How to Reach Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal, an embodiment of love and romance, is located in the city of Agra that lies approximately 204 km to the south of Delhi. If you are planning a trip to explore the beauty of this splendid monument then the very first question that comes in your mind is- how to reach the Taj Mahal. We have devoted this section on discussing various ways of traveling to the Taj Mahal in India.

By Air

The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.

By Rail

There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mundi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.

By Road

There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.

Local Transportation

After reaching the city also, you need some sort of local transport to reach Taj Mahal. You can easily get taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw in the city that will take you to your destination. Prepaid taxis are also available if you want to visit the various places near the city. For the adventurous kind, there are bicycles that can be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city. Since, diesel and petrol vehicle are not permitted in the Taj Mahal area, you can find battery-operated buses, horse-driven tongas, rickshaws and other pollution-free vehicles there.

Taj Mahal, India

Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra

Year of Construction: 1631-1653

Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

Spread Over: 42 acres

Significance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a

NASA Budget Too Slim to Reach Moon by 2020

A White House panel charged with reviewing NASA's exploration plans has dropped any hope of sending astronauts directly to Mars and found the space agency's budget too slim to accomplish its goal of returning humans to the moon by 2020.
After more than six hours of public deliberation on Wednesday, the 10-member committee overseeing the Review for U.S. Human Space Flight Plans decided not to include a plan to send astronauts straight to Mars - called Mars Direct - on its list of options to be considered by President Barack Obama because of its daunting challenges and cost.
"We think Mars Direct is a mission that we're really not prepared to take on technically or financially, and it would likely not succeed," said the committee's chairman Norman Augustine, a former Lockheed Martin CEO, late Wednesday after the televised meeting in Washington, D.C. "I really want to emphasize that we're not giving up on Mars at all."
A manned Mars mission is the ultimate goal, but shifting all of NASA's focus on getting there as soon as possible is not feasible, he added.
The committee is expected to present its initial report to NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and White House science adviser John Holdren on Friday and file a final version for President Obama's review by the end of the month.
Funding woes
Augustine's committee is reviewing NASA's plan to retire its aging space shuttle fleet and replace it with a capsule-based Orion spacecraft as part of a larger effort to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. But NASA's current budget for human spaceflight through 2020 is not enough to cover the costs of achieving its baseline lunar goal, let alone other alternative options, the committee found.
"This budget is just simply not friendly to exploration," said committee member Sally Ride, a former astronaut and the first American woman in space. "It's very difficult to find an exploration scenario that actually fits within this very restrictive budget guidance that we've been given."
NASA has a budget of about $80 billion for human spaceflight through 2020, about $28 billion less than projected when it first chose the Orion spacecraft and its Ares rockets to succeed the space shuttle fleet. Orion spacecraft are not expected to begin operational flights until 2015, the committee said.
Augustine said that NASA's exploration budget has been cut repeatedly since announcing the new space exploration plan in 2005, hindering its progress. Technical and other delays have also led to the current shortfall, he added. Still he and his committee were surprised none of their options fit in NASA's current budget.
"I did think that one of the current options would fit under the present funding budget," he said. "I thought it might be quite a while before you really got into space and do those exciting things that we were talking about ... I guess I should have realized that it wasn't possible."
Narrowing options
Last week, the committee culled a list of 3,000 options for human spaceflight down to about seven different scenarios.
On Wednesday, committee members refined that list down to four general scenarios that include more funding. They include building Orion spacecraft for eventual manned mission to the moon, as well as options for sending astronauts farther out into deep space to visit near-Earth asteroids or the stable Lagrange points around Earth by the mid- to late-2020s or 2030.
"We very much like the deep space option," Augustine said, adding that his committee is not endorsing one option over another. "It's a doable, viable option."
Only one of the four scenarios includes NASA's planned Ares I rocket, the booster designed to launch Orion capsules into space. Some included extending the International Space Station's lifetime beyond 2016 to 2020.
The committee strongly favored encouraging commercial vehicles for launching astronauts into orbit and suggested setting $2.5 billion aside between 2011 and 2014 to spur development in those spacecraft. It also included options that included spacecraft more heavily derived from current space shuttles, as well as current unmanned heavy-lift rockets like the Delta 4 Heavy and variants of NASA's giant Ares V rocket envisioned to launch lunar landers into orbit.
The potential for in-orbit refueling was cited as a key technological goal for some committee members. But adequate funding is key if NASA is to tackle an innovative, inspiring program that can capture the attention of the American public, committee members said.

The TTD board has decided to cancel the special darshan tickets

The TTD board (Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam), the richest temple committee in the world, has decided to cancel the special darshan tickets. The committee has passed a resolution about the above on 15 September 2009. This may provide more convenience for common devotees to visit Lord Sri Venkateshwara of Tirumala Tirupati. It will be good news for common people who want to visit the temple during Brahmotsavam 2009, which starts on 21st September.

Express news:
For providing more convenience and time for darshan to common pilgrims in the temple of Lord Venkateswara on Tirumala, the Board of Trustees of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has cancelled AAD and Cellar darshan tickets as well as the Rs 50 Sudharshan tickets. A decision to this effect was taken in the meeting of the TTD Board of Trustees meeting convened here today under the chairmanship of DK Audikesavulu Naidu. Briefing mediapersons about the resolutions of the TTD Board of Trustees, Audikesavulu said that it was decided to permanently wind up the system of AAD (Archan Anantara Darshan), Cellar and Sudharshan tickets and in their place introduce a Rs 300 ‘Shigra Darshan’ (quick darshan) ticket. Shigra Darshan tickets will be issued at Viakuntam Queue Complex and there will be a parallel line to the free ticket line. Both the lines will merge at the Vendi Vakili. The exact date of the implementation of the new system will be announced shortly.

general knowledge 2009

1) Who is the author of the book ” Sahibs Who Loved India” ?
a) Jagdish
b) Khushwant Singh
c) Chetan Bhagat
d) Nadeem Aslam
2) Who received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development ?
a) Mohamed ElBradei
b) Wen Jiabo
c) Taro Aso
d) Nicholas Sarkhosay
3) Which country will be setting up a world Biggest Telescope ?
a) Japan
b) France
c) China
d) India
4) At which place was G-20 Summit held?
a) Washington
b) New York
c) Chicago
d) Los Angeles
5) ” Lisbon Treaty ” is the treaty accepted / adopted by the members of which of the following organizations recently?
a) NATO
b) SAARC
c) European Union
d) NSG
6) Beri-Beri is the deficiency disease caused by the vitamin
a) B1
b) B5
c) A
d) C
7) Who has been appointed as President of Zambia?
a) Dawada Kairaba
b) Isatov Njle
c) Levy
d) Rupia Banda
8) Who is the Pepsico Chief ?
a) Indira Nooyi
b) Indira Mukerjee
c) Kiran Mazumdar
d) Deepa Mirza
9) “Fehmida Mizza” is a woman speaker of National Assembly of
a) Indonesia
b) Iran
c) Pakistan
d) Afghanistan
10) Who is called the “Grand Old Man Of India”?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Dadabhai Naoroji
c) Gokhale
d) Tilak
11) Cabinet Mission came to India in which year?
a) 1942
b) 1932
c) 1916
d) 1946
12) Which five year plan has the objective ” Garibi Hatao” ?
a) first
b) fifth
c) seventh
d) eigth
13) Which river is declared as ” national river” ?
a) Ganga
b) Yamuna
c) Cauveri
d) Krishna
14) “No country for old men” is a
a) book
b) film
c) Drama
d) Poem
15) Hathigumbha inscription belongs to
a)Ashoka
b)Kharavela
c)Harsha
d)Sasaka
16) He thought that his mother was not happy ……him
a) in
b) since
c) with
d) for
17) Do you really agree
(A) /that he has blamed us
(B)/ for the dispute, especially you and I
(C)/ No error
(D) ?
18) “ ENDEAVOUR” find the synonym
a) fail
b) success
c) attempt
d) try again
19) “ FABULOUS” find the antonym
a) rich
b) luxury
c) prudence
d) poor
20) The soldiers fought courageously …. The enemy troops
a) against
b) with
c) to
d) for
Answers ( 1-B, 2-A, 3-C, 4-A, 5-C, 6-A, 7-D, 8-A, 9-C,10-B, 11-D, 12-B, 13-A, 14-B, 15-B, 16-C, 17-C, 18-C, 19-C, 20-B)

h1n1 symptoms

Latest Numbers There are a total of 3074 confirmed cases of Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 09 swine flu, up from 3067 yesterday. These are people who have returned a positive laboratory test for pandemic influenza (H1N1) 09. The actual number of cases of Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 09 will be significantly higher, as only a small proportion of people with symptoms are being tested. This is because for most people, it's a mild illness and they will recover readily at home without needing medical treatment.
The number of deaths from Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 09 swine flu is 15. Please note these 15 deaths reported by the Ministry are deaths from swine flu, where swine flu was a primary cause of death. Other deaths are being investigated by the Coroner's office. Australian Situation
For the number of confirmed cases in Australia, go to the Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing website at: http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf/Content/updates
International Update from the World Health Organization
The WHO reports that transmission of the pandemic influenza (H1N1) 09 virus is declining globally, especially in temperate regions of the southern hemisphere (with the exception of South Africa). The virus continues to spread in the northern hemisphere, although areas first affected by the virus are seeing less activity. Tropical areas are seeing a peak in pandemic influenza cases at a time when the usual seasonal influenza peaks would occur. The WHO warns of the risk of further spread in highly populated areas as community spread begins in Asia and Africa.
The H1N1 virus is now the dominant influenza strain is most parts of the world, and is expected to remain so during the coming northern hemisphere influenza season.
The World Health Organization is no longer issuing tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries.

