1 / 6 |
A German U-boat torpedoed a steamship which killed more than 1,100 citizens of country X. This country had initially sought to stay out of World War 1. However, this event is recognised as one of the key factors for its involvement in the war. Name country X. And what is the name of the steamship?

Answer : United States; RMS Lusitania

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2 / 6 |
This is one of the most common catchphrases of World War 1. It is the title of a 1914 book by an English writer, who blamed the Central Powers for starting the war. He believed that once the Germans were defeated, the world would never have reason to fight again. What is the catchphrase that also became common in the 20th century and is often attributed to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson?

3 / 6 |
This was one of the deadliest battles of World War 1. It was an attempt by the British and French soldiers to defeat the Germans along the Western Front. Over 19,000 British soldiers died on the first day alone. The Battle is named after a river which runs through France. What is it called?

4 / 6 |
In January 1918, Woodrow Wilson presented his vision for peace to conclude World War I, and for a peaceful postwar world. A part of this vision also became the basis for an international organisation founded after World War 1. Name the vision and the organisation. 

Answer : Fourteen Points; League of Nations

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5 / 6 |
During the Second Battle of Ypres, this chemical weapon was released by the Germans towards the French lines. Name it. 

6 / 6 |
This Bengali pilot was India’s sole World War 1 flying ace. His nephew became the first Chief of Air Staff. His grand-nephew is one of India’s foremost journalists. Name the ace and the journalist.

1 / 6 |
Many of the world’s first generation of nuclear power plants had twin responsibilities: to generate power for the electrical grid and to produce _________ for the national nuclear weapons programme. Fill in the blank with the identity of a particular isotope.

2 / 6 |
The last first-generation nuclear power station to halt operations was the Wylfa facility on the Isle of Anglesey (Wales), on December 30, 2015, following 44 years of operation. Why did its operator, Magnox Ltd., have the facility built on the coast of the island?

3 / 6 |
The world’s oldest commercial nuclear reactor design still in use is the RBMK, conceived by engineers in the Soviet Union. Its advantages are its large size, power output, and ease of construction. Name the 1986 event involving an RBMK reactor that brought international attention to its disadvantages, in particular its tendency to become unstable at low power.

4 / 6 |
The International Atomic Energy Agency published the INES scale in 1990 to describe the severity of accidents at a nuclear power generation facility. On this scale the Three Mile Island incident in 1979 scored 5 whereas the Fukushima disaster of 2011 scored 7, the highest. What does INES stand for?

Answer : International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale

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5 / 6 |
Name the country in whose power generation mix nuclear power has the greatest contribution today — and has been the case since the 1980s. This power comes from 58 reactors and a large fraction of it is exported.

6 / 6 |
This is a view of the world’s largest nuclear power plant in terms of net electric power, although not all of its reactors are operational at this time. Name it.

1 / 6 |
Where was the Test held and what was the result of the match?

Answer : At the iconic Lord’s and India went down by 158 runs.

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2 / 6 |
The designated ‘official’ captain and vice-captain for the tour stepped down for the Test and a veteran star was chosen to lead the side. Who were the two ‘Royals’ and who earned the distinction of being India’s first skipper?

Answer : Maharaja of Porbandar Natwarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib Bahadur and his brother-in-law Ghanshyamsinhji Daulatsinhji gave way for Cottari Kanakaiya Nayudu to helm the side.

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3 / 6 |
Name the England captain, the highest scorer across both the teams, who would become ‘infamously’ famous later that year.

Answer : Douglas Jardine of ‘Bodyline’ fame

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4 / 6 |
 Name the siblings who donned the India whites in the historic first Test.

Answer : Syed Nazir Ali and Syed Wazir Ali.

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5 / 6 |
What distinction does fast bowler Bill Bowes share with the 11 Indians who played in that match?

Answer : He was the lone English debutant!

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6 / 6 |
Lall Singh, who played his only Test in 1932, was not born in the Indian sub-continent. In which present-day Asian country was he born?

1 / 6 |
This is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of West Asia. Cyprus, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey are sometimes considered as belonging to the region. Name the term. 

2 / 6 |
This is a nationalist movement that emerged in the 19th century to espouse support for establishing a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. An Austro-Hungarian Jewish journalist and political activist formed an organisation and promoted Jewish immigration to Palestine in an effort to form a Jewish state. What is the movement called? Name the activist. 

3 / 6 |
Since 2006, the Palestinian side has been fractured by conflict between a traditionally dominant party and a militant Islamist group that gained control of the Gaza Strip. Who are they?

4 / 6 |
What is the name of the public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a “national home for the Jewish people” in Palestine?

5 / 6 |
Which three religions hold Jerusalem as an important setting for their religious and historical narratives?

Answer : Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

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6 / 6 |
These were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at the country retreat of the President of the United States in Maryland. As a consequence, the leaders were awarded. Name the agreements. What was the award?

Answer : Camp David Accords, 1978 Nobel Peace Prize

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1 / 5 |
Nominated by the then U.S. President George W. Bush, this judge was sworn in as the Chief Justice of the United States on this day in 2005. Identify the judge.

