May 10, 2013

BEST TNPSC GROUP-I GROUP-II GROUP-IV VAO EXAM COACHING CENTRE IN TAMIL NADU. CLASSES STARTS ON SOON.


CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS - APRIL 2013


1. Which team won the Vijay Hazare trophy 2013?
Answer. Delhi

2. Name the Venezuelan President who died recently?
Answer. Hugo Chavez

3. Who won the Celebrity Cricket League 2013?
Answer. Karnataka Bulldozers

4. Who won the WGC Cadillac Championship 2013?
Answer. Tiger Woods

5. Who is sworn in as the new governor of Bihar?
Answer. DY Patil

6. Who is sworn in as the new governor of Tripura?
Answer. Devanand Konwar

7. Who is sworn in as the new governor of Kerala?
Answer. Nikhil Kumar

8. Who is sworn in as the new governor of Odisha?
Answer. SC Jamir

9. Who is sworn in as the new governor of Nagaland?
Answer. Ashwani Kumar, He was the former Director of the CBI.

10. Who is honoured with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize recently?
Answer. Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women‟s Association (SEWA), was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 by the President of
India, Pranab Mukherjee. 2

11. Who won the 2013 Malaysian Grand Prix?
Answer. Sebastian Vettel

12. Which are the two elements that added to the Periodic Table recently?
Answer. Flerovium and Livermorium

13. Who was crowned the Femina Miss India World 2013?
Answer. Navneet Kaur Dhilon

14. Who won the Miss India International 2013?
Answer. Zoya Arfoz

15. Who is the Chairman of National Innovation Council in India?
Answer. Sam Pitroda

16. Who is the present Chief Justice of Orissa high court?
Answer. Chokalingam Nagappan

17. Name the personalities who have launched global sim card „Jaxtr SIM‟ for international travelers:
Answer. Sabeer Bhatia and Yogesh Patel

18. When is the First International Happiness Day celebrated?
Answer. 20th March 2013

19. Who is chosen for Saraswati Samman award 2013?
Answer. Sugathakumari

20. Which Indian state made Malayalam must for its government jobs?
Answer. Kerala

21. Who is named as world‟s richest footballer with a net worth of $260 Million?
Answer. David Beckham

22. Where in China 48 metre high Buddha statue was built?
Answer. Xingzi County of Jiujiang City

23. Who was named „Sportsperson of the year‟ by Tata Steel for her achievements on the occasion of
174th birth anniversary of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata?
Answer. Deepika Kumari

24. Who won the inaugural Physics Journalism Prize sponsored by the Institute of Physics and Science
and Technology Facilities Council?
Anil Ananthaswamy

25. Who was sworn in as Kenya‟s 4th president?
Answer. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta 3

26. Which former British Prime Minister popularly known as the „Iron Lady‟ passed away on April 8?
Answer. Margaret Thatcher.
Note: She was the longest serving British prime minister (1979-1990) of the 20th century and is the only woman to have held the office.

27. Who is appointed as Prime Minister of Lebanon?
Answer. Tamam Salam

28. Which country will host ICC World T20 2014?
Answer. Bangladesh

29. Who won the gold medal in the men‟s triple jump in the season opening Indian Grand Prix?
Answer. Renjith Maheswary

30. Who is appointed as President of International Chamber of Commerce?
Answer. Rajan Bharti Mittal

31. Who is elected as president of Paraguay?
Answer. Horacio Cartes

32. Who is the lady popularly known as "Human Computer", she died on 21st April 2013?
Answer. Shakuntala Devi

33. Who developed the world‟s lightest substance recently?
Answer. Chinese scientists have developed the world‟s lightest substance “carbon aerogel” with a
density only one sixth of that of the air. Scientists at Zhejiang University produced the solid material
which has a density of only 0.16 mg/cubic centimetre, breaking the previous record of the world‟s
lightest material held by graphite aerogel. The graphite aerogel was developed by German scientists last
year with a density of 0.18 mg/cubic centimetre.

34. Who won the Prestigious Templeton Prize 2013?
Answer. Desmond Tutu.
Note: South Africa‟s Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has won “2013 Templeton Prize” for his
lifelong work in promoting love and forgiveness.

35. Rahi Sarnobat won a Gold medal in 25-M Pistol Event
Note: Rahi Sarnobat clinched the first gold for India in International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF)
World Cup in Korea on 5 April 2013. She defeated Kyeongae Kim 8-6 in 25m pistol final. She is the first pistol shooter from India who won the Gold in World Cup.

36. World Health Day was Celebrated on 7th April.
Note: World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7, under the sponsorship of the World Health
Organization (WHO).

37. Who got the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2012?
Answer. Hindi film actor Pran Krishan Sikand got the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2012.

38. Who is elected as the President of Venezuela recently?
Answer. Nicolas Maduro

39. India‟s first and only Women Chief Election Commissioner ……………. passed away recently?
Answer. Ramadevi

40. The 2013 SAARC literature festival was hosted by which place?
Answer. Agra

41. The President of Bangladesh who passed away recently?
Answer. Zillur Rahman

42. Which are the three North Eastern states where new High Courts have been set up?
Answer. Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur

43. World Earth Hour was observed from 8.30PM to 9.30PM On:
Answer. March 23

44. World Water Day was observed on:
Answer. March 22

45. World Tuberculosis Day was observed on:
Answer. March 24

46. Najib Mikati, who resigned recently was the Prime Minister of:
Answer. Lebanon

47. The recently announced National Tourism Award 2011-12 for the Best Rural Tourism Project has
been bagged by:
Answer. Kumarakom

48. The president of Egypt who visited India recently?
Answer. Mohamed Morsi

49. The renowned African novelist and author of „Things Fall Apart‟ who passed away recently?
Answer. Chinua Achebe

50. Who is appointed as India‟s new permanent representative to the United Nations?
Answer. Asoke Kumar Mukerji

51. Who has been appointed as the chairman of Lalit Kala Academy?
Answer. Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty

52. Who are the three personalities recently selected by the Indian Parliamentary Group for the
Outstanding Parliamentarian Award?
Answer. Arun Jaitley (2010), Karan Singh (2011) and Sharad Yadav (2012)

53. Who is the richest person of the world, as per the ranking released by the Forbes Magazine?
Answer. Carlos Slim (Mexico) 5

54. The famous Kathakali artist and Padmabhushan recipient who passed away recently?
Answer. Kalamandalam Ramankutty Nair

55. Which team won the recently held Santosh Trophy Football tournament?
Answer. Services

56. Who has been sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tripura for the fourth consecutive time?
Answer. Manik Sarkar

57. Which Indian Research Centre has announced that it is currently developing the largest magnet in
the World?
Answer. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. The magnet, weighing 50,000 tonnes, is being developed for
the Neutrino Observatory to be set up in Tamilnadu.