World General Knowledge

The London University was the first British University to admit women for degree courses.
New York is popularly known as the city of Skyscrapers
Madagascar is popularly known as the Island of Cloves
Thailand is the country known as the Land of White Elephant.
Korea is known as the Land of Morning Calm.
Bhutan is known as the Land of Thunderbolts
Salto Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfalls in the world.
United States Library of Congress in Washington DC is the largest library in the world is the
The author of Harry Potter Books is JK Rowling
Nickname of New York city is Big Apple
Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest President of the USA.
Brazil is the largest coffee growing country in the world.
Verkoyansk in Siberia is the coldest place on the earth.
The length of the English channel is 564 kilometres.
Damascus is the world's oldest known city.
Detroit in the USA is the city which is the world's biggest centre for manufacture of automobiles.
The country which is the largest producer of rubber in the world is Malaysia.
Amazon River carries maximum quantity of water into the sea.
Cuba is known as the Sugar Bowl of the world.
The length of the Suez Canal is 162.5 kilometers.
James Cook discovered Australia.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the first Governor General of Pakistan.
Alexander Eiffel was the person who built Eifel Tower.
Rose is the national flower of Britain.
The national flower of Italy is Lily.
World Environment Day is observed on 5th June.
The earlier name of Sri Lanka was Ceylon
United Nations Organization(UNO) was formed in the year 1945.
Admiral Robert E. Peary was the first man to reach North Pole.
The place known as the Roof of the world is Tibet.
The first Pakistani to receive the Nobel Prize was Abdul Salam.
The first woman Prime Minister of Britain was Margaret Thatcher

On 4th July 1776 America declares itself as an independent country

The U.S President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865
According to a theory California State was nbamed by its Spanish settlers after a utopian society described in a popular 16th-century novel called Serged de Esplandian.
The State Georgia named after King George II of England, who charted the colony in 1732.
Louisiana state named after French King Louis XIV.
Washington Named after George Washington.
Wyoming derived from the Algonquin word for "large prairie place"
Rhode Island named by "Roode Eylandt" (Red Island) because of its red clay.
Teaxas word Derived from the Caddo Indian word for "friend," or "ally."
North and south Dakota taken from the Sioux word for "friend," or "ally".
Virginia and west virginia was Named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, the "virgin" queen, by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1584.
Newyork was named after the Duke of York and Albany.
Minnesota was derived from the Sioux word for "sky tinted" or "muddy water".
New Mexico is the Spanish name for the territory north of the Rio Grande.
Kansas word was taken from the Sioux word for "south wind people," their name for anyone who lived south of Sioux territory.
Hawaii is an English adaptation of the native word Owyhee, which means "homeland".
Indiana state was named by English-speaking settlers because the territory was full of Indians.
Kentucky was possibly derived from the Indian word kan-tuk-kee, meaning "dark and bloody ground." Or kan-tuc-kec, "land of green reeds", or ken-take, meaning "meadowland".
Shakespeare invented the word ' assassination' and 'bump'

the general knowledge about the current affairs

Here we have gathered some of the general knowledge questions and answers for you to test your knowledge about the current affairs.

Question : Who has been appointed the National Security Adviser by the UPA Government? Answer : J. N. Daxit
Question : Who is the new Chief Minister of Karnataka?
Dharam Singh
Question : Who among the following has won the Miss Universe 2004 crown?
Answer : Jennifer Hawkins
Question : Which cricketer holds the world record of maximum number of sixes in Tests? Answer : Chris Carins (New Zealand)
Question : Who has been appointed the new Chief Justice of India?
Answer : Justice R. C. Lahoti
Question : Which sports persons got the honour of lighting the Olympic flame at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi recently?
Answer : Anjali Bhagwat
Question : Which planet crossed the face of the sun (in transit) after 122 years recently? Answer : Venus
Question : Which country was readmitted to the Commonwealth recently?
Answer : Pakistan
Question : Who won the men’s singles title of the French Open 2004?
Answer : Gaston Gaudio
Question : Who is India’s first Woman Grand Master in Chess?
Answer : Koneru Humpy
Question : How can the age of the tree be determined?
Answer : Counting the annual growth rings of its stem
Question : Where is the Lingaraja Temple built during the medieval period?
Answer : Bhubaneswar
Question : Which Delhi Sultans is known for introducing market control mechanism?
Answer : Alauddin Khalji
Question : Which mountain peaks of the Himalayas is NOT in India?
Answer : Annapurna
Question : Who is the author of the book, “The Man Who Divided India”?
Answer : Rafiq Zakaria

Overseas Immigration Information

Immigration
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T20 World Cup Cricket 2009 Schedule

ICC World Twenty20 2009 kicks off from 5 June in England. The 17-day tournament will feature 12 participating countries including ten test playing nations and two ICC associate members: Ireland and Scotland. The is going to be the only second world cup based on the twenty20 format which his Cricket’s latest as well as shortest version. The inaugural twenty20 world cup held in South Africa in 2007 when India won the title, defeating arch rival Pakistan in a mouth-watering final. Here, I am giving the full schedule of ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2009:
Stage
Date
Competing Teams
(Group)
Time
Venue
Group Stage
June 5
2009
England vs Netherlands
(Group B)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Lord’s, London
June 6 2009
New Zealand vs Scotland
(Group D)
Local 10:00;
GMT
09:00
Kennington Oval, London
Australia vs West Indies
(Group C)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Kennington Oval, London
Bangladesh vs India
(Group A)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 7 2009
Scotland vs South Africa
(Group D)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Kennington Oval, London
England vs Pakistan
(Group B)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Kennington Oval, London
June 8 2009
Bangladesh vs Ireland
(Group A)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Australia vs Sri Lanka
(Group C)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 9 2009
Netherlands vs Pakistan
(Group B)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Lord’s, London
New Zealand vs South Africa
(Group D)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Lord’s, London
June 10 2009
Sri Lanka vs West Indies
(Group C)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
India vs Ireland
(Group A)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Super Eight
June 11 2009
D1 vs A2 (Group F)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
B2 vs D2
(Group E )
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 12 2009
B1 vs C2
(Group F)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Lord’s, London
A1 vs C1
(Group E)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Lord’s, London
June 13 2009
C1 vs D2
(Group E)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Kennington Oval, London
D1 vs B1
(Group F)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Kennington Oval, London
June 14 2009
A2 vs C2
(Group F)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Lord’s, London
A1 vs B2 (Group E)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Lord’s, London
June 15 2009
B2 vs C1
(Group E)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Kennington Oval, London
B1 vs A2
(Group F)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Kennington Oval, London
June 16 2009
D1 vs C2
(Group F)
Local 13:30;
GMT
12:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
D2 vs A1
(Group E)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
Semi Final
June 18 2009
TBC vs TBC
(1st Semi Final)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Trent Bridge, Nottingham
June 19 2009
TBC vs TBC
(2nd Semi Final)
Local 17:30;
GMT
16:30
Kennington Oval, London
Final
June 21 2009
TBC vs TBC
Local 15:00;
GMT
14:00
Lord’s, London
Having experienced a highly successful first edition of twenty20 world cup, cricket fans are now excited with the upcoming t20 world cup in England. The glitz and glamour of twenty20 version are enough to lure the cricket fans and it is expected that twenty20 world cup 2009 would be another successful tournament. Twenty20 format has also become the money-spinner for the cricketers and the game has never seen as much money involved as it is now seen through Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Cricket League (ICL). So, naturally the attraction of players towards twenty20 format has also been skyrocketed since the inception of ICL and IPL. International players would also be temped to prove their skill and talent of twenty20 format in the world t20 2009 in England in order to attract the IPL and ICL franchises.
This time, I have some doubts whether money will talk or not. I mean whether T20 World Cup 2009 will be a huge success or not financially- this is my doubt. Well, you see, IPL 2009 is going to end soon and then T20 World Cup will start. So, most people will be already tired of enjoying IPL matches in India. India now brings the most revenue for world of cricket and even a significant portion of revenue for T20 World Cup will come from Indian market. Last time, India became the champion and was in top form. In fact, because of this matter, millions of people were glued to their TV sets until the last moment. More viewers mean more TV ads and more revenue.
Twelve participating teams will be divided into four groups (Group A, B, C and D) of three teams each in the group stage. In each group, three teams will take on each other once in a round robin league system. Two teams from each group in terms of point would qualify for the Super Eight Stage- where there will be top 8 teams competing for the four semi-final spots.
In the Super Eight, there will be two groups of four teams each. Group E comprises of the champions of Group A and C as well as the runners up of Group B and D, while Group F includes the champion teams of Group B and D as well as the runner up teams of Group A and C. Top two teams with highest points from each group will reach the semi final stage, and the semi final winners will meet each other in the tournament final on 21 June at Lord’s.
Tickets were available for sales in July 2008 and there were heavy rush for the tickets in England. There are two ways you can collect match tickets. First of all, you can log onto the official website of ICC World Twenty20 2009 which is accessed by the ICC official website- www.icc-cricket.com. However, the UK cricket fans can book the tickets by calling 0844 847 2020. Overseas cricket fans must buy tickets in the website.
Most of the days of 17-day-long tournament will feature two matches at the same venue, and thus, allowing cricket fans to enjoy two games at the cost of one match. So, cricket fans have enough reasons to cheer on. Well, you might think that it would be a loss for the organizers. However, the reality is different. If the organizers decided to arrange one match per day, then the duration of the tournament would have been increased, and thus, the cost would also be increased. Organizing an extra match on a venue would have cost a lot and that is why, organizers decided to arrange two matches per day.
The host country England is hoping that T20 World Cup will generate good revenue. They are also hoping for some tourists from India and other countries for the event. As I have already said that this event is taking place just after IPL 2009 and I am curious to see how many companies in India can afford to spend huge amount of money for TV advertisements and sponsorships.

