2. Dry round 1
• 18 questions.
• Bounce with infinite pounce.
• No negatives.
• +10 for correct answer for bounce
• +15/-10 for pounce
3. 1
• There is a place named CVR Puram(earlier
Arayoor) near Neyyattinkara in Kerala. It is
named so because a brilliant writer’s maternal
home was located there. He was also a
renowned administrator and a diplomat.
• His magnum opus inspired many movies, the
earliest of which was shot in 1933. Id this
person whose second wife was a distant
relative of Raja Ravi Varma.
6. 2
• This city is founded by Major James X, who was
the Deputy Commissioner of Hazara region
during 1849-53 after the annexation of Punjab.
He was very fond of this place and is noted for
having written a poem whose title is same as the
name of the city. In the poem, he wrote of his
fondness for the town and his sadness at having
to leave it. A plaque commemorating his poem is
displayed at Lady Garden Park within the city.
• Identify this city which was very much in the
news recently.
9. 3
• X was an English clergyman and politician who sat in
the House of Commons from 1640 to 1648. In his will,
he bequeathed his collection of 4000 books to the
University library of Cambridge along with enough land
which yields £100 for a professorship in Cambridge
University. One of the stipulations in the will was that
the holder of the professorship should not be active in
the church.
• What title, named after X is bestowed on the
Professors who chairs the position? Isaac Newton, Paul
Dirac, Charles Babbage and Stephen Hawking are some
of the great names who occupied the position. The
present one is Michael Green, the theoretical physicist.
15. 5
• One of the first Western visitors to this temple was António da
Madalena, a Portuguese monk, in 1586, said that it "is of such
extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with
a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It
has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the
human genius can conceive of.“
• In 1860, the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, while
searching for rare orchids in the region, came across the structure
and reported-"One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon,
and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an
honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander
than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad
contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now
plunged.“ He played a major role in popularizing the structure in
the West.
• Which UNESCO WHS am I talking about?
17. 6
• Which martial art(translated to Chinese as
‘martial arts’ itself) was introduced as a
competition sport in 2010 Guangzhou Asian
Games?
• Jet Li was the National Champion of this sport
for 5 consecutive times.
20. 7
• X is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae,
native to Asia, common worldwide as house plants. They
are grown for their ability to survive neglect and very shady
conditions, indoors and out. X was immune to the effects of
gas used for lighting in the Victorian era (other plants and
flowers withered or yellowed), which might account for its
popularity.
• X also features in the title of a 1936 George Orwell novel, a
socially critical satire. In the novel, the protagonist Gordon
Comstock keeps X on his windowsill- a plant he abhors as
the banner of the sort of "mingy, lower-middle-class
decency" from which he is fleeing in his downward flight.
23. 8
X is a tantric figure representing a female embodiment of enlightened
energy.
• X occur most notably in Vajrayana Buddhism and play a particular
role in Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan name for X, Khandroma
means a ‘sky walker’ or ‘sky dancer’. They are classified as Secret,
Inner, Outer and outer-outer.
• In Hinduism, X has negative associations. She is one of the wives of
Tripurasura and is one of wrathful figures from whom one should
face challenges while becoming a Mahasiddha.
• The X imagery appears to have come to Japan via Kukai's
introduction of tantric Buddhism in the Shingon school in the early
9th century. In Japan, X appears in the form of riding a white fox.
What is X?
25. 9
• This is a cult Malayalam movie of 1974. Written by Thoppil
Bhasi based on a popular novel of the same name by
Pamman, the movie was directed by K.S.Sethumadhavan. The
movie was remade last year by Santosh Sethumadhavan into
poor reviews. Id the movie.
• The person who played the role of Sasi Warrier(protagonist) in
the original movie was the first South Indian to graduate from
the Film and Television Institute, Pune. A movie directed by
him, based on the life of child-widows in Brahmin
communities, was released last year. In The film, which was
well received by critics upon its screening at various film
festivals, won two National Film Awards and two Kerala State
Film Awards along with other laurels and accolades.
Id the movie and the director.