58. The newly released Book, “Walking With Lions, Tales from a Diplomatic Past” is written by:
Answer. K. Natwar Singh

59. The president of India was the Chief Guest at the Independence Day celebrations of …………….. on March 2012.
Answer. Mauritius

60. Who has been elected as the new Pope of the Catholic Church?
Answer. Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina. He has chosen the name „Francis‟.

61. India‟s first indigenously developed subsonic cruise missile:
Answer. Nirbhay. The test firing of the missile on March 12 achieved partial success.

62. …………. was selected as the best feature film for the 60th National Film Awards?
Answer. Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi) directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia

63. Which state assembly has started year long celebrations to mark 50 years of its inception?
Answer. Goa

64. Who has been appointed as the President of the People‟s Republic of China?
Answer. Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang has been appointed as the country‟s new Prime Minister.

65. Who has been elected as the new chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)?
Answer. S. Gopalakrishnan

66. The Indian who has been appointed as the World Editor of the Time Magazine?
Answer. Bobby Ghosh, He is the first non American World Editor in TIME‟s history.

67. The current winners of Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament?
Answer. Australia

68. Who scored the fastest debut century test cricket?
Answer. Shikhar Dhawan

69. Which Malayalam film bagged the National award for the best film on social issues?
Answer. Spirit, directed by Renjith 6

70. The world‟s largest biogas plant has been inaugurated in?
Answer. Finland, It has a capacity of 140 MW.

71. Which state celebrated its foundation day as Utkal Divas on April 1?
Answer. Odisha.
Note: It was established as a province in the British India on April 1, 1936.

72. The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) commissioned its first solar power plant in:
Answer. Dadri, Uttar Pradesh

73. The 5th BRICS summit was recently held at:
Answer. Durban, South Africa (March 26-27).
Note: The member states of BRICS are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

74. The Indian space scientist who has been inducted into the prestigious Satellite Hall of Fame, Washington:
Answer. U.R Rao, He is the first Indian to get this rare honour.

75. The Italian foreign minister who resigned over the government‟s decision to return the two Italian
marines to India?
Answer. Giulio Terzi

76. Which gulf country has recently enforced the new labour law named „Nitaqat (Naturalisation)‟,
which affects a huge number of Indians working there?
Answer. Saudi Arabia

77. Sukumari, the veteran film actor who passed away recently, had made her debut at the age of 10
through the Tamil movie…………..
Answer. Oru Iravu

78. Malala Yousafzai has recently signed a deal to publish her autobiography titled …………..
Answer. I Am Malala

79. World Autism Awareness Day was observed on:
Answer. April 2

80. In which state has the NTPC decided to set up India‟s first geothermal plant?
Answer. Chhattisgarh

81. Hamadi Jebali, the Prime Minister of …………., has resigned after failing to form a non-partisan
government.
Answer. Tunisia

82. The Government of Kerala has recently amended the Kerala Abkari Act by raising the age for
buying and selling liquor to ………….
Answer. Twenty One. The age limit was previously eighteen. 7

83. Who was presented with Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, Kerala Government‟s highest literary honour,
on Feb 18?
Answer. Atoor Ravi Varma

84. …………… has been declared as the first e-district in Kerala?
Answer. Ernakulam

85. The Kerala State award for the Best feature film was bagged by the movie ……………
Answer. Celluloid.

86. Angelo Mathews has been appointed as the captain of the Cricket team of:
Answer. Srilanka. He replaced Mahela Jayawardene.

87. India‟s new stock exchange, …………. Started trading shares on February 11.
Answer. MCX-Stock Exchange (MCX-SX)
Note: MCX stands for Multi Commodity Exchange. This is India‟s third national level stock exchange,
after Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

88. The code name given to the entire plan of the execution of Afsal Guru, the parliament attack convict:
Answer. Operation Three Star

89. The Ministry of Forests and Environment of India has given clearance to the Tawang Hydroelectric
Project Phase II. In which state is the project situated?
Answer. Arunachal Pradesh

90. The Special Olympics World Winter Games was held from Jan 29 to Feb 5 in:
Answer. Pyeong Chang, South Korea.

91. World‟s tallest Mahatma Gandhi statue was unveiled on Feb 15 in:
Answer. Patna, Bihar

92. Which Indian economist has recently received France‟s highest civilian award, „Commandeur de la
Legion d‟Honneur‟ (Legion of Honour)?
Answer. Amartya Sen

93. Rafael Correa has been re-elected for a third time as President of:
Answer. Ecuador

94. World Health Day was observed on:
Answer. April 7

95. Who has taken over as the new Chairman of NASSCOM (National Association of Software Services Companies)?
Answer. Krishnakumar Natarajan

96. Which company launched the electric car named e2o?
Answer. Mahindra & Mahindra

97. India started Visa on Arrival (VoA) facility from April 1 for the senior citizens of which neighboring
country?
Answer. Pakistan 8

98. NPHCE, the newly launched programme by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India stands for:
Answer. National Programme for the Health Care of the Elderly.

99. Which Booker prize winning novelist and screenwriter known for the novel „Heat and Dust‟
passed away recently?
Answer. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala.

