RRB NTPC CBT 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was established on August 3, 1954, directly under the charge of the Prime Minister of India through a Presidential Order. The department functions under the Prime Minister's Office, with the Prime Minister holding the executive charge of the department. DAE is engaged in the development of nuclear power technology, applications of radiation technologies in agriculture, medicine, and industry, as well as basic research in nuclear science and technology.

Explanation

FORTRAN, short for Formula Translation, was developed by a team led by John Backus at IBM in 1957. Designed specifically for scientific and engineering calculations, it is widely recognized as the world's first commercially available high-level programming language. It enabled programmers to write code using human-readable mathematical statements instead of low-level, machine-dependent assembly language or binary code.

Explanation

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is commonly known as laughing gas due to its euphoric effects upon inhalation, which frequently induce a feeling of lightheadedness and involuntary laughter. It is a colorless, non-flammable gas discovered by Joseph Priestley in 1772 and is widely utilized in medical and dental procedures as a safe sedative and anesthetic agent.

Explanation

Nallamalai is a section of the Eastern Ghats stretching across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, comprising dense forests and hosting the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve. Although it is a significant ecological zone, it has not been designated or notified as a Biosphere Reserve under India's National Biosphere Reserve Programme.

Explanation

Dashakumaracharita, which translates to "Tales of Ten Princes", is a celebrated Sanskrit prose romance composed by the ancient Indian scholar and poet Dandin during the 7th–8th century CE. The work recounts the adventures and exploits of ten young princes, blending folklore, humor, romance, and political intrigue while demonstrating exceptional mastery of Sanskrit prose style and grammar.

Explanation

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an international organization established in 1995 to regulate and facilitate trade between nations. Its primary objective is to promote multilateral trade by providing a framework for negotiating trade agreements, resolving trade disputes, and reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers to ensure smooth, predictable, and free global trade flows.

Explanation

Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989 while working as a computer scientist at CERN. He designed and implemented the first web browser, HTML (HyperText Markup Language), HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol), and the world's first web server, laying the foundational technologies of the modern web.

Explanation

Colombian investigative journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima was awarded the 2020 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Her courageous reporting exposed human rights violations, armed conflict, and sexual violence against women in Colombia, despite facing severe personal risks and violence. The award is conferred annually on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, to honor individuals or institutions that make outstanding contributions to defending press freedom, particularly in the face of danger.

Explanation

In 2016, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) and UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) jointly launched special support centres called "Blue Dot" hubs along major migration routes across Europe. These Child and Family Support Hubs serve as safe spaces where vulnerable refugees, particularly unaccompanied children and mothers, can receive vital protection, legal aid, psychosocial support, health referrals, and family reunification assistance.

Explanation

The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) was established in 1966 to promote and accelerate industrial development in developing countries and economies in transition. Its headquarters is located at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria.

Explanation

Scientists at the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, developed an artificial leaf device that mimics natural photosynthesis to generate hydrogen fuel using sunlight and water. The ultra-thin wireless device utilizes semiconductor materials and catalysts that absorb solar energy to split water molecules, producing eco-friendly hydrogen fuel efficiently.

Explanation

Mount Godwin-Austen, popularly known as K2, is the second-highest mountain peak in the world, situated in the Karakoram range along the Pakistan-China border. It has an official height of 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) above sea level.

Explanation

Alum (potash alum or aluminium sulfate) is widely used in water treatment as a coagulant. When added to water, it neutralizes the electrical charges on fine, suspended impurities and clay particles, causing them to clump together into larger aggregates called flocs. These larger flocs settle quickly to the bottom through sedimentation, allowing clear water to be easily filtered or decanted.

Explanation

Sonal Mansingh, a distinguished exponent of classical dance forms including Bharatanatyam and Odissi, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2003. This made her the first Indian female dancer to be honored with India's second-highest civilian award. Earlier in 1992, she also became the youngest recipient of the Padma Bhushan.

Explanation

A republic is a form of government in which the head of state is elected by the people for a fixed tenure, rather than occupying the position through hereditary succession as in a monarchy. In India, the political system guarantees that all public offices, including the office of the President, are open to every citizen without any discrimination or hereditary privileges.

Explanation

The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold ocean current that flows northwards along the western coast of South America from southern Chile to Peru. Originating from cold sub-Antarctic waters, it transports cold, low-salinity water toward the equator and causes deep, nutrient-rich water to rise to the ocean surface through wind-driven upwelling.