In 24 hours, An average human

In 24 hours, An average human:

1. HEART beats 1,03,689 times.

2. LUNGS respire 23,045 times.

3. BLOOD flows 16,80,000 miles.

4. NAILS grow 0.00007 inches.

5. HAIR grows 0.01715 inches.

6. Take 2.9 pounds WATER (including all liquids).

7. Take 3.25 pounds FOOD.

8. Breathe 438 cubic feet AIR.

9. Lose 85.60, BODY TEMPERATURE.

10. Produce 1.43 pints SWEAT.

11. Speak 4,800 WORDS.

12. During SLEEP move 25.4 times.

IPL 2009 Matches Schedule

Match Official Start Time Cut-off for Team Changes Date Time Date Time

1st match: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 18 10:30 GMT Apr 18 10:30 GMT

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2nd match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 18 14:30 GMT Apr 18 14:30 GMT

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3rd match: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 19 10:30 GMT Apr 19 10:30 GMT

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4th match: Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 19 14:30 GMT Apr 19 14:30 GMT

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5th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth Apr 20 14:30 GMT Apr 20 14:30 GMT

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6th match: Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 21 10:30 GMT Apr 21 10:30 GMT

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7 th match: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 21 14:30 GMT Apr 21 14:30 GMT

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8th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 22 14:30 GMT Apr 22 14:30 GMT

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9th match: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 23 10:30 GMT Apr 23 10:30 GMT

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10th match: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 23 14:45 GMT Apr 23 14:45 GMT

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11 th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 24 14:30 GMT Apr 24 14:30 GMT

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12th match: Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 25 10:30 GMT Apr 25 10:30 GMT

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13th match: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 25 14:45 GMT Apr 25 14:45 GMT

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14th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth Apr 26 10:30 GMT Apr 26 10:30 GMT

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15th match: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals - Newlands, Cape Town Apr 26 14:45 GMT Apr 26 14:45 GMT

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16th match: Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 27 10:30 GMT Apr 27 10:30 GMT

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17th match: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth Apr 27 14:45 GMT Apr 27 14:45 GMT

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18th match: Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals - SuperSport Park, Centurion Apr 28 14:30 GMT Apr 28 14:30 GMT

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19th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Rider - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 29 10:30 GMT Apr 29 10:30 GMT

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20th match: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians - Kingsmead, Durban Apr 29 14:30 GMT Apr 29 14:30 GMT

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21st match: Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers - SuperSport Park, Centurion Apr 30 10:30 GMT Apr 30 10:30 GMT

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22nd match: Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals - SuperSport Park, Centurion Apr 30 14:30 GMT Apr 30 14:30 GMT

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23rd match: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians - Buffalo Park, East London May 01 10:30 GMT May 01 10:30 GMT

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24th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab - Kingsmead, Durban May 01 14:45 GMT May 01 14:45 GMT

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25th match: Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth May 02 10:30 GMT May 02 10:30 GMT

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26th match: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 02 14:45 GMT May 02 14:45 GMT

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27th match: Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth May 03 10:30 GMT May 03 10:30 GMT

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28th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 03 14:45 GMT May 03 14:45 GMT

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29th match: Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers - Buffalo Park, East London May 04 14:30 GMT May 04 14:30 GMT

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30th match: Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals - Kingsmead, Durban May 05 10:30 GMT May 05 10:30 GMT

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31st match: Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders - Kingsmead, Durban May 05 14:30 GMT May 05 14:30 GMT

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32nd match: Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 06 14:30 GMT May 06 14:30 GMT

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33rd match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 07 10:30 GMT May 07 10:30 GMT

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34th match: Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 07 14:30 GMT May 07 14:30 GMT

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35th match: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians - Buffalo Park, East London May 08 14:30 GMT May 08 14:30 GMT

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36th match: Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley May 09 10:30 GMT May 09 10:30 GMT

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37th match: Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley May 09 14:30 GMT May 09 14:30 GMT

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38th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth May 10 10:30 GMT May 10 10:30 GMT

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39th match: Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 10 14:45 GMT May 10 14:45 GMT

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40th match: Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals - De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley May 11 14:30 GMT May 11 14:30 GMT

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41st match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Rider - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 12 10:30 GMT May 12 10:30 GMT

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42nd match: Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 12 14:30 GMT May 12 14:30 GMT

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43rd match: Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils - Kingsmead, Durban May 13 14:30 GMT May 13 14:30 GMT

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44th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings - Kingsmead, Durban May 14 10:30 GMT May 14 10:30 GMT

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45th match: Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals - Kingsmead, Durban May 14 14:30 GMT May 14 14:30 GMT

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46th match: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab - OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein May 15 14:30 GMT May 15 14:30 GMT

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47th match: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians - St George's Park, Port Elizabeth May 16 10:30 GMT May 16 10:30 GMT

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48th match: Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 16 14:45 GMT May 16 14:45 GMT

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49th match: Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 17 10:30 GMT May 17 10:30 GMT

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50th match: Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals - OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein May 17 14:45 GMT May 17 14:45 GMT

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51st match: Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 18 14:30 GMT May 18 14:30 GMT

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52nd match: Delhi Daredevils v Bangalore Royal Challengers - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 19 14:30 GMT May 19 14:30 GMT

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53rd match: Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals - Kingsmead, Durban May 20 10:30 GMT May 20 10:30 GMT

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54th match: Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab - Kingsmead, Durban May 20 14:30 GMT May 20 14:30 GMT

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55th match: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 21 10:30 GMT May 21 10:30 GMT

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56th match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 21 14:30 GMT May 21 14:30 GMT

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1st Semi-Final: TBC v TBC - SuperSport Park, Centurion May 22 14:30 GMT May 22 14:30 GMT

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2nd Semi-Final: TBC v TBC - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 23 14:30 GMT May 23 14:30 GMT

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Final: TBC v TBC - New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg May 24 14:30 GMT May 24 14:30 GMT
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Election Basics: Voting myths

1 I can vote only from my place of birth/permanent residence

Not true! You can register to vote from any place in India so long as you're an eligible voter i.e. You're an Indian citizen. You're 18 years of age or older. You've been an ordinary resident, which means that you've been staying at your current address for at least 6 months (not 5 years, another myth!). You're not registered elsewhere.

2 I do not have sufficient proof of residence to register as a voter

Are you sure? Most voters, who think they lack necessary documents, actually do have them. Did you know that the house lease agreement, mobile or landline bills or your driver's license are all accepted types of address proof documents? Moreover, this document is required only for the BLO (Booth Level Officer) to come and verify your residence status. It is therefore not essential for the address proof document to directly have your name, but needs to only have the address of the place where you are staying. You can use address proof document on the name of your parents, relatives, friends etc. with whom you are staying.
Students, who are eligible voters, can register even from their hostels by submitting the Student Declaration Form signed by their college dean/principal/registrar along with the voter registration form.

3 Voter id card is essential for voting

This is one of the most common voting myths! Though voter identification is required by most states during voting, Voter ID card is not the only form of identification that is accepted. The Election Commission of India accepts most of the common documents as identity proof such as PAN card, driving license, ration card, student's ID card, passport etc. In any case, it's a good idea to get your Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) since the Election Commission may make it mandatory in the future.
What is essential for voting however is that your name should be mentioned in the latest voters list of your constituency. How do you get to know that now? Simple, use our online voter search engine.

