 1912 – 17 April 2012) was an Indian Oriya politician, poet and journalist.)

• The Indian Navy formally inducted the nuclear-powered submarine ‘INS Chakra’

(The Indian Navy formally inducted the nuclear-powered submarine ‘INS Chakra’ into its fleet today. The INS Chakra was commissioned at a ceremony in Visakhaptnam. The historic event reflected the high level of cooperation and strategic partnership between India and Russia.)

• Dalai Lama successor is harverd educated Lobsang Sangay.

• K.Venkatram would be the M.D. and C.E.O. of L&T from april 1 after A.M. Naik

• Joe Frazier died in 2011 and was the first boxer to defeat Mohammed Ali in 1971.

• Jeck Welch is the "manager of the century" and chairman of general electric.

• Rahul Bhattacharya's debut novel "The sly company of people who care" has won the hindu literary prize for best fiction 2011.

• India will host in the year 2013, foreign ministers meet of ASEM(Asia European Meeting)

• Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgents have demanded in negotiations with the U.S. that prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay be transferred to QATAR.

• Syrian  country’s President  Bashar-Al-Azad  has offered an amnesty to citizens who have taken up arms against his rule and has dragged the country to the point of outright war.

• APJ Abdul Kalam launched the interactive science education project, ‘Sastrayaan,’ for school children recently.

• Senior architect Ar Mohammed Aun received a "Glory of India Award & Certificate of Excellence" at a glittering ceremony and banquet at Dubai (UAE)

(The award is given annually to individuals working across the globe in different areas in recognition of their sterling merit and exceptional contributions to their respective professions).

• The train travelling the longest distance in India, Vivek Express, connects  Dibrugarh-Kanya kumari.

• Mumbai Police is planning to introduce an initiative called ‘Response 10,’ a step to tackle the rising terror threat in the city. The initiative involves training the police personnel to do operations at the site of a terror attack till the specialized forces take over.

• "Sanchi" monument became the first blind-friendly world heritage site in India.

•  Youngest ever Microsoft Certified Professional who died recently at the age of 16 is Arfa Karim Randhawa.

• Kiro Gligorov  the former Macedoninan President who passed away recently.

• Pakistan has recently joined UNSC as a non-permanent member.

• QFI’s – Qualified foreign investors are now allowed to invest in Indian stock market directly.

(5% and 10% of share can a QFI company and QFI’s put together hold a stake in Indian companies.)

• India and Pakistan have strengthened business ties to start trading electricity and petroleum products.

• Luke Donald  has been named male player of the year by Golf writers Association of America.

•  Literary Festival 2012 is scheduled to be held in Jaipur.

• Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been considered for first Gates Vaccine Innovation Award.

(The Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation has accepted the proposal for conferring the Gates Innovation Award to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the first Gates Vaccine Innovation Award.)

• Scott Thompson has been named as CEO of Yahoo.

• Vivek.K.Marla has been appointed as Senior Vice President in India by CIBER.

(CIBER is a global information technology consulting, services and outsourcing company with commercial and government clients. Services include application development and management, ERP implementation, change management, project management, systems integration, infrastructure management and end-user computing, as well as strategic business and technology consulting.)

• The national and international theater festival, the Bharat Rang Mahotsav was held in National School of Drama, Amritsar.

(Bharat Rang Mahotsav (भारत रंग महोत्सव) (BRM), or the National Theatre Festival, established in 1999, is the annual theatre festival of National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi, India's premier theatre training institute of Govt. of India. Originally founded to show case, works of Indian theatre practitioners, over the year it has grown to attract international performers as well.)

• ISRO bags Rs 100 crore deal to launch French satellite .

• Pantaloons Femina Miss India (PFMI) 2012 is Vanya Mishra.