Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Indian Freedom Movement (1857- 1947) -- Part II

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Indian Freedom Movement (1857 - 1947)


1. This  set of reforms prepared in 1918 was named after the Secretary of State for India during the latter parts of World War I and the Viceroy of India between 1916 and 1921. It also formed the basis for the Government of India act of 1919. Which set of reforms?

a. Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms

2. The Hunter Commision of Inquiry was ordered to convene by Secretary of State for India , Edwin Montagu in 1919. What was the reason for setting up the commission?

a. Inquire into the happenings of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre ( Amritsar Massacre)

3. This incident happened at a town near Gorakhpur  on 4 February 1922 and was responsible for Mahatma Gandhi asking all Indians to end the Non-Cooperation movement. Which incident?

a. Chauri Chaura incident

4. In 1943, in which city was the Arzi Hukumat-e-Azad Hind , an Indian government in Exile established by Subhash Chandra Bose , with monetary, diplomatic, political and military assistance from the Japanese?

a. Singapore

5. What name was given to the total strike and the subsequent Mutiny by the Indian sailors on board ship and shore establishments at Bombay , Karachi and Calcutta in February 1946?

a. Royal Indian Navy Mutiny ( or the Bombay Mutiny)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

World War II - Part II

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

World War II


1. The messages from which machine invented by German Engineer Arthur Scherbius , was decrypted  by the allied codebreakers and allowed the hastening of the end of the European war?

a. Enigma 

2. What was the codename for the soviet Strategic offensive operation , which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army , the Third and Fourth Romanian Armies and a part of the German Fourth Panzer Army?

a. Operation Uranus 

3. What was the name of the sniper ,who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and who was the subject of the 2001 movie -- Enemy at the Gates?

a. Vasily Zayetsev 

4. On which mountain was the photo of the raising of the U.S flag taken by Joe Rosenthal during the battle of Iwo Jima?

a. Mount Suribachi  

5. Which Japanese held territory did the Soviet Union invade in the days between the dropping of the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as had been agreed during the Yalta Conference?

a. Manchuria (Manchukuo) 

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Heroes : The TV Series -- Part II

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

Heroes: The TV Series


1. Which appliance market Competitor of NBC's parent GE filed a suit in federal court over the depiction of one of  its product 'InSinkerator' in the Pilot episode?

a. Emerson Electric Company

2. What was the name of Founder of the Company , also known by the Japanese word for Swordsmith ?

a. Adam Monroe ( or Takezo Kensei)

3. What is the significance of the license plate of Nakamura's limousine -- NCC -1701?

a. It is the registry number of USS Enterprise, in which George Takei had the role of helmsman.

4. In which year did the Heroes TV series win the BAFTA awards for the Best International Program?

a. 2008

5. Who is attributed with the theme Music of Heroes in the French version of the serial?

a. Victoria Petrosillo

Sunday, July 25, 2010

The Oscars - Part II

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Oscars


1. Which Oscar Winner characterized the academy awards as "the greatest promotion scheme that any industry ever devised for itself"

a. William Friedkin

2. In which year did Regis Philbin officially begin the red carpet pre-show to the Oscars?

a. 1979

3. Which film holds the record for the longest film to be nominated as well as win the Academy award for Best Picture?

a. Gone with the Wind

4. Which French novelist was awarded the 1957 Best Writing Adapted Screenplay as the film's actual writers -- Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were blacklisted as Communist sympathizers?

a. Pierre Boulle

5. Who became the first African to win an Academy award in the major acting category for the portrayal of a serial killer -- Aileen Woumos in a 2003 Biographical crime thriller?

a. Charlize Theron

Friday, July 23, 2010

The Indian Navy - Part II

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Indian Navy


1. What is the class of Destroyers in the Indian Navy built based on modified versions of the Soviet Kashin Class Destoryers and the first to be fitted with the Brahmos supersonic Cruise Missiles?

a. The Rajput Class

2. Which Type 14 ASW Frigate became India's biggest wartime casualty when it was sunk by PNS Hangor during the 1971 Indo Pakistan War?

a. INS Khukri

3. What was the name of the operation launched by the Indian Navy during the Kargil war to safeguard Indian maritime assets from a Pakistani Naval Attack?