4 Registering to vote is a very cumbersome process

We would have agreed with you, but not anymore! Now you can easily register to vote on this website with the following steps: Fill out the online voter registration form on the Jaago Re! website (www.jaagore.com). It's easy and takes only 3 minutes! Take a printout of PDF form (4 pages) generated after you complete your online registration. Take the printout of the main voter registration form (2 pages) in back-to-back format and fill in other details (eg. name of family members already registered), if applicable Sign and submit this Form along with necessary address proof and identity proof document, at the office of your local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). You will find this address and its location on your city map which you can see on the first page of the PDF form generated online. DO NOT forget to ask the receipt for your application. Confirm your form submission with Jaago Re! by messaging *"vote confirm" to 56767 from your mobile number, as registered under your profile. Once your address verification is completed by a government official (BLO), your name will be included in the next revision of voter lists for your city. We will track and confirm your status of voter registration by email and SMS, as soon as your city voter lists get revised!

5 The only 2 kinds of elections are parliamentry and assembly elections

As a registered voter you can vote in more than 2 elections! Besides Parliamentary and Assembly elections, you can also vote in your Local Body Elections or Municipal Elections (as called in cities).
India has a 3 tier federal structure with governments at the union, state and local levels. In cities, the Municipal Corporation is your Local Body or Local Government, and you can vote in Municipal Elections once every 5 years to elect your Corporator or Councilor. They in turn elect the municipal council and the mayor, who take all major decisions affecting your city.
To learn more about how your city's governance works, please visit your respective CITY page on this website. In villages, the Gram Panchayat functions as the Local Government with elections once every 5 years.
Additionally, if you are residing at Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra or Uttar Pradesh and belong either to Teacher's Constituency or Graduate Constituency, you are also eligible to vote for Legislative Council elections, to elect your MLC. top

Election Basics: Dictionary of Governance

AERO
The Election Commission of India appoints one or more Assistant Electoral Registration Officers to assist the Electoral Registration Officer in the performance of his functions in the matter of preparation/revision of electoral rolls. topAFSOThe Assistant Food and Supplies officer is the head of the block and functions under the control of the District Food & Supplies Officer as well as the District Food & Supplies Controller. topAge proofYou are required to show proof of age the first time you register to vote. You have to produce any of the following documents

as proof:
Passport
Birth certificate
State board exam certificate
Driving license

Amendment

Changes in the Constitution can be implemented through amendments. Article 368 of the Constitution provides that amendments to the Constitution can take place in three ways. They are:
By simple majority of the Parliament: Amendments in this category can be made by a simple majority of members present and voting, before sending them for the Presidents assent.
By special majority of the Parliament: Amendments can be made in this category by a two-third majority of the total number of members present and voting, which should not be less than half of the total membership of the house.
By special majority of the Parliament and ratification by at least half of the state legislatures by special majority. After this, it is sent to the President for his assent. Anything which you want to amend under Article 368 requires this kind of majority to be proved.

Article

Articles in the constitution of India will be referred to specific provisions one by one. topAssembly ConstituencyA geographical area represented by a member of the Legislative Assembly. Each Parliamentary constituency is made up of an integral number of assembly constituencies. top

Election Basics: Who does what

1 Functions of union government
The subjects in this list includes subjects of national importance like defense, foreign affairs, atomic energy, banking, post, telegraph, custom duties, inter- state and national highways, railroads and taxation of income.
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2 Functions of state government
The state list contains 66 subjects of state importance on which the state governments can make laws. These subjects include police, local governments, trade, commerce and agriculture. In times of national and state emergency, the power to make laws on these subjects is transferred to the Parliament. The concurrent list contains 47 subjects on which both the Parliament and the state legislatures can make laws. It includes criminal and civil procedure, marriage and divorce, education, economic planning, labor welfare, social security and trade unions. However, in case of a conflict between a law made by the central government and a law made by the state legislatures, the law made by the central government will obviously prevail. The local governments allow further decentralization or distribution of power and allow people to participate in the functioning of the Government.
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3 Importance of local government
India is a vast country. It is not efficient to go to the Union or State government for every decision or issue. Therefore in addition to Union and State we have local governments that are closer to the people. The government at the Centre of the State may not understand the local problems. The local people.s leader best represent the people in the city or in the village. The residents of a city are better acquainted with and have easier access to their local representatives; this makes the leader more accountable. It is more economical to have decisions made locally to suit the local needs and conditions. In a sense, when you decentralize power you also decentralize corruption.
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4 What does local government do?
Local governments are institutions of self government. They have political, functional and economic power for good governance. They provide basic services and infrastructure that are indispensable to our well being.
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5Type of local governments
The rural governments are Village Panchayats. The Urban local governments are either Municipal councils or Municipal Corporation.
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6Functions of urban local governments
Water supply for domestic, industrial and commercial purposes Public health, sanitation and solid waste management Fire services Public amenities including streetlights, parking lots and bus stops Urban amenities and facilities such as parks, gardens and playgrounds Roads and bridges Slum improvement, urban poverty alleviation Maintenance of burial grounds Registration of births and deaths Regulation of slaughter houses and tanneries Urban planning including town planning Regulation of land use and construction of buildings
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7Functions of village local governments
Look after street lights, construction and repair work of the roads in the villages and also the village markets, fairs, festivals and celebrations. Keep a record of birth, deaths and marriages in the village. Look after public health and hygiene by providing facilities for sanitation and drinking water. Provide for education. Implement development schemes for agriculture and animal husbandry. As urban citizens, we sometimes fail to recognize the crucial role the government plays in providing us a better quality of life. Compared to union or state elections, the local elections have the least voter turnout.

DLF Indian Premier League Player Auction Set A

DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set A
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Shaun Tait Australia/SA Bowler 250,000 375,000 Rajasthan Royals 2 Kevin Pieterson England Batsman 1,350,000 1,550,000 Royal Challengers 3 Andrew Flintoff England All rounder 950,000 1,550,000 Super Kings 4 J P Duminy South Africa Batsman 300,000 950,000 Mumbai Indians
DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set B
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Paul Collingwood England All rounder 250,000 275,000 Delhi Daredevils 2 Owais Shah England Batsman 150,000 275,000 Delhi Daredevils 3 Fidel Edwards West Indies Bowler 150,000 150,000 Deccan Chargers 4 C Kapugedera Sri Lanka Batsman 150,000 UNSOLD - 5 Stuart Clark Australia / NSW Bowler 250,000 UNSOLD - 6 Brad Haddin Australia / NSW Wicketkeeper 250,000 UNSOLD -
DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set C
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Thilan Thushara Sri Lanka All rounder 125,000 140,000 Super Kings 2 Phil Jaques Australia / NSW Batsman 100,000 UNSOLD - 3 Jesse Ryder New Zealand Batsman 100,000 160,000 Royal Challengers 4 Ravi Bopara England All Rounder 150,000 450,000 Kings XI Punjab 5 Luke Wright England All rounder 150,000 UNSOLD - 6 Kyle Mills New Zealand Bowler 150,000 150,000 Mumbai Indians 7 Tyron Henderson South Africa All rounder 100,000 650,000 Rajasthan Royals 8 Nuwan Kulasekera Sri Lanka Batsman 150,000 UNSOLD - 9 Ashwell Prince South Africa Batsman 150,000 UNSOLD - 10 Andre Nel South Africa Bowler 120,000 UNSOLD -
DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set D
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Samit Patel England All Rounder 100,000 UNSOLD - 2 Morne Van Wyk South Africa Wicketkeeper 100,000 UNSOLD - 3 Gulam Bodi South Africa Batsman 100,000 UNSOLD - 4 Dwayne Smith West Indies All rounder 100,000 100,000 Deccan Chargers 5 Jerome Taylor West Indies Bowler 150,000 150,000 Kings XI Punjab 6 Steven Smith NSW All rounder 75,000 UNSOLD - 7 M. Ashraful Bangladesh Batsman 75,000 75,000 Mumbai Indians 8 Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh All rounder 75,000 UNSOLD - 9 Ashley Noffke Australia Bowler 100,000 UNSOLD - 10 Daren Powell West Indies Bowler 150,000 UNSOLD -
DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set E
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Bryce McGain Victoria Bowler 50,000 UNSOLD - 2 James Franklin New Zealand Bowler 50,000 UNSOLD - 3 K. Weeraratne Sri Lanka All Rounder 50,000 UNSOLD - 4 R. N. Sarwan West Indies Batsman 100,000 UNSOLD - 5 Jonathan Moss Victoria All Rounder 50,000 UNSOLD - 6 Dominic Thornely NSW All Rounder 50,000 UNSOLD - 7 Tamim Iqbal Bangladesh Batsman 50,000 UNSOLD - 8 Michael Klinger South Australia Batsman 75,000 UNSOLD - 9 P. Jayawardene Sri Lanka Wicketkeeper 50,000 UNSOLD - 10 Aiden Blizzard Victoria Batsman 75,000 UNSOLD -
DLF Indian Premier League - Player Auction Set F
Sr. NO Player Name Nationality Speciality Reserve Price US$ Winning Bid US$ Winning Franchise 1 Kemar Roach West Indies Bowler 50,000 UNSOLD - 2 Michael Dighton Tasmania Batsman 50,000 UNSOLD - 3 Aaron Bird NSW Bowler 45,000 UNSOLD - 4 Brett Geeves Tasmania Bowler 45,000 UNSOLD - 5 M. B. Mortaza Bangladesh Bowler 50,000 600,000 Knight Riders 6 Daniel Harris South Australia Batsman 50,000 UNSOLD - 7 George Bailey Tasmania Batsman 50,000 50,000 Super Kings 8 Michael Hill Victoria Batsman 50,000 UNSOLD - 9 Yusuf Abdulla South Africa Bowler 25,000 UNSOLD

IPL 2009 Schedule

IPL 2009 : IPL Fixures , Schedule 2009 will be announced by BCCI . IPL Venues , Teams , Prize Money , IPL Players will be displayed here

April 18: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Cape Town; MUMBAI INDIANS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 19: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Cape Town; DELHI DAREDEVILS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (8 pm) at Cape Town.