100. Who has created history by becoming the first Indian on a solo non-stop trip across the world in a
sail boat?
Answer. Lieutenant Commander Abhilash Tomy

101. Miss Universe 2012 is:
Answer. Olivia Culpo

102. The recipient of Bharath Muni Samman 2012 is:
Ans. Hema Malini

103. Pranab Mukherjee: The All Season Man was written by whom?
Answer. Sukhendu Sekar Ray

104. The new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh is:
Answer. Virbhadra Singh

105. The Director of Film „Life of Pi‟?
Answer. Ang Lee

106. The new Director of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is:
Answer. Ranjith Sinha

107. The new Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) is:
Answer. Subash Joshi

108. „Controversially Yours‟ was written by:
Answer. Shuhaib Aktar

109. „Broken Republic‟ was written by:
Answer. Arundhati Roy

110. I.K Gujral‟s autobiography is:
Answer. Matters of Discretion

111. Which country is set to launch first solid fuel rocket by 2016?
Answer. China

112. At which location, India‟s first all Women Post Office was recently inaugurated?
Answer. New Delhi

113. Which was the theme for „International Women‟s Day 2013‟?
Answer. „A Promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women.‟ 9

114. Which Indian was awarded SAARC Literature Award in 2013?
Answer. Abhay. K

115. Recently, which state government has announced a new scheme called Kanyasri Prakalpa, to
encourage girls towards higher education?
Answer. West Bengal

116. Recently, who was re-elected for a second term as IAEA Chief?
Answer. Yukiya Amano

117. Recently, which country, the giant Atacama Large Millimeter/sub millimeter Array (ALMA)
telescope is unveiled?
Answer. Chile

118. Who is selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2012?
Answer. Ravuri Bharadhwaja for his contributions to Telugu literature.



119) Which university in India will introduce a chapter on the contribution of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to the Constitution?
Answer: Karnataka State Open University

120) Which education and learning division announced its partnership with Big Bazaar to market their
learning products in their stores across India?
Answer: HCL Infosystems Limited

121.  Name the Nehru fellowship recipient Archaeologist who died recently.
Answer: Ranganatha Rao

122. Which are the three new high courts constitute in India?
Answer: Meghalaya, Manipur & Tripura

123. Which is the highest gallantry award in India?
Answer: Param Vir Chakra

124. On which date the United Nation celebrated the first ever “International day of Happiness”?
Answer: 20th march

125. The Supreme Court of India rejected the plea of the Swiss based drug company …………… to patent the cancer drug called Glivec.
Answer. Novartis

MARCH MONTH CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTIONS


1. Which organisation launched the highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission in October 2008?
a) Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
b) National Mesosphere Stratosphere-Troposphere Radar Facility
c) National Remote Sensing Agency
d) Indian Space Research Organisation
Answer: (d) Indian Space Research Organisation

2. Population of which species Increased in Kaziranga National Park despite poaching, according to the recent census which ended on 26 March 2013?
a) Great One-horned Rhinoceros
b) The Bengal Tiger
c) The Black Buck
d) Giant Alligator
Answer: (a) Great One-horned Rhinoceros

3. In the last week of March 2013, two new ______ species called Enyalioides were discovered from Cordillera Azul National Park. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option.
a) Chameleon
b) Wild Ants
c) Woodlizard
d) Butterflies
Answer: (c) Woodlizard

4. India and the US in the Month of March 2013 agreed for cooperation on future missions to _________ and __________ after successful collaboration in Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission. Fill in the blanks with appropriate options.
a) Moon and Mars
b) Mars and Pluto
c) Moon and Mercury
d) Mercury and Mars
Answer: (a) Moon and Mars

5. Name the two Enyalioides species which were discovered from Cordillera Azul National Park in the last week of March 2013.
a) Enyalioides Shaughnessy and Enyalioides Laticeps
b) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Binzayedi
c) Enyalioides Oshaughnessyi and Enyalioides Shaughnessy
d) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Laticeps
Answer: (b) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Binzayedi


6. Which International Hockey team won the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament title for the seventh time on 17 March 2013 by defeating Malaysia?
a) Australia
b) South Korea
c) Pakistan
d) India
Answer: (d) Australia

7. Name the leading International tennis player who won Indian Wells BNP Paribas Open 2013 on 17 March 2013.
a) Roger Federer
b) David Ferrer
c) Rafael Nadal
d) Andy murray
Answer: (c) Rafael Nadal

8. Which International Cricket team won the fourth and the final test against Australia, at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi to claim the series by 4-0?
a) India
b) Pakistan
c) Bangladesh
d) South Africa
Answer: (a) India

9. Which International Golf player won the third PGA Tour title 2013, Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club & Lodge; Orlando, Florida on 25 March 2013.
a) Tiger Woods
b) Mike Brannan
c) Gay Brewer
d) Charles Coe
Answer: (a) Tiger Woods

10. Name the Sri lankan Cricket Player who was named as the captain of the Pune Warriors India for Indian Premier League (IPL) Season 6 which will begin from 3 April 2013.
a) Angelo Mathews
b) Ajantha Mendis
c) Kumar Sangakkara
d) Mahela Jayawardene
Answer: (a) Angelo Mathews

11. NASA's Swift satellite in the Month of March 2013 discovered one of the youngest-known supernova remnants. What is the age of these supernova remnants?
a) Less than 2500 years old
b) 2500 years old
c) 3000 years old
d) Less than 3000 years old
Answer: (a) Less than 2500 years old

12. A team of researchers discovered abundant active bacteria community in the deepest spot of the
Earth. What is the name of deepest point on Earth?
a) Mariana Trench
b) Mariana Islands
c) The Challenger Deep
d) None of these
Answer: (c) The Challenger Deep

13. Astronomers at the Herschel space observatory in the Month of March 2013 found some of the
youngest stars ever seen in the Universe. What were these youngest stars called?
a) Dwarf Stars
b) Protostars
c) Minute Stars
d) Young Stars
Answer: (b) Protostars

14. An unknown huge radio galaxy was discovered by an international team of astronomers in the
month of March 2013. Which telescope was used to discover this radio galaxy?
a) ASTRON
b) MSSS
c) All-sky model
d) LOFAR
Answer: (d) LOFAR

15. Mass death of which species occurred on the beach in Coronel city, around 530 km from Santiago,
Chile, in the third week of March 2013 likely because of the power generation plants- Bocamina 1 and
2 as well as Colbun?
a) Blue Whales
b) Crabs
c) Prawns
d) Turtles
Answer: (c) Prawns

16. The World Bank in the month of March 2013 barred which company from doing any business with
it or the projects funded by it for a period of six months?
a) Punj Lloyd Group
b) Lanco Infratech Limited
c) Larsen & Toubro
d) IVRCL Infrastructures & Projects Ltd
Answer: (c) Larsen & Toubro

17. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on 6 March 2013 cleared the investment proposal of which Malaysian budget carrier to launch the new airline along with Tata Group and Arun Bhatia's Telestra Tradeplace?
a) Cebu Pacific
b) AirAsia
c) JetStar
d) Tiger Airways
Answer: (b) AirAsia