a. Operation Talwar

4. Which Elite unit of the Indian Navy is locally known as the Dadiwali Fauj since they are the only unit of the Indian Armed Forces that permits non-Sikh recruits to maintain beards.

a. MARCOS ( Marine Commandos)

5. In 1830 , what was the Bombay Marine , a predecessor to the Indian Navy , renamed as ?

a. Her Majesty's Indian Navy

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

The Origin of Band Names -- Part I

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Origin of Band Names


1. The band Mudcrutch signed with Shelter Records in 1974 and released one single, "Depot Street," in 1975, which failed to chart, and the group disbanded. This led to some of the members breaking off from Mudcrutch and forming another band whose name reflected the condition the members were in. Which band?

a. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 

2. This British progressive rock band started in the summer of 1974 as a meeting at the canteen of Abbey Road between an assistant engineer for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and a composer who composed material for a concept album idea based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe. The assistant engineer was frustrated in having to accommodate the opinions of some of the artists, which he felt interfered with his production. Based on the suggestions of the composer they started this new group where the engineer would produce the songs written by the composer as per his discretions. Which band was formed?

a. The Alan Parsons Project 

3. The band's first studio was in the basement of a car repair shop, and they considered themselves to be the "masters" of the studio. Which band had its origin here?

a. Ace of Base ( masters of the basement)

4. Which band took its name from the villain of Ragor Vadim’s cult science fiction film Barbarella since the band was playing at Birmingham's Barbarella's nightclub

a. Duran Duran

5. Which band name was derived from a combination of Jam session and a Native American tribe?

a. Jamiroquai 

Monday, July 19, 2010

The Life and Works of A.R.Rahman -- Part I

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Life and Works of A.R.Rahman


1. What was the name rock band based out of chennai , of which A.R.Rahman was a founder?

a. Nemesis Avenue 

2. Which movie , inspired by the Minimally Invasive Education Technology,  did Rahman get his first Bafta Award for?

a. Slumdog Millionaire 

3. What was the name of the Nicholas Cage Starrer , which featured Rahman's theme Music from the film Bombay?

a. Lord of War 

4. What was the name of the project started by Sari and Mari Kaasinen , with whom , Rahman collaborated for composing the music for the Lord of the Rings?

a. Varttina 

5. What is the name of the Commercial Studio that Rahman built as a extension to Panchantan Record Inn in Kodambakkam , Chennai?

a. AM Studios 

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Lord of the Rings : The Book -- Part I

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.


The Lord of the Rings : The Book

1.In the book the Fellowship of the Ring , what is the age for which Bilbo Baggins celebrates his birthday along with Frodo's 33rd Birthday?

a.Eleventy first 

2.Which ally of Aule during the first Age , got his former name from the elvish word Thaur meaning Abominable or Abhorrent?

a.Sauron ( Thauron)

3.They enjoy seven meals a day, when they can get them - breakfast (7a.m.) , second breakfast (9a.m.) , elevenses (11a.m.) , luncheon (1p.m.) , afternoon tea (4p.m.) , dinner (6p.m.), and, later in the evening, supper (8p.m.)     . Who are they?

a.The Hobbits

4.What is the name of the liquid in a leathern flask , that Gandalf passes on to the members of the Fellowship when attacked in the Caradhas?

a.Miruvor

5.The figure of this character has other influences from Germanic mythology, particularly Odin in his incarnation as "the Wanderer". Tolkien states that he thinks of this character as an "Odinic wanderer" in a letter of 1946. He is also similar to Väinämöinen, a Bard in Finnish mythology. Who is he?

a.Gandalf

My Tata Crucible crib

Disclaimer: This is just my viewpoint.

Every single year the Tata crucible quiz surpasses expectation on the teams participating due to the prize money involved. I have some really good memories about previous tata crucibles -- 2004 , I was about 8 or 9 months out of college , was representing Infy and was the first Biz quiz that I qualified for.

Having got that out of the way .. I now come to the grouse part. I believe this is generally the time that the research team works on the questions for TC and knowing Giri looks into all the quiz blogs -- i really hope , he takes these as positive feedback.