April 20: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE V CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth.

April 21: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Durban; KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (8 pm) at Durban

April 22: DELHI DAREDEVILS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Durban; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 23: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 24: KINGS XI PUNJAB v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Johannesburg

April 25: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Cape Town; DECCAN CHARGERS v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Durban.

April 26: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Cape Town; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) Port Elizabeth

April 27: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Cape Town; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Durban.

April 28: DELHI DAREDEVILS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Pretoria

April 29: MUMBAI INDIANS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Durban; KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (8 pm) at Durban

April 30: DELHI DAREDEVILS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Pretoria; RAJASTHAN ROYALS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (8 pm) at Pretoria.

May 1: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at East London; MUMBAI INDIANS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Durban

May 2: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 3: MUMBAI INDIANS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Durban; KINGS XI PUNJAB v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at East London

May 4: DECCAN CHARGERS v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 5: DELHI DAREDEVILS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Durban; KINGS XI PUNJAB v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Durban

May 6: MUMBAI INDIANS v DECCAN CHARGERS (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 7: KINGS XI PUNJAB v CHENNAI SUPER KINGS (4 pm) at Pretoria; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 8: DELHI DAREDEVILS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at East London

May 9: DECCAN CHARGERS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 10: KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at East London; ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 11: DECCAN CHARGERS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Bloemfontein

May 12: ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Pretoria; KINGS XI PUNJAB v MUMBAI INDIANS (8 pm) at Pretoria.

May 13: DECCAN CHARGERS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Durban

May 14: MUMBAI INDIANS v RAJASTHAN ROYALS (4 pm) at Durban; CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (8 pm) at Durban.

May 15: KINGS XI PUNJAB v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Kimberley

May 16: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v MUMBAI INDIANS (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DECCAN CHARGERS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 17: RAJASTHAN ROYALS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (4 pm) at Kimberley; KINGS XI PUNJAB v DECCAN CHARGERS (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 18: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 19: DELHI DAREDEVILS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Johannesburg

May 20: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS v KINGS XI PUNJAB (4 pm) at Durban; RAJASTHAN ROYALS v KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS (8 pm) at Durban

May 21: DECCAN CHARGERS v ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE (4 pm) at Pretoria; MUMBAI INDIANS v DELHI DAREDEVILS (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria

May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg

May 24: Final at Johannesburg.

CCI’s cash cow: Get ready to don IPL caps, T-shirts

IPL ground sponsorship : IPL ground sponsorship to cost $8 mn next season

IPL 2009 , IPL 2009

IPL 2009

IPL 2009 Pictures : IPL Gallery

IPL Auctions 2009

IPL Auctions 2009

IPL 2009 Players

Income Tax Dept targets BCCI; IPL players

Hero Honda joins IPL as co-sponsor

Microsoft Excel Shortcut keys

Auto sum shortcut key : Quickly create a Microsoft Excel formula to get the sum of all cells by highlighting the cells you wish to know the value of and pressing ALT and = .

Create hyper links in Excel : Quickly create hyper links in your Microsoft Word, Excel, or Front Page document by highlighting text and pressing "CTRL + K".Close all open files at once : Close all open Microsoft Word and/or Excel files by holding down the shift key and clicking "File" and then "Close All".

Quickly open recently opened files : Quickly open the recent files by first pressing "ALT + F" to open the file Menu and press 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Create underlines without any text : This tip works with the majority of Microsoft Office applications. Easily create an underlined space by pressing CTRL + U to start the underline, then press SHIFT + Space for each underlined space you wish to create. An example of how this could be used is for printable forms, for example: Name: .

Print only sections of a document : Save on your printer ink by selectively printing in Windows programs such as Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, WordPad, Outlook, etc. To do this highlight portions of text you wish to print and click print. In the printer dialog window under Page Range choose the option Selection. It is important to realize that not all programs or printer drivers support this feature.

Repeat recent action : Using the F4 key in Microsoft Office 2000 and above allows the user to repeat the last used action. For example, if you have changed the font of a selected text and wish to change another portion of text to the same font, pressing F4 will do this for you automatically.

Quickly undo : Quickly undo mistakes in the majority of most PC Windows program by pressing CTRL + Z.

Quickly above cell contents : In Microsoft Excel press CTRL + SHIFT + " to copy the above cells contents.

Using the Microsoft Excel Auto filter : Organize cells quickly by using Microsoft Auto filter. Columns that contains long listing of data can be easily sorted by using the Auto filter option, to use this option select the top rows of the columns you want to be used and select Data / Filter and Auto Filter. Once successfully completed you can use drop down arrows to filter the data automatically.

India face tour's toughest Test

New Zealand v India, 3rd Test, Wellington
India face tour's toughest Test
Sidharth Monga in Wellington
April 1, 2009

If one of the challenges of Test cricket is playing in various conditions, then any team aspiring to be the best team in the world should visit the Basin Reserve in the first week of April.
Located beneath Mount Victoria and Mount Cook in windy Wellington, the Basin Reserve is totally uncovered. Most of the seating is in the grass banks, and the few stands that exist are not high at all. With winter approaching and the Southerlies blowing with gusto, the players will definitely feel the need to protect against the cold. Wellington in early April is New Zealand's equivalent of a dry and dusty Ahmedabad in October. Thank goodness some things like the weather can't be tailored, or else, going by the trend of homogenous pitches, the sameness would have completely taken over.
To the disappointment of many, India have largely played in conditions similar to those at home so far on the tour. Admittedly, Christchurch was cold but the flat pitch at the AMI Stadium didn't test them much. India struggled on a nippy pitch in Auckland but the one-day series had already been won by then. In Hamilton and Napier, the Indians found even the weather to their liking - it was warm and sunny. And the less said about the pitch at McLean Park the better.
The Indians arrived in Wellington with a 1-0 lead in the series and, when they reached the Basin Reserve two days before the Test, the skies were overcast, the temperature was about 10 degrees Celsuis, and winds were blowing around 30kmph. That's one-third of the speed of a Harbhajan Singh quicker one and about 23% of the normal pace of the fast bowlers. Thursday and Friday are expected to be sunnier, but the forecast for the weekend - the second and third days of the Test - is cloudy.
The Indian team trained for three hours on Wednesday, but not many shed their jackets, gloves and beanies. VVS Laxman wore a thick jacket, while Virender Sehwag had a sleeveless sweater. One of the players said it was even colder than their last visit to New Zealand in 2002-03, while another said he had encountered similar conditions in England. Another member of the team said that the cold was manageable but the winds presented a challenge.
That even the New Zealand players are finding it cold shows just how big a factor the conditions will be. "I think they [India] will find it a little bit cold," Brendon McCullum said. "If we find it cold here, no doubt they will be freezing. I am sure, from their point of view, they will be hoping that the wind dies down and the sun comes out but, from ours, it will be great to have them on the park when the conditions are like this. I am sure we are going to find the conditions a little bit more pleasurable than they are."
Chris Martin said that New Zealand were used to the weather at the Basin Reserve, a ground on which they have "had some success in the past". "It's something a lot of touring teams dislike and quite a lot of people playing here domestically find it tough as well," Martin said. "But it's character building, and is definitely something the supporters will have to put up with as well.
"I know most subcontinental sides that have come out here find it very difficult to keep their bodies warm and I think they might want their bowlers to get us out even quicker. But I suppose that's one of the things you have to put up with just as we put up with the heat in India and places like that."
Gary Kirsten, India's coach, said his team was looking forward to the challenge posed by the conditions. "Little bit cold for the Indian guys, but we have adjusted pretty well," Kirsten said. "The guys are looking forward to it. There has been talk about the third Test within our camp. We have got a fair amount of rest watching the guys bat [in Napier]. So I think the bowlers are pretty keen to get out there."
Kirsten also said it was too early to change any plans because of the windy conditions. "We will have to see when we get out there," he said. "Conditions look good certainly for the first few days. But it does effect things a little bit, but you can only make those decisions when on the field."
When the sun is out, the Basin Reserve presents the spectators one of the best viewing experiences for a Test match. Without doubt it is the best cricket ground in New Zealand, and is protected by an Act of Parliament. It is fitting it should present a visiting team with the toughest test of the tour.