28. 10
• Ludolph van Ceulen was a German-Dutch
mathematician. He was the first Professor of
mathematics in Leiden University. He
dedicated a major part of his life for
calculating the numerical value of this
constant. In Germany, it is called Ludolphian
number. It is engraved on his tombstone upto
35 digits. What number am I talking about?
34. Kohima War Memorial
• 1420 soldiers, Indian and British, who were
killed in the Kohima war in 1944, were
cremated here.
35. 12
• It is often claimed that the phrase's etymological origin lies in a law
that limited the maximum thickness of a stick with which it was
permissible for a man to beat his wife. In 1782, James Gillray
published a satirical cartoon which lambastes Sir Francis Buller, a
British judge, for allegedly ruling that a man may legally beat his
wife, provided that he used a stick no thicker than ‘X’. Many such
doctrines were reported from some American states.
• In 1976, feminist Del Martin used the phrase as a metaphorical
reference to describe such a doctrine. She was misinterpreted by
many as claiming the doctrine as a direct origin of the phrase. The
connection gained currency in 1982, when the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights issued a report on wife abuse which is named after this
phrase.
• Which is this commonly used phrase ?
38. 13
Identify X and Y
• The people in Y’s(in the
pic)list were X, Johnny
Carson, Elizabeth Taylor,
George C. Scott, and
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
Finally he zeroed in on X.
The reason for choosing X,
as said by Y is that – ”He
was more accessible to
me… If X was less famous
than three or four other
people on the list, he would
not have been shot..”
40. • X- John Lennon
• Y- Mark David Chapman, who murdered
Lennon in 1981.
41. 14
Who is the author??
This day designing God
Hath put into my hand
A wondrous thing. And God
Be praised. At his command
I have found thy secret deed.
Oh! million murdering Death, I know that this little thing
A million men will save
Oh death where is thy sting? Thy victory oh grave?
44. 15
• This city is the capital of Baden-Württemberg
in southern Germany. The name loosely
translates to English as ‘Garden of Horses’ The
coat of arms of this city features a black
galloping horse in a yellow background.
• The city has got industrial reputation as ‘cradle
of automobiles’. The Mercedes-Benz museum
and the Porsche museum are the city’s high
profile attractions.(images)
48. 16
• Started in 1887 as Muir Central College, this
now has a status of Central University and is
the 4th oldest university in India. At one point
of time it was known as ‘Oxford of the East’.
The alumni include Motilal Nehru, Gulzarilal
Nanda, V P Singh, Chandrasekhar, Sankar
Dayal Sharma, Surya Bahadur Thapa(former
Nepal PM) and Harivansh Rai Bachhan, to
mention a few. Which university am I talking
about?
51. 17
• The tradition was started by King George V in
1932. The idea for this was proposed by the
"founding father" of the British Broadcasting
Corporation (BBC), Sir John Reith, as a way to
inaugurate the Empire Service (now the World
Service). The first message started with the
lines-"I speak now from my home and from
my heart to you all“- originally texted by Sir
Rudyard Kipling. What tradition?
57. • Will.i.am’s ‘Reach for the stars’ was the first music album
which was broadcasted from another planet(from Curiosity
Mars rover), completing a journey of more than 300 million
km’s between Earth and Mars.
72. 1
• Ezhai padum padu(Song by the poor) directed
by K.Ramnoth in 1950 was released at the
same time in Tamil and Telugu. It is primary
Indian movie adaptation of a Western literary
classic. Which work?
79. 3
The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, in
2008, tried to sue a wealthy film producer
named Ahsanulla Moni for ‘Copyright
infringement’. Ahsanulla Moni came up with the
idea after his visit to the ‘original’ in 1980. In
support of his project, he remarked- "Everyone
dreams about seeing the X but very few
Bangladeshis can make it because it's too
expensive for them.“ What did he try to
recreate?
82. 4
• There is a landmark erected at the port town of
Barranquilla- a 15 feet, 6 ton statue of a
renowned personality who hails from this town.
• She is the founder of a charity organisation Pies
Descalzos (Spanish for "bare feet") which sets up
schools for poor children in. She was also invited
to the Oval Office by President Barack Obama in
February 2010 to discuss early childhood
development.
85. 5
• The person is the first national award winner
for the best music director for the movie
“Kanthan Karunai” in 1969. Id the person who
is more popular for his classical songs in a
1980 movie which achieved cult status.
