(Current Affairs questions are from the period February 16th to 28th. Questions 11 to 20 pertain to Chennai and Tamil Nadu.)

1. On February 19th, Element 112 was officially given a name and assigned a symbol. Name the scientist after whom it is named?

2. Japan was rocked by a tsunami generated by a powerful earthquake that struck a South American country on February 27th. Which country?

3. The plan for a museum dedicated to which Nobel Laureate in his Mumbai home was scrapped due to his uncertain legacy?

4. Mary MacKillop, after being approved by The Vatican for canonisation, is to be the first saint of which big island country?

5. Which Asian country has paid $10.5 million in compensation to the United Nations for U.N. buildings damaged during a civil war there?

6. Which African country is to be the global host of World Environment Day 2010 on June 5th?

7. Who was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Saudi Arabia, before Manmohan Singh’s recent visit?

8. Recently, Detective Comics #27, which marked the first appearance of a superhero, was sold for $1,075,500, setting a record price for a comic book. Name the character.

9. Why was the ‘Cullinan Heritage’ in the news?

10. Achanta Sharath Kamal and Poulomi Ghatak became the national champions in which Olympic sport in Guwahati on February 16th?

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11. Of the five coastal districts where the European Union is sponsoring water conservation projects worth Rs. 6 crore, three are Tuticorin, Ramanathapuram and Pudukottai. Name the other two.

12. Where in Coimbatore is the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held?

13. How did percussion maestro Pudukottai Dakshinamurthy Pillai contribute to the singer-actor MKT’s legend?

14. What has become of the lake Aratha Kuttai in Chennai?

15. What was the former name of Queen Mary’s College?

16. Of the 108 Divyadesams, which are the two in Triplicane and Pallavaram?

17. Which Nobel Laureate made this comment after watching Rukmini Devi Arundale perform at his residence: “...watching your inspired, superb performance I felt transported to King Vikramaditya’s court when Urvashi, the heavenly dancer, performed!”?

18. What do the initials U.V. stand for in ‘Tamil Thatha’ U.V. Swaminatha Iyer’s name?

19. Which writer uses the pseudonym ‘Ambai’?

20. Who created characters like detective Shankarlal, Kathirikai and Manickam?