40. Which company received the CSIR Diamond Jubilee Technology Award for 2004, presented in September 2005?
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2006]
(A) Midas Communication Technologies
(B) Infosys Technologies
(C) Tata Consultancy Services
(D) Biocon India
Answer: (A) Midas Communication Technologies
Explanation: Midas Communication Technologies was recognised for indigenous telecommunications technology, notably the corDECT wireless local-loop system. The CSIR award celebrates innovations translated into useful products or processes, rather than basic research alone.
39. Who directed the film selected as India’s official entry for the 2006 Academy Awards?
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2006]
(A) Kunal Kohli
(B) Adoor Gopalakrishnan
(C) Amol Palekar
(D) Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Answer: (C) Amol Palekar
Explanation: Amol Palekar directed Paheli, India’s submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 78th Academy Awards. An official submission should not be confused with a film making the final Oscar nominations.
38. In which country is the committee selecting the Nobel Peace Prize based?
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2006]
(A) Denmark
(B) Finland
(C) Norway
(D) Sweden
Answer: (C) Norway
Explanation: The Norwegian Nobel Committee selects Nobel Peace Prize laureates and the award ceremony takes place in Oslo. Other Nobel disciplines are selected by institutions in Sweden, creating an important difference between award categories.
37. Consider:
(1) the Nobel Prize ceremony is held on 10 December,
(2) Literature was added later than the other five prize categories.
Which statement is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2006]
(A) Neither statement
(B) Statement 2 only
(C) Both statements
(D) Statement 1 only
Answer: (D) Statement 1 only
Explanation: Nobel ceremonies generally occur on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Literature was one of the original five prize fields; the economics memorial prize was created later in 1968. Thus the second statement is false.
36. Who became the first woman recipient of the Vyas Samman?
[Uttarakhand PCS Prelims — 2006]
(A) Chitra Mudgal
(B) Malti Joshi
(C) Prabha Khetan
(D) Mannu Bhandari
Answer: (A) Chitra Mudgal
Explanation: Hindi author Chitra Mudgal received Vyas Samman for her novel Aava. The K. K. Birla Foundation presents the award to notable Hindi writing, and Mudgal’s selection marked a milestone for women novelists.
35. Which person of Indian origin was the earliest Booker Prize winner among the choices?
[Uttarakhand PCS Prelims — 2006]
(A) Arundhati Roy
(B) Jhumpa Lahiri
(C) V. S. Naipaul
(D) Salman Rushdie
Answer: (C) V. S. Naipaul
Explanation: V. S. Naipaul, born in Trinidad to a family of Indian heritage, received the Booker Prize in 1971 for In a Free State. Salman Rushdie won later in 1981, while Arundhati Roy won in 1997.
34. Who was among the first recipients of India’s Bharat Ratna?
[UPPSC Mains — 2006]
(A) Rajendra Prasad
(B) Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
(C) Govind Ballabh Pant
(D) Jawaharlal Nehru
Answer: (B) Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Explanation: Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan received Bharat Ratna in its inaugural year, 1954, alongside C. Rajagopalachari and C. V. Raman. Radhakrishnan later served as President of India and is remembered for his contribution to education.
33. Which Pakistani national received Bharat Ratna in 1987?
[UPPSC Prelims — 2006]
(A) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(B) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
(C) Liaquat Ali Khan
(D) Muhammad Iqbal
Answer: (B) Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Explanation: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was honoured in 1987 for his long association with nonviolence and social reform. He was popularly known as Frontier Gandhi and led the Khudai Khidmatgar movement.
32. Match
Günter Grass, Trevor Huddleston, Dicky Dolma and Kim Campbell to
Nobel Literature, anti-apartheid activism, youngest female Everest ascent and first female Canadian Prime Minister.
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2005]
(A) Grass–Literature; Huddleston–Canadian PM; Dolma–Anti-apartheid; Campbell–Everest
(B) Grass–Anti-apartheid; Huddleston–Literature; Dolma–Canadian PM; Campbell–Everest
(C) Grass–Everest; Huddleston–Anti-apartheid; Dolma–Literature; Campbell–Canadian PM
(D) Grass–Literature; Huddleston–Anti-apartheid; Dolma–Everest; Campbell–Canadian PM
Answer: (D) Grass–Literature; Huddleston–Anti-apartheid; Dolma–Everest; Campbell–Canadian PM
Explanation: Günter Grass received the 1999 Literature Nobel; Trevor Huddleston campaigned against apartheid; Dicky Dolma became a young woman Everest climber; Kim Campbell was Canada’s first woman Prime Minister. The question combines one Nobel honour with notable achievements.
31. In the 2005 Man Booker Prize question, which is true:
(1) eligibility covered Commonwealth/Ireland,
(2) a software firm funded it,
(3) the 2004 winner was South Asian?
[UPSC CSE Prelims — 2005]
(A) All three
(B) Statement 1 only
(C) Statements 2 and 3
(D) Statements 1 and 3
Answer: (B) Statement 1 only
Explanation: The historical eligibility rule covered Commonwealth countries and Ireland. Sponsor Man Group was a financial services firm, not a software company. The 2004 Booker winner was British novelist Alan Hollinghurst for The Line of Beauty.