Quantity of Questions:

While everyone understands that doing the quiz in 20 centers is a huge effort and have to cut a few corners, one of the things that irk most of the people that I speak to , is the fact that the prelims have more questions than the finals.

Just when you think the teams are getting started -- the quiz ends. There is one visual round , one dry round and then move on to buzzers. While it is done in a format to ensure CNBC is able to squeeze the entire quiz into 30 mins( with the ads if I may add), it robs the live audience at grand ballrooms of Taj hotels, an opportunity to watch the teams battle out. What this also means is that a team that is good for about 30 mins on a single day  reach the national semi finals. If the TV show is the problem there are two ways out of this problem

1. CNBC increasing the Quiz length to 1 hour( not likely)
2. Do not have some rounds for TV ( there are any quite a few questions that are cutoff from each round on the TV) ( the more likely option).

Buzzer:
Over the last 6 years.. giri has tried a lot of different things with the buzzer -- Full quiz on buzzer ( like in 2005) , then moving onto a part of the quiz on buzzer and kudos to the experiments. One of the formats that I feel that hasnt been used ( didnt see the 2007,2008 versions) is the pounce and bounce method that was used by Mitesh in his quizzes.


Again two justifications for this

1.While it gives the opportunity for folks to go for the buzzer, it also helps teams that are not so good on the buzzer. For teams that do not have the answer , it gives an opportunity to work it out as it passes thru teams normally , even if one team has got it on the buzzer.
2. If a team is behind on points -- the opportunity to score of each and every question is still there for them. That wouldn't be the case in a pure infinite bounce round.


End of RANT!!! :)

If there are any other feedbacks, leave them on the comment page. 

Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Indian Freedom Movement (1857- 1947) -- Part I

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Indian Freedom Movement (1857 - 1947)

1. From which war in Russia  was a part of the British regiments moved in order to squash the Indian Rebellion of 1857?

a. Crimean War

2. Born as Manikarnika to a Maharashtrian Karhade Brahmin, which leader died on 18th June 1858 during the battle of Gwalior?

a. Rani Laxmibai of Jhansi

3. Inspired by a suggestion made by Allan Octavian Hume , how many member delegate met in Mumbai in 1865 to form the Indian National Congress?

a. 73

4. Published by the Hindustan Ghadar press in the Ghadar weekly from San Francisco in 1913-14, the literature consists of a collection of songs and poems in Gurumukhi and Shahmukhi and covered addressed the political situation in India. Which compilation of Nationalist and Socialist literature was banned in India in 1913?

a. Ghadar di Ghunj

5. Which King's college educated lawyer and judge , passed an eponymous act in 1919 to effectively
authorize the government to imprison , without trial , any person suspected of terrorism in British India?

a. Sir Sidney Arthur Taylor Rowlatt.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

World War II - Part I

Infosys conducts a company wide quiz along the format of the BBC Mastermind every year. I hosted the quiz for the second time in 2009 and these are some of the questions from the specialization topics chosen.

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

World War II


1. Which German Offensive in December 1944 got its public name due to the fact that the initial incursion that the Germans put into the Allies line of advance created a salient when seen on the maps presented in contemporary newspapers?

a. The Battle of Bulge 

2. At a special session of the United States Congress on 21 September 1939, US President Franklin D Roosevelt  requested the policy of Cash and Carry to replace which set of Acts that were passed in 1936 thereby effectively allowing US to sell Arms to Britain?

a. The Neutrality Acts of 1936 

3. Codenamed Eureka , in which city did Joseph Stalin , Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill meet to discuss about the opening of a second front in Western Europe?

a. Tehran ( Iran) 

4. Which son of Alfred Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg , the last Oberhofmarschall of the Kingdom of Wurttemberg , was the subject of the movie Valkyrie , which dealt with an assassination attempt on the life of Hitler

a. Claus Von Stauffenberg 

5. During the Nuremberg Trials , a document referred as the Green Folder  , held information about the master policy directive for economic exploitation of the conquered Soviet Union. Who had devised this plan , in the event of the success of Operation Barbarossa?

a. Reichsmarshall Herman Goring 

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Heroes : The TV Series -- Part I

Infosys conducts a company wide quiz along the format of the BBC Mastermind every year. I hosted the quiz for the second time in 2009 and these are some of the questions from the specialization topics chosen.