Prabhu Deva meets his Indian idol

Prabhu Deva meets his Indian idol! IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009] Prabhu Deva was in Mumbai to shoot Dance India Dance, a Zee TV reality show, and was keyed up to be sharing the stage with his idol Mithun Chakraborty.
Deva, whose father Sundaram choreographed dances for the biggest names in South India, was in awe of the veteran actor. He revealed that meeting Chakraborty was a memory he would treasure.
Currently, Deva is busy with his other pet project, Wanted, with Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia. Putting to rest rumours that Khan was being difficult about giving dubbing dates, director Deva said the movie was on schedule for release in July. The normally reticent man also revealed that yesteryears star Vinod Khanna was the surprise element in the movie.
The prolific dance master and actor further clarified that his hiatus from acting is a result of his attention being diverted into directing movies. Though he hasn’t ruled out making more Bollywood movies, he’s simply waiting on Wanted to be a success. Prabhu Deva meets his Indian idol! IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009] Prabhu Deva was in Mumbai to shoot Dance India Dance, a Zee TV reality show, and was keyed up to be sharing the stage with his idol Mithun Chakraborty.
Deva, whose father Sundaram choreographed dances for the biggest names in South India, was in awe of the veteran actor. He revealed that meeting Chakraborty was a memory he would treasure.
Currently, Deva is busy with his other pet project, Wanted, with Salman Khan and Ayesha Takia. Putting to rest rumours that Khan was being difficult about giving dubbing dates, director Deva said the movie was on schedule for release in July. The normally reticent man also revealed that yesteryears star Vinod Khanna was the surprise element in the movie.
The prolific dance master and actor further clarified that his hiatus from acting is a result of his attention being diverted into directing movies. Though he hasn’t ruled out making more Bollywood movies, he’s simply waiting on Wanted to be a success.

Shah Rukh Khan takes over the ramp and how

Shah Rukh Khan takes over the ramp, and how! IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009] Leave it to King Khan to charm, ooze sex appeal, crack jokes and walk the ramp, all the while with his arm in a sling! The Bollywood superstar strutted his stuff for Manish Malhotra on the fourth day of Lakme India Fashion Week. Malhotra’s colour theme for the show was inspired by Khan’s IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders. So, it was inevitable that Khan did the catwalk dressed from head to sling to toe in black and gold. The highlight was the drool-worthy actor in black harem pants and a black blazer with golden buttons

And Khan stole the show with well-timed witticisms about Preity Zinta, and sex and the Khan reputation. He even did an impeccable impression of the models by sucking in his cheeks and showing off his pout! Bollywood’s elite like Kajol , Kareena Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Genelia D’ Souza, Arjun Rampal and wife Meher, Sridevi and Boney Kapoor were spotted in the front rows.

John becomes fitness instructor

John becomes fitness instructor! IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009] If you are wondering whether John Abraham has changed from acting to becoming a fitness pro, you are wrong. The actor is doing a bit of both these days. And any guesses to who his student is? None other than his co-star and friend Shreyas Talpade.
John who is famous for his oh-so-good looks among the young as well as the not-so-young ladies is currently in Hyderabad shooting for David Dhawan’s film ‘Hook Ya Crook’. The film is said to have equal proportions of humour and thrills. John’s co-stars in the film are Shreyas, Kay Kay Menon, Sharad Kapoor and Krushna Abhishek.
Since this film demands a toned look for Sherayas, he has been advised by John to sweat it out at the gym. Reports suggest that John has a personal gym for working out which now shreyas shares with him. Not only that, John has also detailed on a strict diet chart for Shreyas to follow.
With a person like John as coach we can sure expect good results on Shreyas, which will be there for the audience to see once the film hits theatres.

Imran Khan’s favorite

IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009]

After the success of his romantic comedy, debut film ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’ becoming a good grosser at the box office, the hero of the film Imraan Khan is a happy man. He is one guy who dares to be different. After garnering good reviews for his role in ‘Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na’, he dared to pick up villain’s role in his very next film ‘Kidnap’.
Though ‘Kidnap’ bombed big time at the box office for poor direction, Imran’s role was appreciated. Though it was Aamir khan who was responsible in young Imran being interested in films, he has always had another favorite. None other than the badshah of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan.
This comes as a real surprise for all of us more so because of the perpetual tiffs between uncle Khan and his favorite hero SRK.
Imran Khan is currently busy shooting for ‘Luck’ which is an out and out action film. The actor had even surprised the director Soham where he has performed dare-devil stunts on a moving train without the help of a dupe.
‘Luck’ has Imran Khan, Sanjay Dutt and veteran actor Kamal Hassan’s daughter Shruthi Hassan playing lead roles. Shruthi Hassan also happens to be a versatile singer.

Another doctorate for Rahman

IndiaGlitz [Wednesday, April 01, 2009]

Awards and appreciation are just keeping on pouring in for the most talented music maker of India-A.R.Rahman.
After the decision of Anna University in Tamilnadu to confer a doctorate in Media Sciences to the composer, it is the turn of a foreign university to do the same.
The syndicate of Middlesex University in London has now announced an honorary doctorate for A.R.R.
Rahman will be presented with this prestigious honour at the Middlesex University’s annual graduation ceremony to be held in July.
The decision of the syndicate was conveyed to the music maestro by Joe Victor who is the regional director of the Middlesex University.
This doctorate gives way to the association of Rahman with the university getting stronger.
For sometime now Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory situated in Chennai was holding discussions with the officials of the Middlesex University for a joint music degree course.
The efforts of the Conservatory have paid off as the proposed course will start next year.
Now the interested students can do the first two years of the Middlesex University’s Bachelor Of Arts honours programe for Music Composition and Music Performance in Chennai and the final year at London.

INDIA QUIZ OF GENARAL KNOWLEDGE

1
The largest NANDI in India is found at

Chaumundeshwari Temple, Mysore

Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur

Leepakshi Temple, Andhra Pradesh

Ekambaranatha Temple, Kanchipuram

2
Hooghly was used as a base for piracy in the Bay of Bengal by

British

French

Portuguese

Danes

3
The 'Zamorins' ruled over

Punjab

Jammu

Malabar Coast

Mysore

Gujarat Coast

4
The Book 'Big Egos, Small Men' is written by

Ram Jethmalani

Kapil Sibal

Mani Shankar Iyer

Soli Sorabjee

5
Some Indian archaeologists claim that the earliest earthquake in the Indian Suncontinent took place at the Harrapan site of

Dholavira

Lothal

Mohenjodaro

Kalibangan

6
How many 'World Cultural Heritage Sites' are there in India?

17

15

10

14

7
Which one of the following pairs represent the ancient 'tala' instruments?

Muzhavu-Tabla

Tumburu-Kinnaram

Muzhavu-Thudi

Thudi-Tabla

8
Which was the only refinery in India at the time of its Independence?

Mathura

Ahmedabad

Digdoi

Bongaigonga
The Digboi Refinery was India's only oil refinery at the time of Independence and continued to be so till the 1950s when the erstwhile Esso and Burmah Shell refineries were set up in 1954 and 1955.

9
Rabindra Nath Tagore composed the National Anthem of

India

India, Bangladesh and Nepal

Bangladesh

India and Bangladesh

10
India saw its first non-Congress government at the Centre in the year

1990

1977

1975

1985

11
Which of the following rivers is most mentioned in the early Vedic literature?

Yamuna

Sindhu

Sutudri

Ganga

Saraswati

12
Which of the following places is NOT located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh?

Charminar

Church of the Holy Trinity

Jham Singh's Temple

Thousand Lights' Mosque
It is located in Chennai.

13
The 'Tower of Silence' is located at

Rishikesh

Allahabad

Mumbai

Chittorgarh

14
The first Indian ruler who joined the subsidiary alliance was

Peshwa Baji Rao II

Maharaja of Mysore

King of Travancore

Nawab of Oudh

Nizam of Hyderabad

15
The Vallabhai Patel Airport is located at

Aurangabad

Ahmedabad

Gandhi Nagar

Surat

16
Who was the first Indian woman to win a medal in the Olympics?

Kunjarani Devi

Bachendri Pal

P.T.Usha

Karnam Maleshwari

17
In which city would you find the Vedanta Life Institute?

Mumbai

Pune

Hyderabad

Chennai

18
In the Presidential elections of India, an MLA's vote value is

almost zero

uniformly placed at 100

uniformly placed at 200

differs from state to state dpending on population

19
Which Mughal Emperor was deported to Rangoon by the British?

Akbar Shah I

Bahadur Shah II

Bahadur Shah I

Shah Jahan
Bahadur Shah II is more familiarly known as Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last known Mughal Ruler of India.