18. Which confectionary giant was slapped with a notice demanding 250 crore Rupees by the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence on the grounds of excise duty evasion?
a) Cadbury India Ltd
b) Wrigley India
c) Lotte India
d) Perk India Ltd
Answer: (a) Cadbury India Ltd

19. Which telecom company in the month of March 2013 launched high quality voice service for its subscribers in Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi and Nigeria in the African sub-continent?
a) Vodafone
b) Reliance
c) Idea Cellular
d) Bharti Airtel
Answer: (d) Bharti Airtel

20. Microsoft launched the new version of which software for the businesses running in India? This
software will facilitate sharing the data seamlessly across the computers and mobiles with the help of
cloud computing technology.
a) MS Office 2009
b) MS Office 365
c) MS Office 2013
d) MS Office 2010
Answer: (b) MS Office 365

21. Which country on 12 March 2013 claimed to have become the first in the world to extract the natural gas from frozen methane hydrate successfully off the central coast?
a) China
b) US
c) Canada
d) Japan
Answer: (d) Japan

22. Which country announced the worst-ever drought in 30 years in its entire North Island?
a) The United States of America
b) New Zealand
c) Canada
d) South Africa
Answer: (b) New Zealand

23. Methane Hydrate, also known as Methane clathrates are a kind of frozen confinements of
molecules of _________ and Methane. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option.
a) Carbon Dioxide
b) Hydrogen
c) Water
d) Hydrocarbons
Answer: (c) Water

24. What led to worst-ever drought in 30 years in the entire North Island of the New Zealand?
a) Deforestation
b) Climate Change
c) Depleting water resources
d) Global Warming
Answer: (d) Global Warming

25. Which body is conducting the survey of gas field in the main island of Japan in Nankai Trough
where extraction of natural gas from frozen methane hydrate was done successfully?
a) Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)
b) Ministry of State for the Corporation in Support of Compensation for Nuclear Damage
c) Ministry of State for Ocean Policy
d) Ministry of State for Science and Technology Policy
Answer: (a) Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC)

26. Samsung, the South Korean giant launched which device in Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall at
Unpacked Events 2013 on 14 March 2013?
a) Samsung Tab 3
b) Samsung Galaxy Camera
c) Samsung Grand 2
d) Samsung Galaxy S4
Answer: (d) Samsung Galaxy S4

27. Which direct broadcast satellite television provider in the month of March 2013 launched Video on Demand service for its Tata Sky+ HD subscribers?
a) Tata Sky
b) Airtel Live
c) Videocon DTH
d) Dish TV
Answer: (a) Tata Sky

28. Where did Welspun Energy on 12 March 2013 commissioned Asia’s largest solar power project of 50 MW?
a) Alwar, Rajasthan
b) Chittorgarh, Rajasthan
c) Jodhpur, Rajasthan
d) Dungarpur, Rajasthan
Answer: (c) Jodhpur, Rajasthan

29. Which company on 11 March 2013 acquired two gaming companies, Funnel Japan in Japan and
Busan in South Korea?
a) Airtel Games
b) SEGA Games
c) Techno Trax Games
d) Reliance Games
Answer: (d) Reliance Games

30. For what purpose did The Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation
(RIICO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with South Korean Trade Promotion Agency (KOTRA) on 11 March 2013 in New Delhi?
a) For setting up Rajasthan State Industry
b) For setting up Korean Industrial Zone
c) For setting up Trade Promotion Zone
d) None of these
Answer: (b) For setting up Korean Industrial Zone

31. Researchers working on the accurate calculation of the distance of Milky Way to the nearest galaxy
found the exact distance to our nearest galaxy, Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). What is the exact distance?
a) 163000 light years
b) 175000 light years
c) 183000 light years
d) 150000 light years
Answer: (a) 163000 light years

32. Which country ranked first on list of countries which distribute spam all over the world, according
to new report of SophosLabs?
a) China
b) India
c) US
d) Spain
Answer: (c) US

33. Which research centre announced that it was developing the largest magnet of the world? This largest magnet would weigh 50000 tons.
a) CERN, Geneva
b) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India
c) NASA, US
d) Neutrino Observatory, India
Answer: (b) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India

34. According to the study conducted by University of Minnesota in the first week of March 2013,
which species of Africa would decline to almost extinction over the period of coming 20-40 years if
conservation measures were not undertaken?
a) Elephants
b) Wild Cat
c) Wild Lizard
d) Wild Lion
Answer: (d) Wild Lion

35. Which compost plant became first in India to receive carbon credits worth 25 lakh rupees from the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change?
a) Okhla Compost Plant
b) ROTOPALA Composting Plant
c) Mumbai Compost Plant
d) Kanpur Composting Plant
Answer: (a) Okhla Compost Plant

36. By what basis point, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 March 2013 cut the repo rate in its
mid-quarter review of the monetary policy.
A. 25 basis Point
B. 50 Basis Point
C. 15 basis point
D. 35 basis point
Answer: (A) 25 basis Point

37. The Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) on 21 March 2013 cleared Reliance Industries' (RIL)
KG-D6 and NEC-25 blocks for________________
A. Oil and Gas Exploration
B. Oil and Gas Engineering
C. Oil and Gas Filtration
D. Oil and Gas Production
Answer: (A) Oil and Gas Exploration

38. Name the Place where Commercial production of Aishwarya Oil Field at has started on 23 March 2013.
A. Rajasthan
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Orissa
D. Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (A) Rajasthan

39. As per RBI mid-quarter review of the monetary policy, the reverse repo rate changed from the earlier 6.5 Percent. What is the new Reverse repo rate?
A. 6.5 Percent
B. 5.5 Percent
C. 6.7 Percent
D. 6.75 Percent
Answer: (D) 6.75 Percent

40. Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Ministry of Finance on 25 March 2013. What is the set ambitious Sales target made by the Company in 2013-14 fiscal year?
A. 3407 Crore Rupees
B. 3510 Crore Rupees
C. 3210 Crore Rupees
D. 3256 Crore Rupees
Answer: (A) 3407 Crore Rupees

41. Which Team won the General Sparrow Centenary Polo Cup-2013 played at Jaipur Polo Ground on
2 March 2013 by defeating Sailors team?
a) Sona Polo Team
b) Jaipur Riders
c) Elestina Gold Team
d) Garcha polo team
Answer: (a) Sona Polo Team