For the questions from other specialization topics click here

Heroes: The TV Series


1. Which American Comic Book Writer and former Chairman of Marvel Comics makes a cameo appearance as the driver of the Bus that Hiro Nakamura gets into?


a. Stan Lee 


2. What is the name of the diner in which Monica Dawson performs a 619 to stop a burglary after having seen Ray Mysterio do it on TV?


a. Burger Bonanza


3. The name of which order in Greek and Roman Architecture is printed on Lieberman's apron , when he explains about .07% rule to Nathan Petrelli?


a. Corinthian


4. Once the people at NBC had greenlit the project , in which city was the first 73-minute version of the pilot screened?


a. San Diego


5. Which colorblind artist created the metafictional comic Book series 9th Wonder and Isaac Mendez's paintings in the series?


a. Tim Sale

Friday, July 09, 2010

The Oscars - Part I

Infosys conducts a company wide quiz along the format of the BBC Mastermind every year. I hosted the quiz for the second time in 2009 and these are some of the questions from the specialization topics chosen.

For the questions from other specialization topics click here.

The Oscars part I


1. For which movie did Barry Fitzgerald become the first actor to be nominated for the same performance in two different Categories in 1944?

a. Going My Way

2. In 1929 , who became the first actress to be nominated posthumously for Best Actress for her Role in the movie - The Letter?

a. Jeanne Eagels

3. In 2004 , who became the first actress to win an Oscar for portraying a real-Life Oscar winner?

a. Cate Blanchett Portrayed Katherine Hepburn in Aviator

4. Which Foundry located in Batavia, Illinois , provided the mold for the Original Oscar Statuette in 1928?

a. C.W.Shumway & Sons.

5. Which actor hosted the first Academy awards at Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood along with director William C deMille?

a. Douglas Fairbanks

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

The Indian Navy - Part I

Infosys conducts a company wide quiz along the format of the BBC Mastermind every year. I hosted the quiz for the second time in 2009 and these are some of the questions from the specialization topics chosen.

For the questions from other specialization topics click here 

The Indian Navy

1. Which Ship , which served as the flagship of the Royal Navy task force during the Falkland Wars has as its motto -- Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah meaning I completely defeat those who dare fight me.

a. INS VIRAAT ( earlier known as HMS Hermes)

2. In the Hierarchy of Indian Navy Personnel -- What rank would a person hold , if he had been promoted from the position of Captain?

a. Commodore

3. The Far Eastern Command -- a joint Navy, Army and Air Force Command was setup in 2001 with its headquarters at which location?

a. Port Blair 

4. Which Indian Naval captain , a co-founder of the Himalayan Environment Trust , led a 1965 expedition  which put 9 men on the summit of Mount Everest

a. Captain Mohan Singh Kohli

5. The double headed eagle used on the crest of INS Mysore , comes from the sigil of which Royal House?

a. Wodeyor House of Mysore.

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Chennai Corporate Quizzing Circuit -- Business Quiz

The Chennai Corporate Quizzing Circuit
Business Quiz – July 2010

Quizmaster: Gopal Kidao

Date: 10th July 2010, Saturday
Time: 9:30 am

Venue: Aricent
Espee IT Park,
Plot #5, Jawaharlal Nehru Salai,
Ekkattundhangal, Guindy,
Chennai 600032

Details:
1) The quiz consists of a written preliminary round followed by a final round.
2) Teams of 2 members are allowed for the quiz.
3) Both team members have to be from the same company.
4) There is no cap on the number of teams from a company.
5) There will be an entry fee of Rs. 200/- per team.
6) You can pre-register for the event before 5:00 pm on Thursday, 8th July.
Please send an email to qfichennai@gmail.com with
Name of the team
Name of the team members
Name of the company


Contact Us: Gopal - +91-9840126727
JK - +91-9444443347
Rohit - +91-9003020855


The quiz is being organized by the Quiz Foundation of India (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quiz_Foundation_of_India)
QFI blogs at http://qfichennai.wordpress.com