5. Which Irishman was in the business news in
India during the last days of 2012, for taking
over as head of a conglomerate that was
founded exactly a hundred years before he
was born?
6. Cyrus Mistry, who took over as Chairman of the
Tata group, succeeding Ratan Tata. Mistry's
mother and father are Irish citizens (one by
birth, the other by naturalisation); he gets his
Irish citizenship thanks to his mother. The Tata
Group began in 1868, a hundred years before
Mistry's birth in 1968.
9. X began his career in TV news broadcast with Y in
1995, where he anchored daily newscasts, and
reporting for News Tonight a programme telecast
on DD Metro. In his time with Y, he did the first
ever TV interview with Sonia Gandhi. He also
hosts a special television program Frankly
Speaking with X, which has featured eminent
personalities. He is a recipient of a number of
awards for his journalistic abilities and has also
written a book named Combating Terrorism: The
Legal Challenge.
11. Chetan Bhagat Said, “ Indian politics : Congress
orders tea, BJP has to order coffee. SP/BSP will
order based on who is paying. X will spill
whatever is ordered.”
ID X?
15. Which octothorpe-laden labelling system, that
originated in early social media systems such
as IRC, was adjudged the American Dialect
Society's "Word of the Year" for 2012?
17. The name for this gadget from Microsoft now is
"PixelSense", replacing the name with which it
originally made waves. The old name has been
commandeered for something they launched
in 2012. What's the old name?
18. Surface. Earlier "Microsoft Surface" was the
name of the large tabletop touchscreen
computer, and now its tablet.
19. This car needs no reverse gear because it can pivot 360 degrees on its wheels. Name the car/make.
21. It is a mountain pass in the Aravalli Range
of Rajasthan in western India. It connects
Rajsamand and Pali districts, 40
kilometres from Udaipur. The name of
this very famous place is believed to have
come from the „turmeric-colored‟ yellow
soil. What place?
23. In a poll conducted by Animal Planet, it
was voted the world's favorite animal,
narrowly beating the dog. Callum
Rankine, international species officer at
the WWF conservation charity, said the
result gave him hope. “If people are
voting for them as their favorite animal,
it means they recognize their
importance, and hopefully the need to
ensure their survival,” he said.
27. In Hindu mythology they were the
community of celestial singers. They are
said to have lived in a land in the
extreme north of India in a province
which is today‟s Afghanistan. Name them?
29. Until very recently, in India, this musical
instrument was only heard in the hills and
valleys of Kashmir as an accompaniment to the
hymns of the Sufi mystics. It was referred to as
the „shata tantri veena’ in Indian musical
history and is named after a Persian word,
meaning a hundred strings. Which musical
instrument?
33. "How to Survive a Plague" is a 2012
documentary nominated for the upcoming
85th Academy Awards, and considered one of
the leading contenders to take the Best
Documentary Oscar. Directed by David
France, it chronicles the early years of the
fight against which 'plague'?
35. Mirzapur is a city in the heart
of North India, nearly 650 km
between Delhi and Kolkata
and also equidistant from
Allahabad and Varanasi. There are loads of facts
about Mirzapur one being that there is a small
clock tower in the center of the city.
Claim to fame of this city?
36. Indian Standard Time (IST) is calculated from
the clock tower in Mirzapur which is nearly
exactly on the reference longitude of Indian
Standard Time at 82.5°
37. • X came to Mumbai eight years ago from his hometown
Lucknow. However, instead of a job in singing, he
began receiving work as a lyricist!
• This multifaceted individual began his writing career
with the film Aamir and then got fame for Dev D.
• A close friend of X , Y had asked him to write a song for
a movie . However, ultimately it was Z who penned the
lyrics, while X sang the sufiana-style song along with
female playback Kavita Seth.
X, Y, Z?