42. Which top seeded tennis player Defeated David Ferrer to Win ATP Mexican Open 2013 Tennis
Tournament?
a) Rafael Nadal
b) Roger Federer
c) Novak Djokovic
d) Mahesh Bhupati
Answer: (a) Rafael Nadal

43. Name the Female Indian Cyclist won a Bronze medal in the final of women's juniors of 500m cycle
event in Asian Cycling Championship on 7 March 2013 in New Delhi.
a) Kamaljeet Sandhu
b) Neha Agarwaal
c) Poulomi Ghatk
d) Deborah
Answer: (d) Deborah

44. Which Indian female veteran golfer, on 6 March 2013 won her second title in the fourth leg of
Hero Women`s pro golf tour 2013 in Mumbai.
a) Smriti Mehra
b) Sharmila Nicollet
c) Ankita Das
d) Saba anjum Karim
Answer: (a) Smriti Mehra

45. Which female top seeded Badminton player won the women’s singles title in the All England
Open Badminton Championships 2013 at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, England on 10
March 2013?
a) Tine Baun
b) Saina Nehwal
c) Jwala Dutta
d) Ashwini Ponaapa
Answer: (a) Tine Baun

46. The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) lifted import alert on the Hyderabad-based
antibiotics facility of which leading pharmaceutical research company of India?
a) Ranbaxy
b) Aurobindo Pharma
c) Cadila Healthcare
d) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
Answer: (b) Aurobindo Pharma

47. Which feature was added by Google to its Google Play India Page which allows you to download or rent movies?
a) Google Play Movies
b) Play My Movie
c) Rent a Movie
d) Watch My Movie
Answer: (a) Google Play Movies

48. Which largest education company of India, on 26 March 2013 announced completion of the sale of
its entire 50% stake in Eurokids International Limited?
a) IndiaCan
b) Oxfam India
c) Everonn Education limited
d) Educomp Solutions Ltd
Answer: (d) Educomp Solutions Ltd

49. Which insurance giant was fined 30 million Pound by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) over AIA bid in March 2013?
a) ICICI Lombard
b) Reliance Insurance
c) Prudential
d) AIG Vyasya
Answer: (c) Prudential

50. Apple in the month of March 2013 bought which indoor GPS mapping firm for 20 million dollars?
a) BlueNav
b) DirectRoute
c) wifiSLAM
d) Topo
Answer: (c) wifiSLAM

51.The US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) lifted import alert on the Hyderabad-based
antibiotics facility of which leading pharmaceutical research company of India?
a) Ranbaxy
b) Aurobindo Pharma
c) Cadila Healthcare
d) Glenmark Pharmaceuticals
Answer: (b) Aurobindo Pharma

52. Which feature was added by Google to its Google Play India Page which allows you to download or rent movies?
a) Google Play Movies
b) Play My Movie
c) Rent a Movie
d) Watch My Movie
Answer: (a) Google Play Movies

53. Which largest education company of India, on 26 March 2013 announced completion of the sale of
its entire 50% stake in Eurokids International Limited?
a) IndiaCan
b) Oxfam India
c) Everonn Education limited
d) Educomp Solutions Ltd
Answer: (d) Educomp Solutions Ltd

54. Which insurance giant was fined 30 million Pound by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) over AIA
bid in March 2013?
a) ICICI Lombard
b) Reliance Insurance
c) Prudential
d) AIG Vyasya
Answer: (c) Prudential

55. Apple in the month of March 2013 bought which indoor GPS mapping firm for 20 million dollars?
a) BlueNav
b) DirectRoute
c) wifiSLAM
d) Topo
Answer: (c) wifiSLAM

56. Which organisation launched the highly successful Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission in October 2008?
a) Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
b) National Mesosphere Stratosphere-Troposphere Radar Facility
c) National Remote Sensing Agency
d) Indian Space Research Organisation
Answer: (d) Indian Space Research Organisation

57. Population of which species Increased in Kaziranga National Park despite poaching, according to the recent census which ended on 26 March 2013?
a) Great One-horned Rhinoceros
b) The Bengal Tiger
c) The Black Buck
d) Giant Alligator
Answer: (a) Great One-horned Rhinoceros

58. In the last week of March 2013, two new ______ species called Enyalioides were discovered from
Cordillera Azul National Park. Fill in the blank with an appropriate option.
a) Chameleon
b) Wild Ants
c) Woodlizard
d) Butterflies
Answer: (c) Woodlizard

59. India and the US in the Month of March 2013 agreed for cooperation on future missions to
_________ and __________ after successful collaboration in Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission. Fill in the
blanks with appropriate options.
a) Moon and Mars
b) Mars and Pluto
c) Moon and Mercury
d) Mercury and Mars
Answer: (a) Moon and Mars

60. Name the two Enyalioides species which were discovered from Cordillera Azul National Park in the
last week of March 2013.
a) Enyalioides Shaughnessy and Enyalioides Laticeps
b) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Binzayedi
c) Enyalioides Oshaughnessyi and Enyalioides Shaughnessy
d) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Laticeps
Answer: (b) Enyalioides Azulae and Enyalioides Binzayedi

1) Who is selected for the prestigious Jnanpith award for the year 2012?
Ans. Ravuri Bharadhwaja for his contributions to Telugu literature.

2) Recently, who was re-elected for a second term as IAEA Chief?
Ans. Yukiya Amano

3) Where was India‟s first all Women Post Office inaugurated recently?
Ans. New Delhi

4) Who scored the fastest debut century in test cricket recently?
Ans. Shikhar Dhawan
5) Malala Yousafzai has recently signed a deal to publish her autobiography. Name the title?
Ans. I Am Malala

6) Indian President was the Chief Guest at the Independence Day celebrations ofwhich country during March 2012?
Ans. Mauritius

7) Who has been elected as the new Pope of the Catholic Church?
Ans. Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina & he has chosen the name "Francis‟

8) Which film was adjudged best feature filmin the 60th National Film Awards?
Ans. Paan Singh Tomar (Hindi) directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia

9) The 5th BRICS summit was recently held at?
Ans. Durban, South Africa (March 26-27).The member states of BRICS are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

10) The code name given to the entire plan of the execution of Afsal Guru, the parliament attack convict:
Ans. Operation Three Star

11) Which country will host ICC World T20 2014?
Ans. Bangladesh

12) Who is elected as the President of Venezuela recently?
Ans. Nicolas Maduro

13) The President of Bangladesh who passed away recently?
Ans. Zillur Rahman

14) Who are the three personalities recently selected by the Indian Parliamentary Group for the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award?
Ans. Arun Jaitley (2010), Karan Singh (2011) and Sharad Yadav (2012)

