RRB NTPC CBT 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Darjeeling tea became the first Indian product to receive the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2004–2005. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 was enacted by India to protect geographical indications in compliance with the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).

Explanation

Sunil Arora served as the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India from 2 December 2018 to 12 April 2021. Under his tenure, the Election Commission of India successfully conducted the 17th Lok Sabha elections in seven phases from 11 April to 19 May 2019.

Explanation

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) was established on 17 May 1865 in Paris as the International Telegraph Union, making it the oldest existing international intergovernmental organization. It adopted its present name in 1932 following the merger of the International Telegraph Convention and the International Radiotelegraph Convention, and became a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1947.

Explanation

The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the primary bronchi of the lungs. It serves as an integral passage for air during breathing, conducting oxygen-rich air into the lungs during inhalation and expelling carbon dioxide during exhalation. Its inner lining contains ciliated mucous membrane that traps airborne particles and sweeps them upward away from the lungs.

Explanation

The term "Chinaman" in cricket, which refers to a left-arm unorthodox wrist-spin delivery, is named after Ellis Achong, a West Indies player of Chinese descent. During a Test match between England and the West Indies at Manchester in 1933, Achong dismissed English batsman Walter Robins with an unorthodox wrist-spin delivery. As Robins walked off, he made a famous remark about being dismissed by a "Chinaman", which gave the delivery its popular name.

Explanation

In the International System of Units (SI) decimal standard for digital data storage, data prefix multipliers increase by powers of 1000 (10³). Following this convention, 1 gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1000 megabytes (MB), or 1,000,000,000 bytes.

Explanation

The Konark Sun Temple, located in Odisha, was constructed in the 13th century (around 1250 CE) by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty. Dedicated to the Sun God Surya, the temple is designed in the form of a monumental chariot with 12 pairs of exquisitely carved stone wheels pulled by seven horses, representing the pinnacle of Kalinga architecture. King Narasimhadeva I commissioned this architectural marvel to commemorate his victory over the forces of Tughral Tughan Khan of Bengal.

Explanation

In April 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) divested its remaining stake in the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to the Government of India for ₹20 crore. This divestment was carried out following the recommendations of the Narasimham Committee II, which stated that the central bank should not hold ownership in entities that it regulates. With the complete exit of the RBI, NABARD became a fully state-owned financial institution with 100% shareholding held by the Government of India.

Explanation

Lal Bahadur Shastri, the second Prime Minister of India, coined the famous slogan 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' in 1965 during a public gathering at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. The slogan, which translates to 'Hail the Soldier, Hail the Farmer', was created to motivate the nation's soldiers fighting during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War and to inspire farmers to increase food production during a period of acute national food shortage.

Explanation

On April 1, 2019, Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank were merged into Bank of Baroda. This landmark three-way amalgamation created the third-largest lender in India, behind State Bank of India and HDFC Bank, significantly expanding Bank of Baroda's customer base, branch network, and total business volume.

Explanation

Captain Mohan Singh, an officer of the British Indian Army, first conceived the idea of the Indian National Army (INA) during the Malayan Campaign in World War II. After being captured by Japanese forces, he collaborated with Japanese officer Major Iwaichi Fujiwara and Pritam Singh Dhillon to organize Indian prisoners of war into an armed force aimed at liberating India from British rule, formally establishing the first INA in 1942.

Explanation

Under Article 331 of the Constitution of India, the President was empowered to nominate up to two members of the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha if the President considered that the community was not adequately represented in the House. This provision was originally intended to ensure minority representation in the Parliament of India.

Explanation

ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C45) successfully launched EMISAT, an advanced electronic intelligence (ELINT) satellite developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), on 1st April 2019 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission was notable for using the PSLV-QL variant featuring four strap-on motors and placing payloads into three distinct orbital altitudes.

Explanation

Keoladeo Ghana National Park, formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is located in the Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. It is a world-renowned wetland reserve and avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, particularly during the winter season, including various migratory species. Recognized for its rich biodiversity, it was declared a protected sanctuary in 1956, designated a National Park in 1982, and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Explanation

A spring balance is a device used for measuring the force acting on an object. It operates on Hooke's law, which states that the extension of a spring is directly proportional to the force applied to it, provided the elastic limit is not exceeded. The instrument consists of a coiled spring enclosed in a casing with a pointer attached to it. When a force acts on the hook, the internal spring stretches, moving the pointer along a graduated scale to give a direct reading of the magnitude of the applied force in newtons.

Explanation

Muriatic acid is an ancient name for hydrochloric acid (HCl), derived from "muria", the Latin word for brine or salt water. Historically produced by reacting sodium chloride with sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid is a strong, highly corrosive mineral acid widely used in industrial processes, rust removal, masonry cleaning, and maintaining pH levels in swimming pools.

