General Knowledge: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Second World Buddhist Summit was held in in Lumbini, Nepal, from November 30 to December 2, 2004. The first summit was held in Thailand in November 2000.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The World Punjabi Conference in December 2004 was conducted in Haryana (Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Panipat) from December 11.

Statement 3 is correct: The 4th Meeting of the SAARC Trade Ministers was held in Islamabad in November 2004.

Explanation

A - 4 (V.R.S. Natrajan - Bharat Earth Movers Limited) V.R.S. Natrajan was the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of BEML. BEML is a public sector company that manufactures railway coaches, defense equipment, and heavy machinery for mining and construction. B - 1 (A.K. Puri - Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited) A.K. Puri served as the CMD of BHEL, India’s largest power generation equipment manufacturer. BHEL plays a key role in the energy sector, producing turbines, boilers, and transformers for thermal, hydro, and nuclear power plants. C - 2 (V. Thulasidas - Air India) V. Thulasidas was the CMD of Air India, India’s national airline. D - 3 (Jagdish Khattar - Maruti Udyog Limited) Jagdish Khattar was the Managing Director of Maruti Udyog Limited (now Maruti Suzuki), India’s leading car manufacturer. He played a crucial role in Maruti’s expansion, launching new models like the Swift, and improving customer service standards.

Explanation

In 2005, Onkar S. Kanwar, Chairman of Apollo Tyres Ltd., served as the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Harsha Vardhan Agarwal is the current President of FICCI.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: India’s foreign exchange reserves did exceed the $125 billion mark during 2004. According to the Economic Survey 2004-2005, the reserves stood at $128.9 billion on February 4, 2005, indicating that they surpassed $125 billion in 2004.

Statement 2 is correct: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) series with the base year 1993-94=100 was introduced in April 2000, replacing the previous 1981-82 base year series.

Explanation

ITC Limited launched the ‘e-Choupal’ initiative to empower rural farmers by providing them with direct access to markets, agricultural information, and best farming practices. It was started in 2000 as a digital platform to eliminate middlemen and improve farmers’ income by ensuring fair prices for their produce.

Explanation

Tirupur, located in Tamil Nadu, India, is a major textile and knitwear hub known for producing and exporting knitted garments to global markets. It is often referred to as the "Knitwear Capital of India" due to its dominance in manufacturing T-shirts, innerwear, sweatshirts, and other cotton-based garments.

Explanation

Wally Grout - Australian cricketer, renowned as a wicketkeeper for Australia in the 1950s and 60s, playing 51 Test matches (Cricket). Eusébio - Portuguese footballer, famous for winning the Golden Boot in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, and widely regarded as one of football’s greatest players (Football). Rod Laver - Australian tennis legend, the only player to win the Grand Slam (all four major tournaments) twice, in 1962 and 1969 (Lawn Tennis). Mark Spitz - American swimmer, won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics, setting world records in each event (Swimming).

Explanation

The correct match is given below:

French Open 2004 - Anastsia Wimbledon 2004 - Maria Sharapova U.S Open - Svetlana Kuznetsova Australian Open 2004 Justine Henin Hardenne

Explanation

Shanmugham Venkatesh is an outstanding player in the game of football. He is a well-known former Indian footballer who played for the Indian national football team and was considered one of India’s best midfielders during his time. Venkatesh was also a key player for various clubs, including East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, and he earned many accolades for his contribution to Indian football.

Explanation

In 2004, the Davis Cup Final in men’s lawn tennis was contested between Spain and the United States of America. The final took place in Seville (Spain)and Spain emerged victorious, defeating the United States with a score of 3-1.