15) Which team won the Santosh Trophy Football tournament 2013 held in Kerala?
Ans. Services

16) Who was honoured with Indira Gandhi Peace Prize recently?
Ans. Ela Bhatt, founder of the Self Employed Women‟s Association (SEWA), was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2011 by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

17) Who was crowned the Femina Miss India 2013?
Ans. Navneet Kaur Dhilon

18) When is the First International Happiness Day celebrated?
Ans. 20th March 2013

19) Who is chosen for Saraswati Samman award 2013?
Ans. Sugathakumari (Malayalam Poet)

20) Which former British Prime Minister popularly known as the "Iron Lady‟passed away on April 8?
Ans. Margaret Thatcher. She was the longest serving British prime minister (1979-1990) of the 20th century and is the only woman to have held the office.

21. Who is the winner of Australian Open 2013 Women's title ?
Answer: Victoria Azarenka

22. Who is the winner of Australian Open 2013 men's title ?
Answer: Novak Djokovic

23. Who is the chief guest of 2013 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ?
Answer: Rajkeswur Purryag, President of Mauritius (Held in Kochi)

24. Who is the chief guest of republic day 2013 ?
Answer: Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, King of Bhutan

25. Who is first female President of South Korea ?
Answer: Park Guen-hye

26. Who is the first female Chief Justice of Sri Lanka ?
Answer: Shirani Bandaranayake (recently impeached)

27. Who is the winner of DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2013 ?
Answer: Jeet Thayil (book - Narcopolis)

28. Which is the Longest Railway Tunnel in India?
Answer: Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel (Banihal railway tunnel)

29. Where did the World Economic Forum annual meeting held ?
Answer: Davos, Switzerland

30. Who has been conferred won Keerthi Chakra (the second highest among peace time gallantry awards of the country) ?
Answer: Major Anoop Joseph

31. Which Indian scientist conferred with China's top science award ?
Answer: CNR Rao

32. Who is the winner of Ranji Trophy 2012-2013 ?
Answer: Mumbai

33. Which country recently test fired Hatf-9 (Nasr) missile ?
Answer: Pakistan

34. Who is the new Chairman of Lalit Kala Akademi ?
Answer: Kalyan Kumar Chakravarty

35. Who is the new President of Sahitya Akademi ?
Answer: Dr. Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari

36. Who is appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations ?
Answer: Asoke Kumar Mukerji

37. Who is the worlds oldest Marathon runner ?
Answer: Fauja Singh

38. Which actor won this year's Best Actor (in a Leading Role) Oscar ?
Answer: Daniel Day-Lewis (Lincoln)

39. Which actress won this year's Best Actress (in a Leading Role) Oscar ?
Answer: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook)

40. Who won this year's Best Director Oscar ?
Answer: Ang Lee (Life of Pi)

41. Who is the first person to win Best Actor Oscar thrice ?
Answer: Daniel Day-Lewis

42. What is the theme of 2013 International Women’s Day (march 8) ?
Answer: A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women

43. New Governor of Nagaland ?
Answer: Ashwani Kumar

44. New Governor of Kerala ?
Answer: Nikhil Kumar

45. New Governor of Odisha ?
Answer: S C Jamir

46. Who is the new President of Kenya ?
Answer: Uhuru Kenyatta

47. Who is the new Prime Minister ( Premier of the People's Republic of China) of China ?
Answer: Li Keqiang

48. Who is the new Pope?
Answer: Pope Francis

49. What is the name of India's first regional navigational satellite ?
Answer: IRNSS-1

50. Who scored fastest hundred on debut in test cricket ?
Answer: Shikhar Dhawan

51. Where is India's first all women post office inaugurated on women's day ?
Answer: Delhi

52. What is the theme of 2013 world water day (march 22) ?
Answer: Water Cooperation

53. Which year is declared by UN as International Year of Water Cooperation ?
Answer: 2013

54. Who is the winner of 2013 miss India ?
answer: Navneet Kaur Dhillon

55. who is the winner of 2013 Saraswati Samman ?
Answer: Sugathakumari (Manalezhuthu)

56. Who is recently reelected as IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Director general ?
Answer: Yukiya Amano

57. Who is the new Prime Minister of Nepal ?
Answer: Khil Raj Regmi

58. Who is the first female Prime minister of UK who recently passed away ?
Answer: Margaret Thatcher

59. Who is the new pm of North Korea ?
Answer: Pak Pong-ju

60. Who is the new venezuela president ?
Answer: Nicolas Maduro

61. Who is the new president of Bangladesh ?
Answer: Abdul Hamid

62. What is the theme of 2013 World Earth day (April 22) ?
Answer: The face of climate change

63. Who is the new Governor of Jammu and Kashmir ?
answer: Narinder Nath Vohra

64. Who is the new president of ADB (Asian Development Bank) ?
Answer: Takehiko Nakao


65. Which film won this year's Best Picture Oscar ?
Answer: Argo

What is the HDI?


The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary composite index that measures a country's average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: health, knowledge, and income. It was first developed by the late Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq with the collaboration of the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and other leading development thinkers for the first Human Development Report in 1990. It was introduced as an alternative to conventional measures of national development, such as level of income and the rate of economic growth.


The original HDI methodology was revised in 2010 for the 20th anniversary edition of the Human Development Report. How is it different?
The HDI remains a composite index that measures progress in the three basic dimensions—health, knowledge and income. Under the previous HDI formula, health was measured by life expectancy at birth; education or “knowledge” by a combination of the adult literacy rate and school enrolment rates (for primary through university years); and income or standard of living by GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing-power parity (PPP US$).
Health is still measured by life expectancy at birth. But the 2010 HDI measured achievement in knowledge by combining the expected years of schooling for a school-age child in a country entering school today with the mean years of prior schooling for adults aged 25 and older. The income measurement, meanwhile, has changed from purchasing-power-adjusted per-capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to purchasing-power-adjusted per-capita Gross National Income (GNI); GNI includes some remittances, providing a more accurate economic picture of many developing countries.
Why did the Report change the indicators for measuring education and income?
The indicators were changed for several reasons. For example, adult literacy used in the old HDI (which is simply a binary variable, literate or illiterate, with no gradations) is an insufficient measure for knowledge achievement. By including average years of schooling and expected years of schooling, one can better capture the level of education and recent changes.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the monetary value of goods and services produced in a country irrespective of how much is retained in the country. Gross National Income (GNI) expresses the income accrued to residents of a country, including some international flows, and excluding income generated in the country but repatriated abroad. Thus, GNI is a more accurate measure of a country’s economic welfare. As shown in the 2010 Report, significant differences could exist between the income of a country’s residents, measured by GNI or GDP.