2 / 5 |
With a history of strained ties, these two countries, geographically separated by _______________ sea, established diplomatic relations on this day in 1972. Identify the sea and the two countries.

Answer : Japan and China; East China Sea

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3 / 5 |
In 1962, this planetarium began operating as a research institution even though it was inaugurated only a year later. The propelling force behind the planetarium was a Calcutta-based industrialist and it was named after him. Identify the industrialist.

4 / 5 |
The theme for this year’s World Heart Day, celebrated on September 29, is Use Heart, Know Heart. What was last year’s theme?

Answer : Use Heart for Every Heart

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5 / 5 |
This swimmer became the first Asian woman to complete a successful swim across the English Channel on this day. Identify her.

1 / 6 |
Nast was a sharp critic of this American politician most notable for being the political boss of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party’s political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th-century New York City. Who was the politician?

Answer : William M. Tweed, commonly known as Boss Tweed

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2 / 6 |
He was an Indian cartoonist, best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, You Said It. Identify the cartoonist. 

3 / 6 |
This cartoonist’s 2008 cover for The New Yorker titled The Politics of Fear depicting Michelle and Barack Obama standing in the Oval Office created controversy and caused a lot of outrage. Who was the cartoonist?

4 / 6 |
This is a political cartoon showing the disunity in the American colonies. Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the cartoon is a woodcut showing a snake cut into eighths, with each segment labelled with the initials of one of the American colonies. What was it called?

5 / 6 |
Also known as Chard and Pscharr, she is a French far-right political cartoonist. She has been found guilty of complicity in “provoking discrimination, hatred or racial violence” against the black community, for a cartoon published. Identify her. 

6 / 6 |
He was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Peanuts. Name the cartoonist and his two best-known characters. 

Answer : Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown and Snoopy

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1 / 5 |
Which nation has the higher organ donor rate in the world? It reportedly had a donor rate of 46.7 per million people in 2017.

2 / 5 |
Advances in technology have now made it possible to do a successful half-matched or partially-matched transplant. The donor, a close family member, can be a half match for the patient. What is this transplantation called?

3 / 5 |
After death, any part of the human body can be donated, why, even the whole body can be donated for scientific research. But when a person is alive, what are the organs that one can technically donate to another?

Answer : 1 kidney, 1 lower lobe of the lung, a part of the liver, a part of the intestine

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4 / 5 |
Which was the first human organ to be transplanted successfully? And when?

5 / 5 |
This is an easy one. What is the law that governs human organs transplantation in India? Not so easy: Which two states are/were exempt from this law?

Answer : Transplantation of Human Organs Act; Andhra Pradesh, and the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir

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1 / 5 |
This political satire talk show premiered on September 8, 2015. After Letterman announced his intention to retire earlier in the month, this television host took over in the second iteration of the Late Show franchise. Name the host. 

2 / 5 |
This is an American late-night and political satire talk show broadcast on ABC. The show began on January 26, 2003, replacing Politically Incorrect. Name the show. 

3 / 5 |
In this show, the host extensively satirized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a segment. The Indian streaming service which holds rights to the programme refused to stream the episode, leading to criticism by local viewers. What is the name of this show?

Answer : Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

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4 / 5 |
StarTalk is an American television talk show that airs weekly on National Geographic. Near the end of the episode, a short taped segment of this television presenter is often aired, giving his view of the episode’s topic. Who hosts the show? Name the presenter who often makes an appearance in the show. 

Answer : Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Nye

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5 / 5 |
In this show, each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers the opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, with featured performances by a musical guest. Name the show. What is the phrase that is usually said in the beginning of the show?

Answer : Saturday Night Live, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”

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1 / 6 |
Morarji Desai has presented the highest number of budgets. How many? After Desai’s resignation, the then Prime Minister of India took over the Ministry of Finance. This person broke the glass ceiling by achieving a feat. Name the Prime Minister and the achievement.

Answer : 10 Budgets, Indira Gandhi, she became the first woman to hold the post of the Finance Minister

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2 / 6 |
He was an Indian civil servant who played a major role in issues related to internal and national security in the first years after independence. He served as the Finance Minister from 1977 to 1979. He presented the shortest budget speech for the interim budget of 1977. Identify the Minister.

Answer : Hirubhai M. Patel; 800 words

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3 / 6 |
Until 1999, the Budget was presented at a different time. When was it? Which Finance Minister first changed this tradition by presenting it at 11 am?

4 / 6 |
This budget was presented every year a few days before the Union Budget, till 2016. The Modi government on September 21, 2016, approved the merger of this budget and general budgets for next year, ending a 92-year-old practice. Which budget was this? Who presented this budget for the last time?

5 / 6 |
The printing of budget documents start roughly one week ahead of presenting in Parliament with another customary ceremony. What is the ceremony called? Who serves the dish?

Answer : Halwa ceremony, the Finance Minister

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6 / 6 |
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke the tradition of Bahi-Khata (a ledger wrapped in red cloth). The Minister replaced this tradition with what move in 2021?