20
Which of the following was described as the "Oxford University of Mahayana Buddhism"?

Nalanda

Vikramashila

Taxila

Vallabhi

21
Which of the following musical instruments is NOT of foreign origin?

Tabla

Sitar

Violin

Flute

22
Who was the Army Chief of India when it celebrated its first Republic Day?

K.M.Cariappa

Sardar Baldev Singh

T.W.Elmhirst

Sir Edward Parry

23
Who is the founder of the political party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)?

M.G.Ramachandran

C.N.Annadurai

Jayalalitha

M.Karunanidhi

24
The Shirdi Sai Baba passed away in

1918

1952

1820

1750

25
The entry into the Lotus Temple at New Delhi is restricted to followers of

Hindu faith

Sikh faith

Parsi faith

Bahai faith

None of the above

Up Date World GK

Questionnaire: World GK
1. South Africa became a democratic republic onA. May 10, 1994B. May 10, 1993C. April 15, 1994D. April 15, 1993Answera
2. What is the official language of Argentina?A. ItalianB. SpanishC. PortugueseD. GermanAnswerb
3. Arrange the following pairs in correct order.
Language Country a. Flemish 1. Israel b. Amharic 2. Ethiopia c. Swahili 3. Belgium d. Hebrew 4. East Africa
A. a4, b3, c2, d1B. a3, b2, c4, d1C. a3, b2, c1, d4D. a2, b3, c1, d4Answerb
4. Arrange the following pairs in correct order.
Language Country a. French 1. Brazil b. Italian 2. Mexico c. Portuguese 3. Libya d. Spanish 4. Mauritania 5. Algeria
A. a5, b3, c1, d2B. a2, b5, c1, d3C. a3, b1, c5, d4D. a5, b3, c2, d4Answera
5. Which country is not in Europe?A. HollandB. BelgiumC. LebanonD. SwedenAnswerc
6. Judaism and Christianity were born in :A. PalestineB. RomeC. EgyptD. IranAnswera
7. The Zend Avesta is the Holy Book of the:A. HebrewsB. Roman CatholicsC. ZoroastriansD. QuakersAnswerc
8. Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?A. Islam –BohrasB. Hinduism–Arya SamajistsC. Christianity–MormonsD. Zoroastrianism–BahrisAnswerd
9. Which of the following Muslim festivals is based on the ‘Holy Quran’ ?A. Id-ul-FitrB. Id-ul-ZuhaC. MoharumD. Bakr-idAnswerb
10. In which season is Christmas celebrated in Australia?A. AutumnB. WinterC. SpringD. SummerAnswerd
11. Capital of Guatemala is obtained by putting the word ‘city’after it. The capital of which of the following countries is obtained in such way:A. TaiwanB. MexicoC. LaosD. GhanaAnswerb
12. The capital of Vietnam is:A. Ho ChiMinh CityB. HanoiC. AnkaraD. KampalaAnswerb
13. Tirana is the capital of the country known as:A. YugoslaviaB. HungaryC. AfghanistanD. AlbaniaAnswerd
14. Which one of the following is not a capital city?A. SophiaB. Ho ChiMinh CityC. PanamaCityD. PragueAnswerb
15. Brasilia is the capital of which of the following countries?A. MexicoB. GuyanaC. CubaD. BrazilAnswerd
16. Bangkok is the capital of which of the following countries?A. MalaysiaB. IndonesiaC. TaiwanD. ThailandAnswerd
17. Thimpu is the capital of :A. NepalB. BhutanC. SikkimD. TibetAnswerb
18. Which of the following is the capital of Iran ?A. TeheranB. RiyadC. BaghdadD. JerusalemAnswera
19. Dirham is the currency of:A. MaltaB. IranC. MorocoD. LibyaAnswerc
20. Drop the last four letters of the name of the country itself and you get its currency. The country is:A. NetherlandsB. AfghanistanC. El SalvadorD. LuxembourgAnswerb
21. By dropping the final letter of the name of country we get name of its curency. That country is in Europe. The country is:A. KoreaB. FranceC. MongoliaD. IranAnswerb
22. Netherland’s currency is:A. PesoB. PesataC. RupiahD. GuilderAnswerd
23. Which of the following pairs of country and its currency is not correct?A. Bangladesh –TakaB. United Arab Emirates–DirhamC. Japan–YuanD. Saudi Arabia–RiyalAnswerc
24. The currency of the European Monetary Unionis:A. DolarB. EuroC. MarkD. SterlingAnswerb
25. ‘Scym’is the Parliament of:A. HollandB. PolandC. YugoslaviaD. GreeceAnswerb
26. Duma refers to:A. freedomB. an elected bodyC. religionD. soldiersAnswerb
27. Which one of the following countries was previously called Kampuchea?A. VietnamB. CambodiaC. MaldivesD. GambiaAnswerb
28. The new name of Burma is:A. YangoonB. MyanmarC. RangoonD. KampucheaAnswerb
29. What was the earlier name of Ghana ?A. The Ivory CoastB. The Gold CoastC. MalabarD. The LevantAnswerb
30. In which nation, its flag is never allowed to fly at half-mast ?A. Saudi ArabiaB. TurkeyC. MorocoD. LibyaAnswera
31. Zimbabwe was formerly known as:A. RhodesiaB. MaliC. NamibiaD. Ivory CoastAnswera
32. Paper was invented in China in the:A. Ist century BCB. 2ndcenturyADC. 4thcenturyADD. 5thcenturyADAnswerb
33. In which of the following countries did the decimal system of numbers originate?A. EnglandB. FranceC. GermanyD. IndiaAnswerd
34. Where was the selection of suitable candidates for a particular job first started through competitive examination?A. ChinaB. Great BritainC. USAD. GermanyAnswera
35. The institution of Ombudsman was first established in:A. NorwayB. SwedenC. FinlandD. DenmarkAnswerb
36. ‘Maple Leaf’ is the emblem of:A. CanadaB. GreeceC. CyprusD. GuineaAnswera
37. Which country is named as ‘The Cockpit of Europe’ ?A. HungaryB. AustriaC. SwitzerlandD. BelgiumAnswerd
38. Which country is known as the ‘Playground of Europe’ ?A. ItalyB. FranceC. SwitzerlandD. PolandAnswerc
39. Which is the country famous for pyramids?A. IsraelB. JordanC. IraqD. EgyptAnswera
40. Which country is nearest to the SouthPole?A. AustraliaB. NewZealandC. ChileD. SwedenAnswerc
41. Australia may be called a “hollow continent” because:A. most people live along the coastsB. it is shaped like a saucerC. there are no rivers in the interiorD. most of its central area is occupied by waterAnswera
43. ‘Land of White Elephant’ is the surname assigned to:A. JapanB. ThailandC. BhutanD. NepalAnswerb
43. Cuba is nicknamed as :A. Cockpit of EuropeB. Hermit KingdomC. Land of the Golden FleeceD. Sugar Bowl of the worldAnswerd
44. Arrange the following pairs in correct order.
List I List II a. Land of Rising Sun 1. Korea b. Land of Midnight Sun 2. Finland c. Land of Thousand Lakes 3. Japan d. Land of Thunderbolt 4. Norway 5. Bhutan
A. a2, b4, c1, d5B. a3, b4, c2, d5C. a1, b3, c2, d4D. a3, b1, c4, d2Answerb45. Famous Leaning Tower of Pisa is in:A. ItalyB. GreeceC. CyprusD. TurkeyAnswera46. The city of Los Angeles is famous for :A. film studiosB. golden beachesC. rocket launching stationD. natural beautyAnswera47. Given below are four wonders not usually included among the seven wonders of the world :1.The Great Wall of China2.TheTaj Mahal at Agra3.The Leaning Tower of Pisa4.The Angkor Vat Temple in Kampuchea
What is the correct chronological sequence in which they were constructed ?Choose the answer from the codes given below:A. 3,2,1,4B. 1,4,3,2C. 1,3,4,2D. 4,1,2,3Answerb48. Vatican City is the residence of:A. PopeB. British QueenC. French PresidentD. Cyprus PresidentAnswera
49. Kremlin in Moscow is:A. the seat of the governmentB. a temple representing ancient archaeological remainsC. the name of a university site in MoscowD. None of theseAnswera
50. No10, Downing Street, London is the official residence ofA. Chairman of the House of LordsB. Speaker of the House of CommonsC. Prime Minister of UKD. Foreign Minister of UKAnswerc
51. Kyat is the currency ofA. MaldivesB. MyanmarC. MongoliaD. NepalAnswerb52. Which of the following is not a Central American country?A. NicaraguaB. PanamaC. El-SalvadorD. PeruAnswerd53. Nicaragua is situated in :A. North AmericaB. South AmericaC. Central AmericaD. West AfricaAnswerc54. Which country is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun?A. SwedenB. NetherlandsC. NorwayD. JapanAnswerc55. The oldest monarchy in theworld is of:A. UKB. NepalC. Saudi ArabiaD. JapanAnswera
56. The largest island in the Indian Ocean is:A. SumatraB. MaldivesC. Sri LankaD. MadagascarAnswerd
57. Ecuador is situated in :A. North AmericaB. South AmericaC. AfricaD. South East AsiaAnswerb
58. Which of the following is known as the city of seven hills?A. OsloB. RomeC. GenevaD. IstambolAnswerb
59. Which country is situated in the horn of Africa?A. South AfricaB. EthiopiaC. SomaliaD. EgyptAnswerc
60. Which one of the following countries was involved in Bofors deal?A. SwitzerlandB. GermanyC. BritainD. FranceAnswera
61. International Rice Research Institute is in:A. MalaysiaB. ThailandC. IndonesiaD. PhilippinesAnswerd
62. Pentagon is :A. the largest port of RussiaB. the largest port of USAC. the biggest steel manufacturing centre in the worldD. a large building housing the Ministry of Defence of USAAnswerd
63. “Tashkent Agreement” was signed in:A. 1962B. 1966C. 1967D. 1972Answerb
64. Shimla Agreement was concluded in:A. 1962B. 1966C. 1967D. 1972Answerd
65. Which of the following combinations is/are correct ?1.Chalenger: explosion2.Kanishka :c rash3.Chernobyl : nuclear disaster
A. 1 and 3B. 2 and 3C. 1, 2 and 3D. 1 and 2Answerc
66. Which of the following set of countries is involved in Siachen Glacier dispute?A. India and ChinaB. India and PakistanC. India and RusiaD. Rusia and ChinaAnswerb
67. Developing countries are otherwise known as:A. Eastern Block CountriesB. Third World CountriesC. Agricultural CountriesD. Primary CountriesAnswerb
68. Iran-Iraq conflict was mainly over :A. Shat-el-Arab Waterway’s ownershipB. Kurdish rebelsC. ReligionD. None of the aboveAnswera
69. Hong Kong was transferred to China in the year:A. 1990B. 1992C. 1997D. 1996Answerc
70. India-UK extradition pact relates to:A. aid agreement between the two countriesB. defence purchaseC. curbing the terrorist activitiesD. None of theseAnswerc
71. Bahrain is becoming famous as theA. world’s leading sugar marketB. world’s major silver marketC. west Asia’s leading banking centre, being turned intoan inter-national bullion marketD. number one trading centre for AsiaAnswerc
72. Which of the following countries has only a two-party Government ?A. Great BritainB. FranceC. IndiaD. AustraliaAnswera
73. The policy of Non-Alignment followed by India implies :A. preserving the right to choose its own policiesB. keeping aloof from the power blocsC. bringing peace and amity to the worldD. a third world powerAnswerb
74. Which of these nations has the largest percentage of persons in the armed forces?A. IranB. IraqC. IsraelD. SyriaAnswerc
75. After the break-up of the USSR the largest country in the world in terms of area is:A. ChinaB. RussiaC. USAD. CanadaAnswerb
76. The American Constitution came into effect in:A. 1781B. 1861C. 1789D. 1865Answerc
77. Which is not a feature of the American constitution?A. FederationB. Written constitutionC. RepublicD. Cabinet systemAnswerd
78. United States of America elects her President after everyA. six yearsB. four yearsC. five yearsD. three yearsAnswerb
79. How the President of America is elected ?A. Direct electionB. Voting by State GovernorsC. By elected representatives of CongressD. Voting by Election Commission appointed by elected representativesAnswerd
80. If there is any disagreement between the Senate and House of Representatives in USA, it is resolved by:A. The PresidentB. The Vice-PresidentC. The SpeakerD. conference committee consisting of 3 to 9 members from each House