38. • X Amitabha Bhattacharya
• Y Amit Trivedi
• Z Javed Akhtar
40. Posters used by Andy Dufresne to
cover up the tunnel in Shawshank
Redemption
41. • The literal translation of X is “The River of Kings”
• X covers the entire span of history in the Kashmir
region from the earliest times to the date of its
composition. Written in Sanskrit verse by the
Kashmiri Brahman Y in 1148, that is justifiably
considered to be the best and most authentic
work of its kind
• Identify X and the Y.
45. The first was held in 1810, in honor of the
Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to
Princess Therese Von Sachsen-
Hildburghausen. Upto 7 million people attend
it each year. Most of it takes place at the tents
sitting next to one another on the huge
fairgrounds. There are 14 tents in all, some of
which hold up to 10,000 people. What am I
talking about?
46.
47. Identify the tournament and Y(very specific)
• Captain – Ajay Jadeja
• Vice Captain – Anil Kumble
• Coach – Kris Srikkanth
• Manager – Chitrak Mishra
• Group Stage opponents – Australia, Canada and Y.
• Y had players like Curtly Ambrose, Richie
Richardson, Eldine Baptiste etc.
48. • Tournament – 1998 Commonwealth Games
• Y – Antigua and Barbuda, nothing else will be
accepted.
49. "We the People" is a platform that allows Americans to petition the White
House on various issues, provided there is enough support for the
petition. In December 2012, a less than serious (or so we imagine) petition
was made that eventually garnered over twenty five thousand signatures,
forcing the White House to take cognisance of it in January 2013.
The White House, declining the request in the petition, wrote:
"The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national
defense, but a ___ ___ isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons:
The construction of the ___ ___ has been estimated to cost more than
$850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not
expand it. The Administration does not support blowing up planets. Why
would we spend countless taxpayer dollars on a ___ ___ with a
fundamental flaw that can be exploited by a one-man starship?
What did the petition demand the US Government build?
50. A "Death Star", referring to the space station
from "Star Wars".
52. Aleem Dar
• Is known to practice at the nets with teams.
53. X, a monthly magazine for the African American
market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has
published continuously since the Autumn of
1945.
X cover photography has since its inception
focused on African American celebrities and
politicians, from Dorothy Dandridge and Whitney
Houston, to Michael Jackson and Barack Obama.
Advertisers have for decades created ads
specifically for the pages of X that featured black
models using their products.
55. The company was launched in 1966 by
Pierre Bellon (Chairman) in
Marseille, France, initially serving
company restaurants, schools and
hospitals under the name Societé
d'Exploitation Hotelière
The prefix of the company name was
retained, despite negative connotations
in British English
57. In 1988, Peter Shu founded ………………….. in
Taipei.
Its first products were "JetMate" laser
printer driver, for producing high quality
Chinese characters, “KeyPro" software
protection system. In 1989, it started
manufacturing memory products for laser
printers.
59. X is a confection which was first created
by Rowntree's of York, England
It is now produced worldwide by Y, which
acquired Rowntree in 1988, except in the
United States where it is made under
licence by Z
Each bar consists of fingers composed of
three layers of crème-filled
wafer, covered in an outer layer of
chocolate
Launched in 1935, X was originally known as
'Chocolate Crisp'
61. Its first product was a simple rice cooker which failed
miserably. In the early stages the company kept itself
alive by selling heating pads. These pads were made by
stitching wires on cloth. It derived its name from a
railway company. It is a Japanese multinational
conglomerate corporation headquartered in Konan
Minato, Tokyo, Japan and ranked 87th on the 2012 list
of Fortune Global 500. It is one of the leading
manufacturers of electronics products for the
consumer and professional markets. Its founders Akio
Morita and Masaru Ibuka derived the name from
_____, the Latin word for sound.
What?
63. The ones from Delhi are surfers, the UP
fellows use wands, the Punjab fellows are
fighters, the chaps from Mumbai are into
conjuring, and the Ranchi boys are just one-
nosed and thick-skinned.
What is all this?
64. Teams in the Hockey India League: Delhi Wave
Riders, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, Punjab
Warriors, Mumbai Magicians, and Ranchi
Rhinos.