Why does the HDI not include dimensions of participation, gender and equality?
As a simple summary index, the HDI is designed to reflect average achievements in three basic aspects of human development – leading a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable and enjoying a decent standard of living. The policy of the Human Development Report Office has always been to construct additional complementary composite indices for covering some of the “missing” dimensions in the HDI. Gender disparity, inequality and human deprivation are measured by other indices (see Gender Inequality Index, Multidimensional Poverty Index and Inequality-adjusted HDI). Participation and other aspects of well-being are measured using a range of objective and subjective indicators and are discussed in the Report. Measurement issues related to these aspects of human development demonstrate the conceptual and methodological challenges that need to be further addressed.


What are the criteria for a country to be included in the HDI?
The Human Development Report Office strives to include as many UN member countries as possible in the HDI. To include a country in the HDI we need recent, reliable and comparable data for all three dimensions of the Index. For a country to be included, statistics should ideally be available from the relevant international data agencies.



What are the sources of data used for calculating the Gender Inequality Index?

The Gender Inequality Index relies on data from major publicly available databases, including the maternal mortality ratio from UNICEF’s The State of the World’s Children; adolescent fertility rates from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affair’s World Population Prospects; educational attainment statistics from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics educational attainment tables and the Barro-Lee data sets; parliamentary representation from the International Parliamentary Union; and labour market participation from the International Labour Organization’s LABORSTA database.

What is the Gender Inequality Index?

The Gender Inequality Index is a composite measure reflecting inequality in achievements between women and men in three dimensions: reproductive health, empowerment and the labour market. It varies between zero (when women and men fare equally) and one (when men or women fare poorly compared to the other in all dimensions). The health dimension is measured by two indicators: maternal mortality ratio and the adolescent fertility rate. The empowerment dimension is also measured by two indicators: the share of parliamentary seats held by each sex and by secondary and higher education attainment levels. The labour dimension is measured by women’s participation in the work force. The Gender Inequality Index is designed to reveal the extent to which national achievements in these aspects of human development are eroded by gender inequality, and to provide empirical foundations for policy analysis and advocacy efforts.

ECONOMICAL TERMS


Ad valorem duties (tariffs) Is calculated as a percentage of the value of the dutiable items. Contrasts with a specific tariff.


Anti-dumping duties May be imposed if export dumping causes injury to producers of competing goods in an importing country. The duties should be equal to the difference between the export price and the normal value of the dumped goods.


Balance of trade Refers to the difference between the value of exports and imports. It is calculated as the value of exports of goods and services minus the value of imports of goods and services.


Blue Box Comprises measures regarded as exceptions to the general rule that all subsidies linked to production must be reduced or kept within defined minimal levels. Covers payments directly linked to land size or livestock as long as the activity being supported limits production.


Dumping Occurs when goods are exported at a price less than their normal value, generally meaning that they are exported for less than they are sold in the domestic market or thirdcountry markets, or at less than cost of production.


Green Box Contains income support and subsidies that are expected to cause little or no trade distortion. Subsidies have to be funded by governments but must not involve price support. Environmental protection subsidies are included. No limits or reductions are required for such income support or subsidies.


Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Is an international treaty under the World Trade Organization (WTO), which sets down minimum standards of intellectual property for all products and services, covering copyrights, trademarks,geographical indications, industrial designs,
integrated circuits, patents and trade secrets.


Venture Capital Fund Is a pooled investment vehicle (often a partnership) that primarily invests the financial capital of third-party investors in enterprises that are too risky for the standard capital markets or bank loans.


Trade liberalization Is the removal of barriers to free trade, such as tariffs, quotas, nominal and effective rates of protection and exchange controls.


Intellectual property rights Is a generic phrase encompassing intangible property rights, including, among others, patents, trade and service marks, copyrights, industrial designs, rights in semiconductor chip layout designs, and rights in trade secrets.


Headcount ratio Is also known as the poverty incidence or headcount index. It measures the share of the total population in a given area whose consumption is below the poverty line. In other words, it is the proportion of the population who cannot afford to purchase the basic basket of goods and services.










May 9, 2013

GINGER


Ginger is one of the earliest known oriental spices and is being cultivated in India for both as fresh vegetable and as a dried spice, since time immemorial.

General Characteristics
 It shall be dried rhizomes of Zingiber officinale Rose, in pieces, irregular in shape, pale brown in colour.
 Its fibrous content shall be characteristic of the variety with peel not entirely removed.
 It shall be lime bleached.
 It shall have characteristic taste and flavour and shall not have a musty odour or a rancid or bitter taste.
 It shall be free from added colouring matter.
 It shall be free from mould growth and living insects and practically free from dead insects, insect fragments and rodent contamination.
 It shall comply with restrictions in regard to Aflatoxins, Metallic Contaminants, Insecticide or Pesticide residue, poisonous metals, naturally occurring Contaminants, Microbial load and the like as specified by the Codex Alimentarius Commission or as per buyers requirements for Export purposes and the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955 for domestic trade.

 Ginger grown in Assam, Sikkim and Meghalaya find major markets in North Indian states like Delhi, U.P., Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Bihar.
 Ginger grown in Orissa is distributed in nearby markets of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
 Ginger from Southern states like Kerala are transported to nearby states like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu etc.

 India is a leading ginger producer in the world.
 More than 50% of total ginger production takes place in North East, Uttarakhand and Sikkim states.
 Most of ginger in North Eastern states is produced under organic conditions.
 India has identified / developed a number of superior and high yielding cultivars.


SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE ( SI ) EXAM COACHING CENTRE IN COIMBATORE IN TAMILNADU. CLASSES STARTS ON SOON.


