Derek O'Brien

A young colleague gave me this bizarre ‘fact’ (sic) about the month we are saying goodbye to today. October is supposed to have been Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and Pasta Month. It is also Family History Month. Which reminds me about the first question I was asked to answer on a recent trip to an Ivy League US university: What is someone with an Irish surname doing asking questions on Indian TV and in Indian politics? The good ol’ family tree came in handy. My paternal great-grandfather came to India from County Cork in Ireland and married a Bengali lady doctor from Bengal. The next questioner was quick on the draw. How many times have you been to Ireland? Never!

YOUR QUESTIONS

1. Which queen, elected thrice to Lok Sabha, was named as one of the ‘World’s Ten Most Beautiful Women’ by Vogue?

Shiba Khatoon, Calcutta

2. Tears are salty fluid mainly comprising water, mucus, oil and ___________?

Ranjan Guha, Howrah

3. In the Devipuran, which goddess is referred to as Gayatri?

Swagata Dutta, Birbhum

4. The scientific name of which food is Zea mays everta?

Bishakha Das, Calcutta

5. Which author first used the word ‘reliance’?

Arunava Karmakar, Siliguri

6. Which painter’s use of Chanderi material for portraits of Hindu gods and goddesses inspired Maharani Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad of Baroda to patronise this textile?

Rathin Mitra, Jamshedpur

7. Who was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004?

Ankur Goswami, Calcutta

8. Which Mughal emperor issued gold coins bearing his own portraits?

Apurva Biswas, Calcutta

9. Which fibre did the Chinese Empress Shiling Ti discover in her tea cup?

Madhura Roy, Calcutta

KNOW & GROW WITH DEREK

Confucius’ family tree is regarded as the world’s longest, with around two million members.

ANSWER & WIN

In 6th century BC, which Indian mathematician first calculated the value of ‘pi’?

For Answer and Win, send a quiz question of your own along with the answer. The prize will go to the reader with the correct answer and the best question. Send in answers with your full name and address to: graphitiquiz@gmail.com'

Winner of the Answer and Win

Quiz published on 16.10.11

Madhura Roy, Calcutta

Sangli in Maharashtra is the largest and most important trading centre for which spice in the world?

The answer is: Turmeric

For queries about Answer and Win, please contact 22804093

Name this social activist

POINT OF VIEW

1. Identify this comic book artist

 

 

 

2. Identify this actress

 

 

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ANSWERS

1. Maharani Gayatri Devi
2. Protein
3. Saraswati
4. Popcorn
5. William Shakespeare
6. Raja Ravi Varma
7. Wangari Maathai
8. Jahangir
9. Silk

WHO AM I ? Tawakkul Karman
POINT OF VIEW 1 Albert Uderzo
POINT OF VIEW 2 Nargis Fakhri