65. If 2010 featured a pain-killer from a Kolkata
company and consisting of 16% Menthol and
10% Oil of Gaultheria, 2012 features a resin-
based adhesive that is almost synonymous
with its product category.
What are we talking of?
67. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is the first
installment of three movies on J.R.R. Tolkien's
"The Hobbit" book. The movie, which released in
December 2012, has been receiving some
unusual criticism: some people claim that
watching the movie can induce nausea.
This is being attributed to the way the film has been
shot (and not just because of it being available in
3D), in order to increase clarity and make motion
smoother and sharper. So, cinematographically
speaking, what's different about this film?
68. It is shot at 48 frames per second, rather than
the usual 24 frames per second.
69. These are the initials of the ten most recent
members of which list? (that usually sees a
high rate of attrition):
CR, JM, AG, LFS, RW, GH, CA, X, Y, RB
70. X AV-B
Y RDM
Managers of English Premier League football
team Chelsea FC, who have seen ten
managers in the Roman Abramovich decade.
71. What is this list about? (something that will come
into effect on 26th January, 2013)
Aravali
Botad
Chhota Udepur
Dwarka
Gir-Somnath
Mahisagar
Morbi
72. These are new proposed districts in Gujarat.
Critics say this is meant to help the ruling BJP
politically.
73. He hasn't been seen for the last couple of times,
but he's back again. In 2012, this quartermaster is
played by Ben Whishaw. He was first essayed by
Peter Burton; his successor Desmond Llewelyn
has played the role the most number of times.
John Cleese took on the mantle a couple of times,
before the hiatus began, which has ended with
Whishaw.
Which role?
74. Q. The character was missing from "Casino
Royale" and "Quantum of Solace".
75. In the film "Heroine", it was by Kareena Kapoor. In
"Gangs of Wasseypur", by Manoj Bajpai. For most
films, it was by one of the lead actors. Since
September 2012, all films that meet a certain
criterion need to have this, if they are to obtain
certification from the the Central Board of Film
Certification.
Filmmakers seem to prefer this, rather than a
scrolling ticker in the middle of their films. What
is this new addition to Indian films?
76. Films (those who have scenes showing smoking)
must now carry a anti-smoking message
before the film begins, and just after it
resumes after the interval. This must be a
voiceover by one of the lead actors of the film.
77. The editor M.S.Shinde (who passed away in 2012) is
perhaps best known to quizzers for being the only
member of the "Sholay" crew to win a Filmfare Award
(for the year 1975). That year, the big awards for Best
Film, Best Director, and Best Story went to another
film.
Incidentally, the director of that film also has a film
release in 2012 - which, ironically, shares its name with
something to do with "Sholay". Which was the 1975
film and director?
78. "Deewar", by Yash Chopra. His latest film "Jab
Tak Hai Jaan" shares its name from the
climactic song from "Sholay".
79. What Are These?
Adi Parva
Sabha Parva
Vana Parva
Virata Parva
Udyoga Parva
______ Parva
______ Parva
______ Parva
Shalya Parva
Sauptika Parva
Stree Parva
Shanti Parva
Anushasan Parva
Ashvamedhika Parva
Ashramavasika Parva
Mausala Parva
Mahaprasthanika Parva
Svargarohana Parva
81. In U-19 World Cup, X scored three half centuries,
including a 90 scored off only 38 balls. X was then
awarded a Border-Gavaskar scholarship to train
at the Australian Cricket Academy and in early
2005, he made his first-class limited overs debut,
and scored 645 runs that season at an average of
53.75. An article by X was featured in the 2012
book Rahul Dravid: Timeless Steel, He is the only
Indian player to have scored a century in all
formats of international cricket.
119. This video game is another offering by Rovio in
the "Angry Birds" game series, and released in
September 2012. With segments such as
"Ground Hog Day" and "Flight in the Night",
the objective is to help make a transport
system for the erstwhile villains-turned-
protagonists.
Which puzzle-oriented game is this?
