Topics to be covered from Hindu Paper dated on Thursday January 7^th 2013     

Topic	Page No.
From Tarn Taran to Tbilisi, in search of a farming paradise	1
Why a national water framework law	8
An election deal is the only way	8
Where buying a motorcycle can spark a riot	9
Philanthropist extraordinaire	11
Was Vivekananda a turning point in modern history of India and world?	11
Worrying members compound problems	14
China not yet buying the world	14
Need to align bilateral investment treaty regime with global reality	14
Work to begin in Ladakh on world’s solar telescope	18

Topics to be covered from Hindu Paper dated on Thursday January 8^th 2013     

Topic	Page No.
Kidney trade reaps grim harvest	1
Swaminathan: Science can lead to evergreen revolution in agriculture	9
Cervical cancer drug trials risky, says plea in court	9
Burying democracy in human waste	10
Return of the marines	10
An overdraft for a ‘special case’	11
Syria, bilateral ties on agenda as top Chinese diplomat heads to India	13
Prime Minister for phased rationalisation of fuel prices	15
‘Cut lock-in period for tax saving deposits’	15
RBI revises CDS norms for corporate bonds	15

Questions

1.Match the following:

Places State

1.Vypin Island                  A.Andhra Pradesh

2.Velankanni Beach        B.Tamil Nadu

3.Central Leather            C.Kerala

Research Institute

4.National Geophysical   D.Kerala

Research Institute

                                         E.TamilNadhu

Code:

     1234

(a)CEAB

(b)BADC

(c)CBEA

(d)ABDC

2.Consider the following statements and choose the correct option:

1.The National Flag of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on July 22, 1948.

2.National Anthem was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of Indian National Congress.

3.National songs was composed in Bengali by BankimchandraChatterji and was source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom.

4.The national calendar based on the Saka Era was adopted from 22 March 1957 and the Gregorian Calender was adopted from January 26, 1958.

Code:

(a)1 and 2(b)Only 2 

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

3.Consider the following statements and choose the correct option:

1.Bharatnatyam is one of the oldest of the Classical dance forms and its origin can be traced to Bharatha'sNatyaShastra.

2.The stories or attakattas which are depicted via Kathakali are selected from epics and mythologies.

3.Jatra belongs to Bengal,Khayal belongs to Uttar Pradesh while Bhavai is from Gujarat.

4.Mohiniyattam dance from belongs to the Devadasi dance heritage.

Code:

(a)1, 2 and 3(b)1, 3 and 4

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

4.Consider the following statements and choose the correct option:

1.SarvaShikshaAbhiyan aims at achievement of Universalisation of Elementary Education in a time bound manner, as mandated by 88th Amendment to the constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right.

2.Mid-day-Meal Scheme provides a meal of 450 calories and 12 gram of protein at the primary stage.

3.PradhanMantri Gram SadakYojana was launched on December 25, 2000 to provide all weather Connectivity to all eligible unconnected habitations in the rural areas.

4.ICDS launched on 2 Oct., 1995 is one of the world's largest programmes for early childhood development.

Code:

(a)1, 2 and 3(b)2, 3 and 4

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

5.Match the following:

ProgrammeCentre-state Share

1.Mid-day-mealA.100

2.Integrated Child DevelopmentB.50:50

Scheme

3.RashtriyaKrishiVikasYoajanC.90:10

(RKVY)

4.Rajiv Gandhi GraminD.75:25

VidyutikaranYoajana (RGGVY)

Code:

    1234

(a)DBAC

(b)BACD

(c)DCBA

(d)BDCA

 

Topics to be covered from Hindu Paper dated on Thursday January 4^th 2013     

Topic	Page No.
Conquering the fear of the setting sun	12
The rediscovery of protest	13

Topics to be covered from Hindu Paper dated on Thursday January 5^th 2013     

Topic	Page No.
Making compuses safer	10
Non state actors who bring nations closer	10
From Oxford to Hyderabad	11
To the woman warrior I did not know	11

India scales down Mars Mission

India’s bid to explore Mars will be a scaled down affair with the space agency flying experimental payload of less than 15 kg as against 25kg planned originally.

The Mars Orbiter Mission, expected to be launched in mid-October this year, will carry five experimental payloads with a total weight of 14.49 kg.