Explanation

Varahamihira, an eminent 6th-century polymath, astronomer, and mathematician from Ujjain, authored the 'Brihat Samhita'. It is an ancient Sanskrit encyclopedia covering a wide spectrum of subjects including astronomy, planetary movements, meteorology, rainfall prediction, architecture, agriculture, gemstones, and perfumery.

Explanation

Chandrashekhar Azad made Jhansi and the adjacent forests of Orchha his revolutionary hub in the mid-1920s while evading British authorities after the Kakori Train Action. To maintain his cover, he lived along the banks of the Satar river under the assumed identity of Pandit Harishankar Brahmachari. He built a small hut next to a Hanuman temple, where he taught children from the nearby village of Dhimarpura (renamed Azadpura) and used the secluded location for target practice and training fellow revolutionaries.

Explanation

Kerala is located in the southwestern part of India, extending between approximately 8°18′ N and 12°48′ N latitudes. Tamil Nadu lies between approximately 8°05′ N and 13°35′ N latitudes in the southern peninsular region. Because Tamil Nadu spans a wider latitudinal range that completely encompasses the north-south geographical extent of Kerala, all parallel lines of latitude that cross through Kerala also pass through Tamil Nadu.

Explanation

Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, widely regarded as the father of the Indian space program, served as the founder and first Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) upon its establishment on 15 August 1969. He led the organisation until December 1971, pioneering India's early space research, satellite communication projects, and launch infrastructure.

Explanation

Spirogyra belongs to the division Thallophyta, which comprises algae having an undifferentiated plant body called a thallus. It lacks vascular tissues as well as true root, stem, and leaf structures, existing as a simple, unbranched filamentous green alga.

Explanation

Punjab has one of the lowest forest cover areas in India, covering only around 1,849 square kilometers (about 3.67% of its total geographical area) as per the India State of Forest Report. Due to extensive agricultural practices and intensive land utilization for crop cultivation, forest cover in Punjab is minimal, placing it far outside the top states in terms of forest area in the country.

Explanation

The First Schedule of the Constitution of India contains the list of all States and Union Territories along with their names, territorial extents, and jurisdictions. Articles 1 and 4 of the Indian Constitution are directly associated with the provisions of this Schedule.

Explanation

South Korea won the 28th edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup held in Ipoh, Malaysia, in March 2019. In the final, South Korea defeated India 4–2 in a shoot-out after the match ended in a 1–1 draw during regular time, securing their third Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title.

Explanation

The Legislative Assembly of Delhi consists of 70 members (MLAs) elected directly from single-member constituencies, making the given count of 50 incorrect.

Explanation

An Optical Distribution Network (ODN) is the passive optical transmission infrastructure that connects the Optical Line Terminal (OLT) at a service provider's central office to the Optical Network Units (ONUs) at subscriber premises in a telecommunications network. It encompasses both the physical fiber optic cables and the passive optical devices, such as optical splitters, connectors, optical distribution frames, and patch cords, required to route and distribute optical signals to end users.

Explanation

Fiber To The Premises (FTTP) is a high-speed telecommunication delivery method where optical fiber cables are installed directly from an Internet Service Provider's central network to an individual residential or commercial building. This direct fiber connection ensures maximum bandwidth, lower latency, and highly reliable broadband data transmission without relying on legacy copper wiring.

Explanation

Kolkata Port, officially known as Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, is the oldest operating port in India and the country's only major riverine port. It is situated on the banks of the Hooghly River, approximately 203 kilometers inland from the sea, serving as a primary maritime gateway for eastern and northeastern India.

Explanation

The headquarters of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is located in Vienna, Austria. It was initially established in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1960, but was relocated to Vienna on September 1, 1965, where it continues to operate today, not in Zurich.

Explanation

Michael Francis O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, and endorsed the actions of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer. Indian revolutionary Udham Singh assassinated O'Dwyer on March 13, 1940, at Caxton Hall in London to avenge the killings. Udham Singh was subsequently tried, convicted, and hanged at Pentonville Prison on July 31, 1940.

Explanation

Sir Isaac Newton formulated the three laws of motion in his landmark work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687. These fundamental physical laws describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting upon it, laying the foundation for classical mechanics.

Explanation

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, is a flagship social security scheme that guarantees a minimum of 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to perform unskilled manual work. By providing guaranteed wage employment on demand, it directly enhances livelihood security in rural areas and prevents distressed migration.

Explanation

Mangifera indica is the scientific name of the mango, a tropical fruit-bearing tree belonging to the family Anacardiaceae. It was binomial named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Native to South Asia, particularly India and Myanmar, it is widely cultivated for its sweet, juicy stone fruit and serves as the national fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

Explanation

Kalidasa was a renowned Classical Sanskrit author and dramatist of ancient India, widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in Indian literature. 'Meghadoot' (The Cloud Messenger) is a celebrated lyric poem about an exiled Yaksha sending a message to his beloved through a cloud, while 'Abhijanam Shakuntalam' (The Recognition of Shakuntala) is his masterwork play telling the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala based on an episode from the Mahabharata.