121. X dos Santos Aveiro, began his career as a youth
player for Andorinha, where he played for two
years, before moving to C.D. Nacional. X was the
first player to win all four main PFA and FWA
awards, doing so in 2007. In October 2012, he
became the first sportsperson to reach 50 million
followers on Facebook. X’s autobiography, titled
Moments, was published in December 2007.On 9
June 2010, Madame Tussauds London unveiled
X's waxwork as part of the build-up to the World
Cup. X joined fellow footballers Steven Gerrard,
Pelé and David Beckham at the event's venue.
123. An unnamed portion of this continent has been
named by the British after Queen Elizabeth II
in December 2012, to mark her Jubilee Year.
Now called "Queen Elizabeth Land", it had
been earlier referred to as Edith Ronne Land
earlier.
Significantly bigger than the United Kingdom
itself, where is this piece of land?
125. X had a 32-match winning streak in 2008, starting at the 2008 Masters
Series Hamburg to the 2008 Western & Southern Financial Group
Masters and Women's Open, which included titles at Hamburg, the
French Open (where he did not drop a set), Queen's Club, his first
title at Wimbledon, and the Rogers Cup. In 2012, by winning the
Monte-Carlo Masters, he became the only player to have won eight
consecutive editions in any tournament during the history of
tennis, and only the second player to win a single tournament for a
total of eight times during Open Era. X is the first male player in
tennis history to simultaneously hold Grand Slam tournament titles
on clay, grass and hardcourts. He is also the first (and only player to
date) to win three consecutive Grand Slam titles on three different
surfaces. 128036 X is a main belt asteroid discovered in 2003 at the
Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca and named after him.
127. X began her modeling career at the Lakme
Fashion Week as a model for Wendell Rodricks's
Les Vamps Show and was picked to be Rodricks's
finale model at the Spring Summer '07 Collection.
Since then she has done campaigns for Silk &
Shine, Whisper, Reliance, TVS scooty,
Nivea,Nathella Jewelry and Fiat Palio. She was
nominated for the filmfare debut award in 2009
but it eventually went to Y.
131. X, is an American film actor and producer. He
has been nominated for three Academy
Awards and has won three Golden Globe
Awards. He started his career at age 19 in the
1981 film Taps. His first leading role was in
Risky Business, released in August 1983. X
became a full-fledged movie star after starring
in Y(1986).
133. X is a global fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes
from the X family who founded the company in 1965. X is listed in
Milan. X has a network of over 6,500 stores in 120 countries. The
stores are managed by independent partners and generate a total
turnover of over 2 billion euro.The company's core business
remains their clothing lines: Y, Sisley, and Playlife Their products
include womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and underwear and
they have expanded into perfumes, stationery, eyewear and travel
bags.In 1965, Luciano X, the eldest of four children, saw a market
for colourful clothes, and sold a younger brother's bicycle in order
to buy his first second-hand knitting machine. His initial small
collection of sweaters received a positive response in local stores in
the Veneto region, and soon after he asked his sister and two
younger brothers, Gilberto and Carlo, to join him. In 1965, the
entity known as the "X Group" was formed.
136. Only 7 persons known to have the boon of
“immortality” according to Hindu Mythology.
137. The word X originates from the word pepon, which is Greek
for “large melon". The French adapted this word to
pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later
American colonists changed that to the word we use today,
"X". The origin of X is not definitively known, although they
are thought to have originated in North America. The oldest
evidence, X-related seeds dating between 7000 and 5500
BC, were found in Mexico.X are a squash-like fruit that
range in size from less than 1 pound (0.45 kilograms) to
over 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms).X is the fruit of the
species Cucurbita pepo or Cucurbita mixta. It can refer to a
specific variety of the species Cucurbita maxima or
Cucurbita moschata, which are all of the genus Cucurbita
and the family Cucurbitaceae.
139. X is a beverage made by brewing black tea with
a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs.
Originating in South Asia, the beverage has
gained worldwide popularity, becoming a
feature in many coffee and tea houses.