88. 6
• A White-collar job refers to professional,
managerial, or administrative work. A blue-
collar job is one which requires manual labour.
• If so, what is a steel collar job?
91. 7
• Jayavijayas were the doorkeepers of Vaikunta. When the four sage
Kumaras (Sanaka, Sanatana, Sananthana and Sanalkumara) came to visit
Lord Vishnu, Jayavijayas intercepted them thinking them to be children.
They told the Kumaras that Lord Vishnu was resting and that they could
not see him then. The enraged Kumaras replied Jaya and Vijaya that
Vishnu is available for his devotees any time, and cursed both the keepers
Jaya and Vijaya, that they would have to give up their divinity, be born as
mortals on Earth and live like normal human beings. Vishnu appeared
before them, and the gatekeepers requested Vishnu to lift the curse.
Vishnu said that the curse of the Kumaras could not be reversed. Instead,
he gave Jaya and Vijaya two options. The first option was to take seven
births on Earth as devotees of Vishnu, while the second was to take three
births as his enemies. After serving either of these sentences, they could
re-attain their stature at Vaikuntha and be with him permanently.
Incapable of staying away from the Lord for 7 long births, they chose the
second option.
• What embodiments did they take in their three subsequent births?
93. • Hiranyaksha-Hiranyakasipu in Krita Yuga
• Ravana-Kumbhakarna in Treta Yuga
• Sisupala-Danthavakthra in Dwapara Yuga
They were killed in all the births by different
incarnations of Vishnu.
94. 8
• He was reluctant in adding his caste name ‘Marar’ in
his school records. After his primary education, he
joined the Maharaja's Technical Institute (MTI),
Thrissur for a Diploma in Design and Drawing. Although
he earned the Diploma with a Gold Medal, he did not
take up painting as a profession, instead turned his
attention completely towards political issues.
• As an artist, he recalls in his biography, his paintings
were appreciated well and many of them would have
fetched a price as good as Rs. 500 per piece. Some of
his paintings were on public display recently. The pics
in the next slide shows some of his paintings from his
college days. Who am I talking about?
100. Russia’s attack on Finland
• In the famous painting Hyökkäys by Eetu Isto,
the Finnish maiden is being attacked by the
Russian eagle, which is tearing away the law
book.
101. 10
• In 1898, William Peppé, a planter, found a brick dome that
contained a sand stone box with five caskets, relics said to be that
of Buddha, and other artefacts near Piprahwa, a village in eastern
Uttar Pradesh near the Indo-Nepal border. Based on this discovery
and the location with respect to Lumbini, Piprahwa was identified
as X.
• Shortly, Nepal refuted India’s claim. In 1896, and again in 1899, a
few archaeologists identified Tilaurakot, a village in Nepal’s Terai
region as X. The presence of a large ensemble of structures and
their correlation with some Chinese pilgrims’ description supported
their claim.
• In 1971, under the initiative of K.M.Srivastava, ASI started large
scale excavations which finally supported India’s claims.
The relics found which includes four bone fragments, believed to be of
Buddha, were named after the X.
104. 11
• This is a coniferous tree of the genus Picea
which consists of almost 35 species. It was
named after Prussia. It is used for general
construction works, as tonewood for musical
instruments, and for making paper. Flyer, the
first aircraft of Wright brothers was made of
its wood. The fresh shoot of the plant is a
good source of Vitamin C.
• Which plant am I talking about?
107. 12
• Before being overtaken by Michael Phelps, he held the
record for a male athlete securing most number of
Olympics medals. He won 15 medals(7 gold, 5 silver, 3
bronze) in gymnastics in his Olympics career spanning
from 1972 to ’80. In 2001, he was inducted into the
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Between 1994
and 2002 he coached the Japan Olympic gymnastics
team.
• Ironically, once a man with the most flexible limbs, he
died in 2011 owing to degenerative neurological
disorder multiple system atrophy. He was unable to
move or talk in his final years. Id him.
110. 13
• The island was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site
in 2008, considering its great scientific value. The island
is a haven for ecologists. There is no human settlement
here. The only significant human impact is a hut used
by researchers while staying on the island. All visitors
check themselves and their belongings to ensure that
no seeds are accidentally introduced by humans to this
pristine ecosystem. Once, an improperly handled
human defecation resulted in a tomato plant taking
root which was also destroyed.
