Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91
Vol. XXIX No. 19, January 15-31, 2020
Quizzin’ with Ram’nan
(Quizmaster V.V. Ramanan’s questions are from December 16th to 31st. Questions 11 to 20 relate to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.)
1. On December 17, which former Asian head of State was sentenced to death in absentia on treason charges stemming from his imposition of a state of emergency in 2007?
2. On December 27, which European nation’s government announced the effective January 2020 it will officially stop using a popular moniker for the country and only use its official name?
3. In a daring escape, which former CEO of an auto giant, facing trial for financial wrongdoings, fled from Japan to Lebanon?
4. Which ‘leader’ apologised for slapping away a woman while greeting the faithful after a New Year’s Eve liturgy?
5. In a deal that would create the world’s fourth-largest automaker, Fiat Chrysler said it had agreed to terms of a merger with which company?
6. On December 30, the Government of India launched the CEIR (Central Equipment Identify Register) portal for what purpose?
7. On December 31, who was appointed India’s first Chief of Defence Staff?
8. Who recently became the first Indian to win the women’s World rapid chess title emulating Viswanathan Anand achieved among men?
9. Gujarat farmlands were recently attacked by huge swarms of which insect that emerged from Sudan and Eritrea in the coast of Red Sea?
10. Which State has topped in the Big State category in the new Good Governance Index?
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11. The brother of veena maestro S. Balachandar is known for the most-famous artistic representation of the trinity of Carnatic music. Name him.
12. What literary first is attributed to Krupabai Satthianadhan in whose name the University of Madras instituted a medal for the best female matriculation candidate in English?
13. What more famous production house came upon the site of Meenakshi Cinetone on the banks of the Adyar?
14. Which famous Tamil stars made their debut in the hit flick Pavalakodi in 1934?
15. For which place does the M in the name of the famous ‘Ma Po Si’ (M.P. Sivagnanam) stand for?
16. For which Navagraha deity is the Kailasanathar Temple in Thingalur known for?
17. Which political figure is given the credit for suggesting the brand name ‘Aavin’?
18. What was the christened name of the recently-deceased polymath whose nom-de-plumes included Marina and Bharanidharan?
19. The bus stops on Devanathan Street in Mandaveli and Luz Church Road were at one time ‘named’ after which famous musicians?
20. By what more famous name is the waterbody Vrddha Kshira Nadi (Old River of Milk) known?
Answers to Quiz1. Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf, 2. The Netherlands said it will stop using Holland as a name, 3. Carlos Ghosn, former chairman of Nissan, 4. Pope Francis, 5. France’s PSA, the maker of Peugeot and Citroën cars, 6. To address theft, security and other concerns concerning mobile phones, 7. The outgoing Army chief Bipin Rawat, 8. Koneru Humpy, 9. Locusts, 10. Tamil Nadu.
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11. S. Rajam, 12. The first woman novelist from India, 13. Sathya Studios, 14. M.K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and S.D. Subbulakshmi, 15. Mylai, 16. Soma or the moon, 17. M. Karunanidhi, 18. TS Sridhar, 19. Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar and Madurai Mani Iyer, 20. Cooum.
