1. Small delicious square ‘samosas’ with a (usually) non-vegetarian filling. What is this Hyderabadi classic whose name means “morsel”?
2. Horseshoe, American, and Bridal Veil are three parts of what geographic entity juxtaposed between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York?
3. Deacon William Brodie, an Edinburgh cabinet maker and city councillor, was hanged in 1788 on the gallows he himself designed and funded. A respectable businessman by day and an arch-criminal by night, what did his dichotomous life inspire?
4. This term comes from sporting events and comes from an object a referee uses to indicate illegal or foul play. A famous activist used it in another sense in the early 1970s to avoid negative connotations found in other related words. The term was in the news recently with reference to a certain Robert Snowden. What word? Which activist?
5. Which word literally means ‘Chief Builder’ and finds usage in landscape engineering, naval engineering and information technology?
6. Nabha sparsham deeptam which means ‘O all-pervading Vishnu, I can no longer maintain my equilibrium. Seeing Your radiant colours fill the skies and beholding Your eyes and mouths, I am afraid.’ (Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11, Verse 24). Which Indian organisation derived its motto from this event?
7. Which instrument in a symphony orchestra is named because of its simple geometric shape?
8. The first instance of Queen Elizabeth II’s image being printed in a country’s currency was done to prevent forgery. Which country’s currency was this? How old was she?
9. The Shah Rukh Khan film Ra One poster showed him carrying Kareena Kapoor. Which Hollywood movie poster was this one “inspired” by?
10. This industrial township in the Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh pioneered the manufacture of a product in 1956. The mill used raw materials like salai wood and bamboo from nearby forests. The name of this place however is derived from a national authority for the protection of the environment. Name the place. What product is it famous for?
11. A conflict that had a major influence on world geopolitics started in Asia on October 6, 1973 and ended 19 days later. It is generally referred to by different names depending on which side one quoted. What event?
12. Alben Barkley was the 35th Vice-President of the United States (1949–1953). Sworn in at age 71, Barkley is the oldest Vice-President to date. He served under President Harry S Truman as a member of the Democratic Party, but he’s not widely known for his political accomplishments. Rather, Barkley’s legacy is in a nickname. What was it?
13. In 2012 India released a ‘Festival of Lights’ stamp jointly with another Asian country which also has a festival of lights. Name the other country and its festival.
14. One word that is the old name of a capital city is common to all these animals: Rabbit, goat, cat, and ferret. (a) What word (b) Which city (present name)?
15. It is a common practice around the world to name airports after famous sons of the soil — for example, the one at Liverpool is called the Liverpool John Lennon Airport. After which famous sportsperson was the Belfast City Airport renamed in 2006?
16. In 2010, the IUPAC, the international body responsible for standardising nomenclature in chemistry, officially named the element with atomic number 112 after “an outstanding scientist, who changed our view of the world”. The chemical abbreviation chosen was Cn. Who was the scientist?
answers
1. Lukhmi
2. Niagara Falls
3. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
4. Whistleblower — a term popularised by consumer activist Ralph Nader.
5. Architect
6. Indian Air Force whose motto is ‘Touch the sky with glory’
7. Triangle
8. Canada 20 dollar bill. She was only a princess aged 8 years!
9. Batman Begins
10. Nepanagar (NEPA = National Environment Protection Authority). Newsprint.
11. Yom Kippur War or the Ramadan War. It was fought by the coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria against Israel.
12. Veep (from VP)
13. Israel. Hanukkah
14. Angora which is the old name of Ankara, the capital of Turkey
15. George Best
16. Copernicus (Copernicium)