Although traditionally prepared by decoction,
retail versions include tea bags for infusion,
instant powdered mixtures, and concentrates.
What is X?
141. X is a traditional green tea consumed in Afghanistan, northern
Pakistan, some regions of Central Asia as well as the Kashmir Valley.
In Pakistan, it is made in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-
Baltistan regions. It is a popular breakfast tea among Kashmiri's
generally accompanied with special Kashmiri bakery items like
girda. Kashmiri Pandit migrants living in the North Indian
Plains, particularly in the urban agglomeration of Delhi, have also
contributed to the tea's popularity among non-Kashmiri Indians.
The tea is made by boiling green tea leaves with saffron
strands, cinnamon bark and cardamom pods and occasionally
Kashmiri roses to add a great aroma. Generally, it is served with
sugar or honey, and crushed nuts, usually almonds or walnuts.
Some varieties are made as a herbal infusion only, without the
green tea leaves.
143. X is the third-most popular drink overall, after water and
tea. It is thought by some to be the oldest fermented
beverage.X is produced by the saccharification of
starch and fermentation of the resulting sugar. The
starch and saccharification enzymes are often derived
from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted
barley and malted wheat. Unmalted maize and rice are
widely used adjuncts to lighten the flavour because of
their lower cost. X is flavoured with hops, which add
bitterness and act as a natural preservative, though
other flavourings such as herbs or fruit may
occasionally be included.
145. X is the family of Y smartphones. The line has
been manufactured since 2008 and currently
accounts for more than half of the company's
mobile phone sales. The name X is derived
from the word "experience". Currently twenty
one members of the product family have been
released.
147. Captain X (September 9, 1974 – July 7, 1999) was an
officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded the
Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for valour, for
his actions during the 1999 Kargil War, termed as
Operation Y, in Kashmir between India and Pakistan."In
reply to a Pakistani's taunt that they will leave Kashmir
if the Indians give them Madhuri Dixit, a popular
bollywood actress, Captain X gave him the reply, "Sorry,
Madhuri is busy!". He then shot the taunter and said "
From Madhuri,With love". In 2003 Hindi film LOC Kargil
based on the entire Kargil conflict had Abhishek
Bachchan, playing the role of Captain X.
149. Who?
2003
Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Newcomer of the Year[147]
2004
WTA Player of the Year[148]
WTA Most Improved Player of the Year[148]
2005
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player[148]
Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
Master of Sports of Russia
Prix de Citron Roland Garros[149]
2006
Named the country's best female player for the year by Russia's tennis federation
Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year[148]
2007
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player[148]
ESPY Best International Female Athlete[148]
ESPN Hottest Female Athlete
2008
Named the January 2008 female Athlete of the Month by the United States Sports Academy for her performance at the Australian Open
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player[150]
2010
WTA Fan Favorite Singles Player[148]
WTA Humanitarian Of The Year[148]
WTA Most Fashionable Player (On Court)[148]
WTA Most Fashionable Player (Off Court)[148]
WTA Most Dramatic Expression[148]
2012
ESPY Best Female Tennis Player
151. X was born into a Tamil family on 24 February 1948, at Melukote, in
Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Mysore State (now
Karnataka). Her grandfather was in the service of the then Mysore
kingdom as a surgeon, and the prefix ______ (the victorious) was
added to the names of various of her family members to reflect
their association with Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar of
Mysore.Although there have been claims that X was introduced to
politics by M. G. Ramachandran, she has denied this. She was a
member of the Rajya Sabha elected from Tamil Nadu during the
period of 1984–89. Soon after the death of Ramachandran, X
proclaimed herself as his political heir. Iruvar, a 1997 Tamil political
drama film, included the character of X, played by Y.
153. X is a parliamentarian for over four decades, X was
elected to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India's
Parliament) nine times, and twice to the Rajya Sabha
(upper house). He also served as the Member of
Parliament from Y, Uttar Pradesh, until 2009, when he
retired from active politics due to health concerns. X
was one amongst the founder members of the
erstwhile Z and had also been its president. He was
also the Minister of External Affairs in the cabinet of
Morarji Desai. When the Janata government collapsed,
X renamed his former party Z as Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP).