Time to update your GK folks

Time to update your GK folks.

1.Which of the following countries is a land locked country in south America?
a.Ecuador
b.Peru
c.Uruguay
d.Bolivia
ans: d
2.canary Islands belongs to
a.Norway
b.Spain
c.New Zealan
dd.Portugal
ans: b

3.Titan is the largest natural satilite of planet
a.Mercury
b.Venus
c.Saturn
d.Neptune
ans: c

4.Which of the following planets rotates clock wise?
a.Pluto
b.Jupiter
c.Venus
d.Mercury
ans: c

5.A difference of 1 degree in longtitude at the Equator is equaivalentto nearly
a.101 km
b.111 km
c.121 km
d.125 km
ans: b

6.The earliest known Indian script is
a.Mori
b.Devanagari
c.Brahmi
d.Kharosti
ans: c

7.How many times the preamble was amended
a.once
b.twice
c.thrice
d.four times
ans: a

8.The term socialist was added in the Preamble by the...amendment
a.40th
b.42nd
c.44th
d.49th
ans: b

9.The state with the lowest population in Inndia is
a.Goa
b.Tripura
c.Mizoram
d.Sikkim
ans: d

10.Which person or organisation received the Nobel Prize three times so far?
a.Medame Curie
b.Linus Pauling
c.Alexender Flemming
d.International Committee of the Redcross
ans: d

11.The Finance Commision is appointed for every... year
a.3
b.4
c.5
d.6
ans: c

12.Under which five year plan did agriculture show a negitive growth?
a.1st plan
b.2n
d plan
c.3r
d pland.4th plan
ans: c

13.Who is the founder of the Capital city of Agra?
a.Akbar
b.Babar
c.Sikinder Lodi
d.Mubarak Shah Sayyad
an: c

14.The first tide generated electricity project was established at
a.Vizhinjam, Kerala
b.Mangalore, Karnataka
c.Paradeep, Orissa
d.Vishakapattanam
ans: a

15.National Institute of Oceanography is located in:
a.Calcutta
b.Chennai
c.Mangalore
d.Panaji
ans: d

16.The 2004 Olympics were held in:
a.Bangkok
b.Rome
c.Athens
d.Nagasaki
ans: c

17.Who headed the committee appointed on Kargil War ?
a.Gen.V.P.Malik
b.Gen.S.K.Sinha
c.K.Subramanyam
d.K.C.Panth
ans: c

18.The C.K.Nayudu Trophy is related to the sport of
a.cricket
b.Hockey
c.Football
d.Chess
ans: a

19.New York is situated on the river
a.Hudson
b.Thames
c.Danube
d.Tigris
ans: a

20."The Woman of the Mellenium" selected by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is
a.Margaret Thacher
b.Hillary Clinton
c.Chandrika Kumaratunga
d.Indira Gandhi
ans: d

21.The Geneal Assembly of United Nations meets
a.Once a year
b.twice a year
c.thrice a year
d.Once in five years
ans: a

22.The "Common Wealth Games 2002" will be held in
a.Toranto
b.Manchester
c.Tokyo
d.Canberra
ans: b

23.All India Radio commenced operations in
a.1926
b.1936
c.1945
d.1947
ans: b

24.The "Killer Instinct"is written by
a.Sulakshan Mohan
b.M.K.Santanam
c.O.P.Sabharwal
d.Subash Jain
ans: c

25.The Secretary- General of UN is appointed by the
a.Security Council
b.Trusteeship Council
c.General Assembly
d.World Bank
ans: c

26.Postal Voting is other wise called:
a.external voting
b.secret voting
c.plural voting
d.proxy voting
ans: d

27.The Common Wealth of Independent states (CIS)consists of ....republica?
a.10
b.11
c.12
d.13
ans: c

28.Which of the following harbours is cosidered as the world's finest natural harbour?
a.Sydney harbour
b.Toronto harbour
c.New Jersy harbour
d.Singapore harbour
ans: a

29.Who invented Radar?
a.Henrey Backquerel
b.Max Planck
c.Robert Watson Watt
d.Humphrey Davy
ans: c

30.Sandal Wood trees are mostly found in...
a.Trophical Evergreen Forests
b.Tropical most Decidous
c.Alpine forests
d.Trophical Thorn Forests
ans: d

31.The first country to legalise medically assisted suicide is
a.Switzerland
b.New Zealand
c.USA
d.Netherlands
ans: d

31.India's newsprint industry is mainly located in
a.Indoreb.Dehradun c.Nepanagard.Nagpur
ans: c
32.The tomb of Babur is at
a.Kabulb.Lahore c.Multand.Larkhana
ans: a
33.The joint session of the two houses is presided by
a.the speaker b.the president c.chairman of Rajyasabhad.none of these
ans: a
34.The Gandhara school of Art was influenced most by the
a.Greeksb.Shakas c.persians d.Kushans
ans: a
35.The Simon Commission was appointed in
a.1927b.1928 c.1929d.1930
ans: c
36.Sikkim became a full fledged state of the I ndian Union, in the year ?
a.1972b.1973 c.1974d.1975
ans: d
37.Who is the founder of Mahabalipuram ?
a.Rajaraja Cholab.Mahendra Varman c.Narsimha Varmand.Narsimha Chola
ans: c
38.The 189th member of United Nations is
a.Palaub.Tuvalu c.Soloman Islandsd.Nauru
ans: b
39.When was Burma seperated from India
a.1947b.1942 c.1937c.1932
ans: c
40.Which of the following country has more than 55,000 lakes?
a.Polandb.Denmark c.Finlandd.Norway
ans: c
41.Where is India's National Institute of Sports situated?
a.Bhopal b.Patiala c.Lucknowd.Amritsar
ans: b
42.Name the first woman of Sahitya Academy award ?
a.Amrita Pritamb.Sarojini Naidu c.Mahasweta Devid.Manjula Padmanabhan
ans: a
43.Which nation is called the land of Golden Fleece ?
a.Canadab.Australia c.Norway d.North Korea
ans: b
44.... is called the father of Medicine?
a.Henemann
b.Aristotle
c.Hippocrates
d.Darwin
ans: a