• Which island?
113. 14
• Jang Do had migrated from South Korea to US
three decades ago. To fit into the US community,
he Americanized his name.
• Here is the present situation-Airport security
grills him every time he flies. Landlords and
election inspectors view him quizzically, and
prospective dates need more than a little
assurance that he’s not hiding a dark past.
• “I say my name is X and they say, ‘No, what’s your
real name?’ and I pull out my ID,” he says.
What is his Americanized name?
116. 15
• This production house is established by Raj Kapoor.
Started in 1948, its first film, Aag had failed at the box
office. But their second venture, Barsaat was a huge
success and hence their logo was redrawn so as to
imitate the movie poster. The company had produced
many films like Awaara, Boot Polish, Jagte Raho, Shri
420, Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai, Mera Naam Joker ,
Bobby, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Prem Rog and Ram
Teri Ganga Maili. They used to preserve the costumes
used in their movies. Id the company
• Image follows
122. The only non-cricketers who delivered MCC
Spirit of Cricket Colin Cowdrey lecture.
1. Christopher Martin-Jenkins-2007
2. Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu-2008
3. Simon Taufel-2013
123. 17
This poem has got wonderful lyrics originally
penned by a German missionary, Volbrecht
Nagel in Malayalam. The poem signifies man’s
travel to God from his birth through his life.
Later this poem was used in the 1970 movie
Aranazhikaneram with some modifications
made by Vayalar Rama Varma. Identify this
extremely popular song.
130. +30/-10
• ‘X’ is the Western anchor of Himalayas and is the ninth
tallest mountain peak. An immense, dramatic peak
rising far above its surrounding terrain, is also a
notoriously difficult climb. Numerous mountaineering
deaths in the mid and early 20th century lent it the
nickname "killer mountain".
• It was first climbed, via the Rakhiot Flank on July 3,
1953 by Austrian climber Hermann Buhl
• In 1970 an attempt of Messner brothers to climb the
mountain resulted in the demise of Gunter Messner in
an avalanche fall. A 2010 movie ‘X’ by Joseph Vilsmaier
tells the story of this expedition.
133. +20/-10
• X is classified into White, Black, Indian,
Sumatran and Javan.
• Under the initiative of IUCN, the Government
of Indonesia declared 2012 as the
International year for X .
• Id X
136. (+20/-10)
• What phrase, which roots from an animal,
denote a junk sale where people could sell off
the things they don't need anymore?
• They are typically organized by non-profit
organizations such as churches and schools to
raise money for a charity cause or a special
occasion like Easter or Mothers Day. The name
stems from the type of items often sold, which
are often referred to as X.
139. (+10/-10)
• The Lester F. Larsen ‘X’ Test and Power Museum is a
museum/test lab entirely dedicated to ‘X’ at Nebraska
in US. It is devoted to preserving and documenting the
history of Nebraska's X test law (dating from 1918)
which began as a law to protect others from
irresponsible ‘X’ companies failing to keep the best
interest of the farmer in mind. The building was
declared a historical landmark by the American Society
of Agricultural Engineers in 1980 and dedicated as a
museum in 1998.It is still the only complete test
laboratory for X.
• Id X.
143. (+10/-10)
• Being a gifted surveyor, he went on for extensive
survey mission along the coast of India, Iran and
Arabia. In 1788, he set out for another survey
with two ships, Viper and Elizabeth from Calcutta
towards south. In the expedition, he discovered a
‘superb’ natural harbour in Rutland islands. He
called the place as Port Cornwallis after
Commodore William Cornwallis, Commander-in-
Chief of the British-Indian navy.
• The natural port was later known after him. Id
the person.
146. (+5)
• This iconic sculpture by Devi Prasad Roy
Chaudhury is located in Delhi. It depicts 10
people led by Gandhiji taking part in Dandi
March. In the sculpture, no one is certain
about the persons other than Gandhiji. Some
people claim that the person with the clerical
attire is Titusji, the Keralite, who was the only
Christian who took part in the March. Id the
sculpture.