Explanation

On October 17, 2009, the government of the Maldives, led by President Mohamed Nasheed, held the world's first underwater cabinet meeting off Girifushi island. Clad in scuba gear, the president and cabinet ministers submerged six meters below the ocean surface to sign a decree calling for global reductions in carbon dioxide emissions ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The event was organized to bring global attention to the existential threat posed to the low-lying island nation by climate change and rising sea levels.

Explanation

Telangana officially came into existence on 2 June 2014 as the 29th state of India following the passage of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. The region was carved out of the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh after a prolonged movement for separate statehood. Hyderabad was designated as the capital of the newly formed state.

Explanation

Slash and burn agriculture is a form of primitive subsistence farming where farmers clear a patch of forest land by cutting and burning vegetation to grow food crops. In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, as well as in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, this shifting cultivation practice is locally known as Dipa.

Explanation

Niccolao Manucci was an Italian traveller, physician, and writer who arrived in India in 1656. He worked in the service of the Mughal empire during the reign of Aurangzeb, serving as an artilleryman and physician. Manucci wrote a comprehensive first-hand historical account of the Mughal court and Aurangzeb's reign in his famous memoir, Storia do Mogor.

Explanation

The Radcliffe Line was published on 17 August 1947 as the boundary demarcation line between India and Pakistan following the partition of British India. It was named after Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who served as the chairman of the Boundary Commissions responsible for dividing the Punjab and Bengal regions between the two nations.

Explanation

During the first decade of the 20th century, Bengal emerged as the nerve centre of Indian nationalism, serving as the primary hub of political consciousness and anti-colonial activities. This prominent role prompted Lord Curzon to partition Bengal in 1905 in an attempt to weaken its unified political influence, which instead triggered the historic Swadeshi and Boycott Movement that galvanized the freedom struggle across the country.

Explanation

Julian Assange was born in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, in July 1971. He is an Australian computer programmer, publisher, and activist who gained worldwide attention as the spokesperson and editor-in-chief of WikiLeaks, an organization he co-founded in 2006 to publish classified documents and confidential communications provided by whistleblowers.

Explanation

The Indian Constitution incorporates a quasi-federal system with a centralizing tendency, directly inspired by the Canadian constitution. Under the Canadian model, the federal framework establishes a strong Centre alongside the states, characterized by vesting residuary powers in the central government, the appointment of state Governors by the Centre, and the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

Explanation

RLV-TD stands for Reusable Satellite Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator. It is a winged, unmanned flying testbed developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as a stepping stone toward a two-stage-to-orbit reusable launch system. The project evaluates critical technologies such as hypersonic flight, autonomous re-entry, heat-shielding thermal protection, and autonomous landing, aiming to drastically lower the operational costs of satellite launches into space.

Explanation

Under the National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2019, approved by the Union Cabinet, the Government of India proposed creating a Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF). The SPF aims to promote the development, pooling, and acquisition of Intellectual Property (IP) and patents in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. This helps lower the cost of IP for Indian enterprises and entrepreneurs, fostering domestic innovation and enhancing global competitiveness.

Explanation

The First Five-Year Plan of India (1951–1956) was based on the Harrod-Domar model, which emphasized economic growth through capital accumulation and higher savings rates. The plan primarily focused on the development of the primary sector, particularly agriculture, dam construction, and irrigation projects, to resolve severe food shortages and stabilize the economy post-independence.

Explanation

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a packet-oriented mobile data standard used on 2G and 3G cellular communication networks. Developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), it allows mobile devices to transmit and receive data in small packets, enabling continuous internet connectivity, MMS, and IP-based applications over cellular networks.

Explanation

Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in Calcutta in August 1828, which later became known as the Brahmo Samaj. As the chief preceptor and guiding figure of this monotheistic reformist movement, he served as its first Pradhanacharya. Under his leadership, the Samaj promoted rationalism, monotheism, and social reforms, while actively opposing practices like Sati, idolatry, and caste discrimination.

Explanation

The Central Information Commission is a statutory body constituted under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005, rather than a constitutional body created directly by the Constitution of India.

Explanation

Deepa Malik created history at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games by winning a silver medal in the women's shot put F53 event with a throw of 4.61 meters. With this achievement, she became the first Indian female athlete to win a medal in the history of the Paralympic Games. She was later honored with prestigious national awards, including the Padma Shri and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, for her pioneering contribution to Indian para-sports.

Explanation

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) was launched on 25 September 2014 by the Ministry of Rural Development as a key sub-component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM). It is a placement-linked skill development initiative aimed at transforming rural poor youth between the ages of 15 and 35 into an economically independent and globally competitive workforce.

Explanation

Lysosomes contain powerful hydrolytic enzymes capable of breaking down all types of biological polymers, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids. When a cell becomes damaged, aged, or dysfunctional, lysosomes burst, releasing these digestive enzymes into the cytoplasm where they break down the cell's own components through a process known as autolysis. Because of this self-digestion mechanism, lysosomes are commonly referred to as the suicidal bags of the cell.

