RRB NTPC CBT 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

During the Bardoli Satyagraha of 1928 in Gujarat, Vallabhbhai Patel led a peaceful tax-resistance movement against the British administration's decision to increase land revenue by 22%. His successful leadership forced the government to roll back the tax hike and return confiscated land to the farmers. In appreciation of his efficient organization and steadfast leadership during the movement, the women of Bardoli conferred upon him the title of "Sardar" (meaning leader or chief).

Explanation

Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) is a nuclear power plant situated in Narora, located in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. Positioned on the banks of the River Ganga, the facility is operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and houses two pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) units, each with a generating capacity of 220 MW.

Explanation

Jagjivan Ram served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India in 1979 during the Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Morarji Desai. He held this post alongside Charan Singh while simultaneously serving as the Union Minister of Defence. Popularly known as Babuji, he was a prominent freedom fighter and Dalit leader who remains the longest-serving Union Cabinet Minister in Indian history, having held various ministerial portfolios for over thirty years.

Explanation

Saprotrophic nutrition is a mode of heterotrophic nutrition in which organisms absorb nutrients from dead and decaying organic matter. Saprotrophs, such as fungi and certain bacteria, secrete digestive enzymes onto complex organic substances outside their bodies to break them down into simpler, soluble forms, which are then absorbed directly into their cells.

Explanation

Gwalior is a historic city in Madhya Pradesh best known for its medieval fort, royal palaces like the Jai Vilas Palace, and monuments associated with the Tomar, Mughal, and Scindia dynasties. It is also renowned for its rich musical heritage, being the resting place of the legendary musician Tansen. It has no historical or religious association with the life of Lord Buddha or the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit.

Explanation

The Ruhr region (Ruhrgebiet) in western Germany, located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, is the historical heavy industrial heartland of the country. Abundant local deposits of high-grade coking coal along with an extensive navigable river and canal network, particularly the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, enabled the region to become Europe's foremost center for heavy manufacturing, responsible for approximately 80% of Germany's total steel production.

Explanation

A constellation is a group of stars that forms a recognizable pattern or shape in the night sky, often resembling an animal, mythological character, or inanimate object. Examples of well-known constellations include Ursa Major (the Great Bear), Orion (the Hunter), and Cassiopeia. The International Astronomical Union officially recognizes 88 such constellations dividing the celestial sphere.

Explanation

Electricity generation is the primary purpose and key benefit of a nuclear power plant, rather than a drawback. Nuclear reactors harness the energy released from controlled nuclear fission reactions to produce heat, which turns water into steam to drive turbine generators and supply large amounts of electrical energy.

Explanation

Chandrani Murmu became the youngest candidate to be elected as a Member of Parliament in the 17th Lok Sabha in 2019 at the age of 25 years and 11 months. Representing the Biju Janata Dal from the Keonjhar constituency in Odisha, she set the record for being the youngest MP in the history of Indian parliament.

Explanation

The Mundaka Upanishad is a primary, canonical Upanishad embedded within the Mantra portion of the Atharva Veda. It is composed in poetic verse and primarily focuses on spiritual philosophy, emphasizing the distinction between higher knowledge (Para Vidya) of Brahman and lower knowledge (Apara Vidya) of worldly pursuits. It is also famous for containing the foundational Indian national motto, "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth Alone Triumphs).

Explanation

Dental caries, commonly known as tooth decay or cavities, is the localized breakdown and destruction of tooth structure including enamel and dentin. It occurs when bacteria in the mouth ferment dietary carbohydrates, producing acids that lower pH levels and demineralize the hard tissues of the tooth over time.

Explanation

Admiral Karambir Singh served as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy from 31 May 2019 to 30 November 2021. He succeeded Admiral Sunil Lanba and was the first helicopter pilot to hold the position of Chief of the Naval Staff. Therefore, as of December 2020, Admiral Karambir Singh was the serving Chief of Naval Staff.

Explanation

Electrostatic precipitators are filtration devices used to remove fine particulate matter, such as dust and smoke, from industrial exhaust gases and thermal power plant flues. They operate by applying a high-voltage electrostatic charge to airborne particles, causing them to be attracted to oppositely charged collector plates, thereby preventing particulate emissions from entering the atmosphere and controlling air pollution.

Explanation

Rajnath Singh was appointed as the Union Minister of Defence on May 31, 2019, following the formation of the second Narendra Modi-led government, succeeding Nirmala Sitharaman in the role.

Explanation

Autotrophs are organisms capable of synthesizing their own food from simple inorganic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and mineral salts using light energy through photosynthesis or chemical energy through chemosynthesis. Green plants, algae, and certain photosynthetic bacteria are classic examples of autotrophic organisms.

Explanation

Working capital refers to the funds and short-term assets required for day-to-day production activities. Production process requires raw materials, such as yarn for a weaver or clay for a potter, along with cash in hand to pay wages, purchase supplies, and meet immediate operational expenses. Unlike fixed assets that endure over multiple production cycles, raw materials and money in hand are consumed or converted during the production cycle itself.