Grape (Vitis vinifera)


Grape (Vitis vinifera) is basically a sub- tropical crop. Maharashtra is a leading state in production of grapes in the whole country. With regard to agricultural land under grape cultivation and grapes production, Nasik and Sangli districts are at forefront in the state. the leading grape producing countries in the world in terms of production are China (8,651.83 thousand tons), Italy (7,787.80 thousand tons), USA (6,777.73 thousand tons) and Spain (6,107.20 thousand tons). India’s high productivity in grape has made it to reach 18th position in the world as far as production (total world production 67,116.25 thousand tons) is concerned.

Yields of grapes in India are highest in the world.

Farmers of Maharashtra state in cooperation with MSAMB have branded their product as MAHA GRAPE.

GREEN CHILLY (Capsicum annuum)


Maximum chillies are produced in Andhra Pradesh followed by Karnataka, Orissa, West Bengal, Maharashtra etc. Guntur in Andhra Pradesh is known for chillies.


India grows a variety of green chillies having mild pungency to high pungency.

Green chillies in India are available throughout the year.

Superior varieties of green chillies have been bred and have been made available to growers.

There is strong research support for cultivation of green chillies, as Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi and State Agricultural Universities apart from IIHR, Bangalore and IARI, New Delhi are actively working on various aspects of chillies.

APEDA has sanctioned Agri Export Zones in Punjab, U.P., Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal for promoting exports of vegetables including green chilly.

TET EXAM COACHING CENTRE IN TAMIL NADU. NEW BATCH STARTS ON SOON.


Mango (Mangifera indica Linn) - NATIONAL FRUIT


Mango (Mangifera indica Linn) is the most important fruit of India and is known as “King of fruits”.
The main mango producing states in India are Uttar Pradesh (23.86%), Andhra Pradesh (22.14%), Karnataka (11.71%), Bihar (8.79%), Gujarat (6.00%) and Tamil Nadu (5.09%).

India occupies top position in total production among mango growing countries of the world. India cultivates a wide variety of mangoes; some of them are very colourful and attractive with par excellence edible quality.

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) or ladies finger


West Bengal is the leading okra producing state followed by Bihar.


Okra is commonly grown in almost all parts of the plains and is consumed by common people
in all the states as vegetable.

The okra produced in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Northern states is consumed in this
region itself due to high demand.

India is largest producer of okra in the world.

Onion (Allium cepa L)


India is the 2nd largest producer of onion, in the world next only to China but the productivity of onion in India is very low i.e. 14.21 tons/ ha as compared to China and other countries like , Egypt, Netherlands, & Iran etc.
Maximum onion production takes place in Maharashtra state followed by Karnataka, Gujarat.
Production of onion is almost throughout the year barring one or two months.
Wide varieties of onions are cultivated in the country.
More than 45% of total onion production takes place in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states which is very conducive for exports Three Agri Export Zones have been established in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh states.
Export facility centre along with modern packhouse has been set up to facilitate export of onions at Indpur near Pune.
An irradiation unit has been established at Lasalgaon (Nasik) to inhibit sprouting in onions.
Onion growers have been trained on scientific farming of onion in Maharashtra and in Karnataka (rose onion growers).
In Maharashtra state, MSAMB has disbursed subsidy to farmers for developing onion storage structures for prolonged shelf life
There is a good research support, as NRC for Onion and National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation are located in Maharashtra it self.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus)


The major pineapple growing countries in the world are Brazil, Thailand, Philippines, Costa
Rica, China and India.


Pineapple is cultivated in India in North East, West Bengal, and Bihar in eastern side
and in Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra etc, to some extent, in western side.


Internationally acceptable cultivars like Kew or Giant Kew which is also called Cayenne
or Smooth Cayenne are grown extensively in India.


Agri Export Zone for promoting exports of pineapple has already been established in
North Bengal.


There are good prospects for cultivation of organic pineapples in Kodagu district of
Karnataka and Ratnagiri district in Maharashtra state.




Pomegranate (Punica granatum)


Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. The total area under cultivation of pomegranate in India is 107.00 thousand ha and production is around 743.00 thousands tons.


 India is the largest producer of pomegranates in the world.

 India produces finest varieties of pomegranate having soft seeds, very less acids and very attractive colour of the fruits and grains.

 With adoption of different “bahars”, India can supply pomegranates almost throughout the year.

 Maximum cultivation of pomegranate is in states of Maharashtra and North Western Karnataka which are very close to the western port of Mumbai for exporting to Gulf and European countries.

 Quality of pomegranate is much superior to Spain and Iran in edible quality and attractiveness.

 Agri Export Zone for enhancing exports of pomegranate has been established in Maharashtra state.

 There is strong research support for scientific cultivation of pomegranate like National Research Center for Pomegranate, Solapur, MPKV, Rahuri in Maharashtra and IIHR, Bangalore in Karnataka state.

 Pomegranate co-operative societies from Maharashtra state have formed an apex cooperative namely MAHA ANAR.

 Bhagwa variety has high acceptance in European market.

 Pomegranate export facility center is being set up/has been set up in Baramati area with mechanical handling system.

 Farmers have been trained for export quality production and have registered with GLOBALGAP certification.

 MSAMB has recently obtained brand name i.e. “MAHAPOM”.


 Pomegranates grown in different parts of country are transported to the big cities for marketing.

 The fruits produced in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu find market in Mumbai, Nagpur and Kolkata.

 The important whole sale markets of pomegranate in India are Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Pune and Ahmedabad. Pomegranates for these big markets are usually collected at the central places in all pomegranate growing areas.

 From Mumbai and Kolkata ports the pomegranate is exported to the destination markets.


TOMATO


India stands at fourth position in production of tomatoes next to China, U.S.A. And Turkey. 

Maximum production of tomatoes takes place in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat etc. 

Tomatoes are available for export throughout the year. 

High yielding F1 hybrids are being cultivated by farmers on a quite good scale 

There is excellent research support from all the SAUs and National Research Institutes like IIHR, Bangalore and IIVR (Indian Institute of Vegetable Research), Varanasi.

Distribution of raised seedlings of F1 hybrids is quite prevalent and is getting popular among vegetable farmers. 

APEDA has established a number of Agri Export Zones for vegetables namely in Punjab, U.P., Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal for promoting exports of vegetables and infrastructure for the same is being/has been set up.

Most of the tomatoes are produced in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The major markets of tomatoes are Kurnool, Prakasam, Bangalore, Belgaum, Nasik, Pune, Sangli and Nagpur.

From above markets tomatoes reach markets of Mumbai, Bhopal, Lucknow, Delhi etc for further distribution.