Explanation

An E-Way Bill (Electronic Way Bill) is a mandatory document generated electronically on the GST portal for the movement or supply of goods worth over ₹50,000 from one place to another, whether inter-state or intra-state. It contains details such as the description of goods, quantity, value, consignor, consignee, and vehicle details to facilitate smooth transit and prevent tax evasion.

Explanation

Ginning is the mechanical process in cotton production where raw harvested cotton is processed to separate the lint (cotton fibers) from the attached seeds. The separated fibers are then cleaned and baled for textile manufacturing, while the seeds are utilized for producing cottonseed oil and cattle feed.

Explanation

The United States signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1998, but the treaty was never ratified by the US Senate. In 2001, the George W. Bush administration explicitly rejected the agreement, citing potential harm to the US economy and the exemption of major developing countries from mandatory emission cuts. Consequently, the legally binding targets and obligations of the Kyoto Protocol were never applicable to the USA.

Explanation

The logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) features a giant panda, inspired by Chi Chi, a giant panda that arrived at the London Zoo in 1961, the year WWF was founded. Sir Peter Scott, one of the co-founders, designed the iconic panda symbol because it was easily recognizable, lovable, and cost-effective for printing due to its distinct black-and-white features.

Explanation

Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) is a III-V compound semiconductor featuring a direct bandgap of about 1.42 eV, which closely aligns with the optimal bandgap needed to maximize solar energy conversion. It exhibits high electron mobility and a high optical absorption coefficient, allowing thin layers of the material to absorb sunlight effectively. Consequently, GaAs is extensively utilized in manufacturing high-efficiency solar cells, particularly for satellite solar panels, space exploration, and concentrated photovoltaic systems.

Explanation

The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 at Palashi on the banks of the Hooghly River in Bengal. It took place between the forces of the British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, and Siraj-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Bengal, who was supported by a small French contingent. The victory of the East India Company in this battle laid the groundwork for British political dominion in India.

Explanation

Sir Joseph John Thomson (J J Thomson) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1906 in recognition of his theoretical and experimental investigations on the conduction of electricity by gases. His cathode ray tube experiments in 1897 led to the identification of the electron as the first discovered subatomic particle, proving that atoms are divisible and possess negatively charged constituents.

Explanation

CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. It is a channel access method used in radio communication where multiple transmitters can send information simultaneously over a single communication channel. Unlike techniques that divide frequency (FDMA) or time (TDMA), CDMA assigns a unique mathematical code to each user's signal, allowing all users to share the same frequency spectrum at the same time without interfering with one another.

Explanation

Andhra Pradesh holds the largest uranium reserves in India, accounting for over 50% of the country's total uranium resources. The Tummalapalle mine, located in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, is recognized as one of the largest single uranium deposits in the world, as confirmed by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD).

Explanation

According to the 10th Agriculture Census (2015–16) released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of operational landholders in India at approximately 23.82 million, accounting for around 16% of the total 146.45 million operational holdings in the country.

Explanation

Reverberation is the persistence of sound in an enclosed space caused by continuous multiple reflections from hard surfaces such as walls, ceiling, and floor. When a sound source stops emitting sound, the sound waves continue to bounce back and forth off these surfaces, gradually decaying until they become inaudible. In auditoriums and concert halls, controlling reverberation through sound-absorbing materials is essential for clear acoustics and speech intelligibility.

Explanation

National Education Day is celebrated across India on 11 November to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He served as the first Education Minister of independent India from 1947 to 1958. During his tenure, he laid the foundation of the nation's modern education system and played a pivotal role in establishing key national bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). In 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development officially designated 11 November as National Education Day to honor his monumental contributions.

Explanation

According to the criteria laid down by the Election Commission of India under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, a political party is recognized as a national party if it secures at least 6% of the total valid votes polled in any four or more states at a general election to the Lok Sabha or to a State Legislative Assembly, and additionally wins at least four seats in the Lok Sabha from any state or states.

Explanation

In Aditya - L1, L1 stands for Lagrangian point 1, which is one of the five equilibrium positions in the Sun-Earth gravitational system named after the mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange. A satellite placed in the halo orbit around L1 has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or eclipses, ensuring uninterrupted observation of solar activities.

Explanation

On 22 July 1947, during a session of the Constituent Assembly of India, the present National Flag of India was officially adopted. Designed by Pingali Venkayya, the flag features three equal horizontal stripes of saffron, white, and green, with a navy blue Ashoka Chakra having 24 spokes in the center of the white band. This adoption took place roughly three weeks before India gained independence on 15 August 1947.

Explanation

Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian cricketer, across both men's and women's cricket, to play 100 Twenty20 International matches. She achieved this landmark on October 4, 2019, when she led the Indian team against South Africa in Surat.

Explanation

Aerated drinks such as soda water are liquid solutions where carbon dioxide gas is dissolved in water under high pressure, acting as the solute. According to Henry's law, the solubility of a gas in a liquid increases with an increase in pressure. When the gas dissolves in water, it forms mild carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which provides the characteristic tangy taste and effervescence when the container is opened and the pressure is released.