154. X Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Y Lucknow
Z Jana Sangh
155. X began his professional career with the English
language daily The Free Press Journal in Mumbai,
but left it in 1960 to form his own political weekly
Y. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday
edition of The Times of India. X is satirised in
Salman Rushdie's 1995 novel The Moor's Last
Sigh as 'Raman Fielding'. Suketu Mehta
interviewed X in his critically acclaimed, Pulitzer-
nominated, non-fiction 2004 book Maximum City.
157. In October 2012, football's governing
body, FIFA, approved the use of two
technological systems to be used as goal-line
technology in December's FIFA Club World
Cup (which features each continental
association's current champion). This will be
used to automatically detect whether a ball
has crossed the goal.
One of them is "GoalRef", which is the other?
159. American President Barack Obama was voted by
Time magazine to be its "Person of the Year".
He joins a small group of people who have
been so selected more than once (he also
became "Person of the Year" in 2008 when he
was last elected).
Who, also a US President, is the only person to
be Time Person of the Year thrice? (in 1932,
1934, and 1941.)
161. In November 2012, who returned to Earth
along with fellow astronauts Yuri
Malenchenko and Akihiko Hoshide from the
International Space Station on board the
Soyuz TMA-05M spacecraft, after another
record setting trip?
162. Sunita Williams, who extended her record for
the amount of time spent in space by a
woman.
163. Park Geun-hye has become the first woman to
gain residence at the Blue House. No lady has
ever been given the keys to the whiter version
of such a residence.
So what has Park Geun-hye been elected as?
164. The President of South Korea. The residence of
the President is the Blue House.
165. Who connects the following:
.a South African returned barrister
.a housewife named Anuradha who once used to
sing
.the younger brother of Durga
.a Rajput princess who was a devotee of Krishna
.The Philosopher's Stone
.a dry fruit seller from Kabul
166. The late Pandit Ravi Shankar, who composed
music for these films. The films are:
Gandhi, Anuradha, Apu (Trilogy), Meera, Paras
Patthar, Kabuliwala (Bengali).
167. In December 2012, Twitter released information
about the year's top trends and tweets. One
of the sections under Trends was "Countries".
Which country was the most tweeted about,
according to Twitter, in 2012?
171. From the world of sports, if Abby Wambach of
the United States and Pia Sundhage of
Sweden were voted winners in their
respective equivalent categories for women,
who were the male counterparts?
172. Lionel Messi of Argentina (Best Player) and
Vicente Del Bosque (Best Coach) of Spain.
They won the top awards at FIFA's annual
prizes for the year 2012 .
173. Which groups of 'wise men' will (and already
have, in some cases) present themselves in
Allahabad from December to January 2013 in
processions called "Peshwai"?
174. Sadhus from various "akharas" participating the
Kumbh Mela to be held in Jan-Feb 2013.
194. When Joseph Woodland, who died in December
2012, was a master's student, he was sitting
on a beach in his grandfather's property
thinking about how to encode information
about products. He was doodling in the sand,
when he happened to see he had made four
lines in the sand.
What, dubbed the "Universal Product Code",
would he eventually be the father of?
196. Kamal Haasan's next movie release is
"Vishwaroopam" (made both in Hindi and
Tamil) and will make its way to theatres in
January 2013. In addition to a standard
theatrical release, the producers are also
planning to release it in what unusual
medium?
197. On DTH (Direct-to-Home) via Airtel's TV
network. This is to be a one-time release even
before the actual theatre release.
198. This is the logo of the latest venture from this foundation. Which
foundation, or what quick word will complete the name of this
venture?
199. "Wiki" is the word, to give Wikivoyage. The Wikimedia
Foundation's latest project is this online travel guide that in wiki-
style, anyone can edit.
"Wikitravel" was the precursor to this.