The US blow

Fuel assurances not binding, said Bush

The United States diluted the fuel supply assurances contained in the ‘123 agreement’ on nuclear cooperation with India, when President George W. Bush formally declared, in his September 10 message to Congress, that all American commitments to the Indian side in this regard were not “legally binding.”

India will be most populous by 2050, says UN report

India is projected to be the most populous country by 2050, overtaking China, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said in a report released on Wednesday.
Its population, now 118.6 crore, is projected to be 165.8 crore in 2050 as against 140.8 crore projected for China.
India’s population growth rate is projected at 1.5 per cent during 2005-10 compared to 0.6 per cent for China.
India’s current fertility rate is 2.78 compared to 1.73 in China.
Pakistan’s population of 16.7 crore will become 29.2 crore in 2050.
Sri Lanka would witness a negative growth, from 1.94 crore to 1.87 crore.
The ‘State of World Population Report, 2008’ report, released here by Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed, says the world population will increase from 674.9 crore to 919.1 crore by 2050.
The theme of the report is ‘Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender and Human Rights.’

Some Practice Questions for Prelims

1. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to our solar system?
(a) The Earth is the densest of all the planets in our solar system (b) The predominant element in the composition of Earth is silicon © The Sun contains 75 percent of the mass of the solar system
(d) The diameter of the Sun is 190 times that of the Earth

2 .I : In 2007-08, the production of food grains had a general downslide
II : In 2006-07, the production of cereals was more than 2007-08

3. I: Pongamia Ponnata is used for bio-diesel production II : The Jute Technology Mission was approved in 2006

4. Consider the following natural phenomena:
1. Terrestrial heating 2. Reflection of light 3. Refraction of light 4. Diffraction of light
Due to which of these phenomena is mirage formed? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4 c) 1 and 3 d) 4 only

5. Sun’s halo is produced by the refraction of light in:
(a) Water vapor in stratus cloud (b) Ice crystals in Cerro-Cumulus clouds (c) Ice crystals in cirrus cloud
(b) Dust particles in Stratus cloud

6. Consider the following statements:
1. Light of the longer wavelength is scattered much more than the light of the shorter wavelength
2. The speed of visible light in water is 0.95 times the speed in vacuum
3. Radio waves are produced by rapidly oscillating electrical current
4. To detect the over speeding vehicles, Police use the Doppler effect of reflected short radio waves
Which of these statements are correct? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3 (c) 2 and 4 (d) 3 and 4

7. Assertion (A): Synthetic detergents can lather well in hard water
Reasons (R): Synthetic detergents form soluble calcium and magnesium salt with hard water

8. Assertion (A): Artificial satellites are always launched from the Earth in the eastward direction.
Reason (R): The earth rotates from west to east and so the satellite attains the escape velocity.

9. Assertion (A): An iron ball floats on mercury but gets immersed in water
Reasons (R): The specific gravity of iron is more than that of mercury

10. I: The National Sample Survey was established in 1950
II: The New Series of Consumer Price Index Numbers with base 2000 has been effective from 2003

Baglihar project commissioned

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appealed to Pakistan to work jointly to address the problems faced by the people of the two countries.
He said the Baglihar power project had been constructed within the parameters of the Indus Water Treaty. He inaugurated the 450 MW Baglihar power project at Chanderkote in Ramban district of Jammu region. Dr. Singh said India and Pakistan should learn to help each other.

Nobel Peace Prize for Martti Ahtisaari

Finland’s former president Martti Ahtisaari won the Nobel Peace Prize for a long career of peacemaking around the world from Namibia to Kosovo.

India, France sign nuclear agreement

Even as the United States remains unable to finish its internal political process on the proposed Indo-U.S. civil nuclear accord, New Delhi and Paris signed an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation, the first of its kind since the Nuclear Suppliers Group agreed to lift international restrictions on India’s nuclear trade.
Formally called the “Co-operation Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the French Republic on the Development of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy,” the agreement was signed by Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysee Palace in Paris.

Crack Modern India : for GS & Optionals

In the questions with 2 statements, mark a) if only 1 b) if only 2 c) Both d) None is correct

1) 1 : The Imperial Legislative Council could not discuss the actions of the administration under the provisions of the Indian Councils Act (1861)
2 : Charles Wood was the Secretary of State for India in 1861

2) Who among the following opposed the reduction of the Salt tax in 1882 ?
1 : Jotendra Nath Tagore 2 : Durga Charan Laha 3 : Peary Mohan Mukherjea
a) All b) None c) 1 & 2 d) Only 3

3) Who among the following took part in effecting the first walk-out in India’s Legislative History ?
1 : B C Krishna 2 : G K Parekh 3 : D A Khare 4 : G V Joshi
a) All b) 1,2 & 3 c) Only 4 d) None

4) Which among the following is wrongly matched with regard to spreading the Swadeshi Movement
a) Syed Haider Raza : Delhi
b) Chidambaram Pillai : Central Provinces
c) Lokmanya Tilak : Poona
d) Bipan Chandra Pal : Madras

5) Which Indian artist tried to develop a pan-Asian model of art ?
a) Nandalal Bose b) Abanindranath Tagore c) Jamini Roy d) None

Do send in your answers to us !!