Explanation

The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate political parties and contesting candidates during elections. It comes into effect immediately upon the announcement of the election schedule and remains in force until the declaration of results. The code aims to ensure free and fair elections by maintaining decorum, preventing abuse of power, and laying down standards for campaigning, rallies, polling day conduct, and election manifestos.

Explanation

The period between 1991 and 2003 is recognized as the Golden Revolution in India. During this era, strategic investments and technological advancements led to rapid growth in the horticulture and honey (apiculture) sectors. This transformational shift made India a global leader in the production of various fruits, such as mangoes, bananas, and cashew nuts, while enhancing rural livelihoods and boosting agricultural exports. Nirpakh Tutej is considered the Father of the Golden Revolution in India.

Explanation

Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid gland located in the front of the neck. Iodine is an essential micronutrient required by the thyroid gland to synthesize thyroid hormones, namely thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). When the body lacks adequate iodine, the thyroid gland cannot produce sufficient hormones, prompting the pituitary gland to release increased amounts of Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH). This prolonged stimulation causes the thyroid tissue to overgrow and swell, resulting in the condition known as goiter.

Explanation

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), passed in 2005, legally guarantees at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas and provide a basic social safety net.

Explanation

DVI-I (Digital Visual Interface - Integrated) is designed to support both digital and analog video signals within a single interface. It contains the additional pins required for analog RGB transmission alongside the standard digital pin configuration, allowing it to connect with both legacy analog monitors and digital displays.

Explanation

Meghaduta (The Cloud Messenger) is a renowned Sanskrit lyric poem composed by the classical Indian poet Kalidasa. The poem tells the story of a Yaksha, a spirit who was exiled to central India for neglecting his duties, and sends a message of love to his wife in Alaka in the Himalayas through a passing cloud.

Explanation

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established in 1957 as an autonomous international organization within the United Nations system, serves as the world's central intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical cooperation in the nuclear field. Its primary mandate, often summarized as "Atoms for Peace and Development," is to promote the safe, secure, and peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology, while verifying through safeguards that nuclear materials and activities are not diverted for military applications or weapons development.

Explanation

PDA stands for Personal Digital Assistant. It is a compact, handheld mobile device designed as a personal information manager to handle routine tasks like storing contact details, managing schedules, calculating, and note-taking, rather than a high-performance computing system.

Explanation

Dibrugarh – Kanyakumari Vivek Express holds the record for the longest running train in the Indian Railways network in terms of both distance and time. It covers a distance of 4,189 kilometers between Dibrugarh in Assam and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu, traversing nine states and taking approximately 74 hours and 35 minutes to complete its journey.

Explanation

Dakshin Gangotri was established in 1983–84 as India's first permanent scientific research base station in Antarctica. Maitri was built in 1989 near Schirmacher Oasis as India's second research station on the continent, replacing Dakshin Gangotri after it was submerged under ice. Both bases were set up to conduct studies in geology, glaciology, meteorology, and atmospheric sciences under the Indian Antarctic Programme.

Explanation

Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by strains of the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae that produce a harmful toxin. It primarily affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, forming a thick grey coating that causes sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and difficulty breathing. The disease is highly contagious and is routinely prevented through vaccination, such as the DPT vaccine.

Explanation

Global commons are resource domains or geographic areas that lie outside the political boundaries and sovereign jurisdiction of any single state. Because no individual nation can claim ownership over these areas, their management and protection require collective regulation and governance by the international community. Key examples of global commons include the Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, the high seas, and outer space.

Explanation

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan was an eminent Indian classical musician and vocalist belonging to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana. He was honored with India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2018 for his contributions to Hindustani classical music, having previously received the Padma Shri in 1991 and the Padma Bhushan in 2006. He passed away on 17 January 2021 at the age of 89.

Explanation

The Lucknow Pact of December 1916 was a landmark agreement signed between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League at their joint session in Lucknow. Facilitated by leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the pact established a common political platform to demand self-government from the British Crown, while also marking the reunification of the Moderates and Extremists within the Congress.

Explanation

Bal Gangadhar Tilak raised the famous slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!" in 1916 during the Home Rule Movement. Popularly revered as 'Lokmanya', he used this rallying cry to awaken political consciousness among Indians and assert the fundamental right of self-rule against British colonial governance.

Explanation

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) refers to an investment made by a foreign individual or enterprise, such as a multinational corporation (MNC), into business operations in another country. Through FDI, foreign MNCs invest capital to set up production facilities, purchase assets, or gain substantial control over enterprises in the host nation, contributing directly to local infrastructure, technology transfer, and job creation.

Explanation

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 originally contained six schedules that provided varying degrees of protection to wild animals, birds, and plants. Schedules I and II offered absolute protection with the highest penalties for offenses. Schedules III and IV covered animals that were protected with lower penalties. Schedule V listed animals classified as vermin that could be hunted, while Schedule VI listed specified plants prohibited from cultivation, possession, and trade.