At a presentation made by planetary scientists at the 100th Indian Science Congress in Kolkata, it was revealed that the Methane Sensor for Mars, which will be capable of scanning the entire Martian disc within six minutes, will weigh 3.59 kg.

Earlier missions to Mars had detected Methane in the thin Martian atmosphere, but the discovery is yet to be corroborated.

Methane is known to be released by some microbes as part of their digestive process.

The Mars mission will propel India to the elite club of five nations comprising the U.S., Russia, Europe, China and Japan which have launched similar missions.

Another instrument —Thermal Infrared Spectrometer — weighing 4 kg will be used to map the surface composition of Mars. The Mars Colour Camera has a mass of 1.4 kg, while the Lyman-alpha photometer, weighing 1.5 kg would measure atomic hydrogen in the Martian atmosphere.

The Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA) which would study the Martian atmosphere weighs about 4 kg.

All the payloads together weigh 14.49 kg.

The Mars Orbiter will go around the planet once in three days, its nearest point being only 371 km from the planet’s surface and the farthest point about 80,000 km away.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the Mars Orbiter Mission in his Independence Day address in 2012.

Work on the Mars Orbiter Mission is going on full steam and equipments for the five experiments planned during the mission are expected to be delivered to ISRO in March.

ISRO’s trusted warhorse rocket PSLV-XL is expected to launch the mission some time in October from the spaceport Sriharikota which will first keep orbiting the Earth, achieving the necessary velocity to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull.

As per existing plans, the satellite is expected to exit the Earth’s orbit on November 26 and embark on the journey to Mars which is expected to last for around 300 days.

The scientists have drawn up plans to insert the satellite in an orbit around Mars on September 22, 2014.

A key challenge before the scientists is navigating the spacecraft from the Earth to Mars in deep space using the Deep Space Network at Baylalu on the outskirts of Bangalore.

Another challenge would be to re-activate the temporary inactive sub-systems of the spacecraft once it reaches Mars after a 10-month journey through deep space.

The liquid rocket engine, capable of generating a 440 Newton thrust, would be required to steer the spacecraft into the Martian orbit.

The spacecraft, with a 1350 kg liftoff mass, will have a single solar array with three panels of 1400 x 1800 mm capable of generating 750 watts of power in the Martian orbit.

It will also be equipped with a 36 AH Lithium-ion battery for power storage.  

 

Questions

1.Consider the following statement regarding India and South Korea and Choose the correct option.

1.India-Rok Joint Commission (JCM) is co- chaired by Foreign Minister and External Affairs Minister of the two countries. 

2.Bilateral trade had increased by around 70% since January 1, 2009, when CEPA between two countries was implemented.

3.The bilateral trade between these two countries crossed US$20 billion in 2011 and new bilateral trade target is of $50 billion by 2015.

4.An Indian Cultural centre was opened in Seoul in July 2011.

Code:

(a)1, 2 and 3(b)2, 3 and 4

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

2.Woori Bank has recently opened its first Indian Branch in Chennai. To which of the following countries this bank belongs:

(a)Japan(b)Singapore

(c)South Korea(d)Taiwan

3.Who, of the following Indians, is/are includes in the Time Magazine's 100 most influential people 2012 list:

1.Sonia Gandhi2.ArvindKejriwal

3.MamtaBanerjee4.AnjaliGopalan

Code:

(a)1, 2 and 3(b)2 and 4

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

4.Consider the following statement regarding Kerala and choose the correct answer:

1.Kerala borders with the state of Tamil Nadu on the South and west, Karnataka on the north and Arabian coast line on the south west.

2.There is high temperature throughout the year coupled with heavy rainfall during the winter months and relatively dry summer months.

3.Kerala's share in national production of coffee is 91% and rubber is 22%.

4.Sasthamkotta, Vembanad, Ashtamudi are important lakes of Kerala.

Code:

(a)1 and 4(b)2 and 4

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

5.Regarding Tamil Nadu, which of the following statements are correct:

1.Vellore, Tiruvalur and Nilgiri districts form boundaries with Andhra Pradesh.

2.Thanjavur is called the granary of Tamil Nadu

3.There are two atomic Power plants in Tamil Nadu at  Kalapakkam and Koodankulam.

4.Mudumalai, Pakhal and Pulicat wildlife sanctuaries are located in Tamil Nadu.

Code:

(a)1, 2 and 3(b)2, 3 and 4

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