Explanation

Outsourcing is a business practice in which a company contracts out specific business functions, operations, or services to third-party external service providers rather than executing them in-house. When these external service providers are located in foreign countries, it is referred to as offshoring or offshore outsourcing. This practice allows companies to reduce operating costs, access specialized global expertise, and focus on their primary core business activities while relying on external vendors for routine support services such as customer support, software development, and accounting.

Explanation

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is a national mission for financial inclusion launched in August 2014. It aims to ensure universal access to basic financial services, including savings and deposit accounts, credit, remittance, insurance, and pensions at affordable costs, rather than operating as an employment generation program.

Explanation

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft that organizes data into a grid of rows and columns. It allows users to store, structure, manipulate, and analyze data efficiently using functions, mathematical formulas, charts, and pivot tables.

Explanation

A two-party system is a political framework where power primarily alternates between two dominant political parties that win the vast majority of votes and seats in government. The United States of America and the United Kingdom are classical examples of two-party systems. In the United States, national politics is dominated by the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. In the United Kingdom, government formation and parliamentary majority have historically alternated between two major parties, primarily the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.

Explanation

Lal, Bal, and Pal was the prominent nationalist triumvirate in the Indian independence movement during the early 20th century. Lala Lajpat Rai ("Lal") was from Punjab, Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Bal") was from Maharashtra, and Bipin Chandra Pal ("Pal") was from Bengal. They advocated radical nationalist methods, including the Swadeshi movement and the boycott of foreign goods, particularly during the anti-Partition of Bengal agitation starting in 1905.

Explanation

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining good vision, as it is a key component of rhodopsin, a protein in the eyes that absorbs light. It is also essential for skin health, supporting epithelial cell growth, maintenance, and repair to keep the skin and mucous membranes intact and healthy.

Explanation

Ayushman Bharat Yojana, launched in September 2018 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is India's flagship national scheme aimed at achieving Universal Health Coverage. It comprises two key pillars: establishing Health and Wellness Centres to deliver comprehensive primary healthcare, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), which provides health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

Explanation

Federalism is a system of government in which power is constitutionally divided and shared between a central national authority and various constituent regional units, such as states or provinces. Under a federal framework, both levels of government derive their power directly from the constitution and exercise independent decision-making within their respective jurisdictions.

Explanation

The Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located in the ancient city of Madurai on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi (a form of Parvati) and her consort Sundareshwarar (a form of Shiva), the temple complex is a masterpiece of Dravidian architecture, world-famous for its massive outer towers (gopurams) decorated with thousands of painted stone figures. Originally established during the Pandyan dynasty, the present structure was largely expanded during the 16th and 17th centuries under the reign of the Nayak rulers.

Explanation

Kisan Kanya, released in 1937, was produced by Ardeshir Irani of Imperial Film Co. and directed by Moti Gidwani. It was made using the Cinecolor process, for which the color process rights were obtained from an American company, but the film itself was shot, developed, and printed entirely in India, making it India's first indigenously made full-length color feature film.

Explanation

Sanskrit belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Iranian group within the Indo-European language family. It is one of the oldest attested languages in the world, sharing foundational linguistic roots, vocabulary, and grammatical structures with ancient languages like Latin, Greek, and Avestan. Its earliest form, Vedic Sanskrit, is preserved in sacred texts such as the Rigveda, dating back to the second millennium BCE.

Explanation

PROM stands for Programmable Read-Only Memory. It is a form of computer memory chip that can be programmed once by a user or manufacturer using a special device called a PROM programmer, after which the written data becomes permanent and non-volatile.

Explanation

Alauddin Khalji instituted strict agrarian and administrative reforms to maximize state revenue and maintain a large standing army. His tax policy concentrated primarily on direct revenue from land, dwellings, and livestock. Small-scale industries were not categorized or levied under his central state tax regime during his reign.

Explanation

Reverberation is the phenomenon in which sound persists in an enclosed space due to multiple or repeated reflections from boundaries such as walls, ceilings, and floors. When a sound source stops producing sound, the sound waves continue to bounce back and forth, gradually decaying in intensity until they become inaudible.

Explanation

Echocardiography is a non-invasive diagnostic technology that utilizes high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) reflected off cardiac tissues to create real-time dynamic images of the heart's chambers, valves, and surrounding blood vessels. It allows physicians to evaluate the structural integrity and pumping function of the heart.

Explanation

Mamallapuram Utsav, also known as the Mamallapuram Dance Festival, is an annual cultural festival celebrated in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), Tamil Nadu. Organized by the Tourism Department of Tamil Nadu, this month-long event showcases various classical dance forms of India, such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi, set against the backdrop of the 7th-century Pallava rock-cut sculptures.

Explanation

ONGC Tripura Power Company Limited (OTPC) was incorporated as a joint venture involving Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL | FS), and the Government of Tripura. Created as a special purpose vehicle, OTPC operates a 726.6 MW gas-based combined cycle thermal power plant at Palatana, Tripura, designed to monetize the natural gas resources extracted by ONGC in the North-Eastern region of India.