Explanation

The Planning Commission of India was dissolved in 2014 and replaced by the National Institution for Transforming India, commonly known as NITI Aayog, on 1 January 2015. Formed via a Union Cabinet resolution, NITI Aayog serves as the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, promoting cooperative federalism by fostering the active involvement of state governments in the economic policy-making process.

Explanation

Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan formed in the Bay of Bengal and made landfall near Bakkhali in West Bengal on May 20, 2020. It was one of the strongest tropical cyclones to affect West Bengal and Odisha, causing widespread destruction, extreme wind damage, and severe flooding across the coastal districts of both states.

Explanation

The Champaran Satyagraha of 1917 was Mahatma Gandhi's first civil disobedience movement in India, launched in the Champaran district of Bihar. It was directed against the oppressive Tinkathia system imposed by British planters, which legally forced farmers to cultivate indigo on 3/20th of their total landholding under exploitative contractual conditions.

Explanation

Roberto Azevêdo, a Brazilian diplomat, served as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1 September 2013. In May 2020, he announced his decision to step down early, officially leaving office on 31 August 2020 before completing his second four-year term.

Explanation

PARAM MITRA is not a supercomputer model or series developed under the PARAM supercomputer program by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The PARAM series consists of indigenous high-performance supercomputing systems developed by Indian scientists, whereas PARAM MITRA does not exist as a supercomputer within this series.

Explanation

The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) is located in Jamnagar, Gujarat. It was established by amalgamating three existing Ayurveda institutes in Jamnagar under the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Act, 2020. With this enactment, ITRA Jamnagar became the first institution in the AYUSH sector to be conferred the status of an Institution of National Importance (INI).

Explanation

Rabindranath Tagore wrote the iconic Bengali song "Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tobe Ekla Chalo Re" (If no one responds to your call, then walk alone) in 1905. Composed during the anti-partition Swadeshi movement in Bengal, it was first published in the journal Bhandar in September 1905. The song encourages individuals to steadfastly pursue truth, justice, and self-reliance with courage, even when lacking external support or facing isolation. It became a prominent anthem during the Indian independence movement and was notably favored by Mahatma Gandhi.

Explanation

Funaria is a moss belonging to the division Bryophyta rather than Thallophyta. It possesses a differentiated plant body featuring stem-like and leaf-like structures, along with multicellular rhizoids for anchorage and absorption. Unlike thallophytes, which have an unspecialized and undifferentiated thallus body, Funaria exhibits tissue differentiation and multicellular jacketed sex organs typical of bryophytes.

Explanation

Niagara Falls is located on the international border between Ontario, Canada, and New York State, USA. The falls lie along the Niagara River, which drains water from Lake Erie into Lake Ontario. It consists of three distinct waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls, and the Bridal Veil Falls.

Explanation

Under Article 80 of the Constitution of India, the Indian Parliament is a bicameral legislature consisting of the President and two Houses: the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha, also known as the Council of States, functions as the upper house of Parliament, representing the states and union territories in India's federal arrangement. It is a permanent body that is not subject to dissolution, with one-third of its members retiring every two years.

Explanation

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central banking institution and monetary authority of India, fully owned by the Government of India. Established on April 1, 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, it was nationalized on January 1, 1949, making it a public/state-owned institution rather than a private bank.

Explanation

The Stand Up India Scheme was launched by the Government of India on 5 April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grassroots level among Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and women entrepreneurs. Under the scheme, all scheduled commercial bank branches facilitate bank loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one woman borrower for setting up a greenfield enterprise in manufacturing, services, or the trading sector.

Explanation

On 19 December 2019, the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 74/212, designating 7th September as the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. The observance highlights the importance of clean air for health, productivity, economy, and the environment, and encourages global efforts to improve air quality. The inaugural day was celebrated on 7th September 2020 under the theme Clean Air for All.

Explanation

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020 was awarded jointly to Harvey J. Alter, Michael Houghton, and Charles M. Rice for their seminal discovery of the Hepatitis C virus. Prior to their work, the identification of Hepatitis A and B viruses had explained many cases of chronic hepatitis, but a large number of blood-borne hepatitis cases remained unexplained. Their research successfully isolated and characterized the Hepatitis C virus, which led to sensitive blood tests that have virtually eliminated transfusion-transmitted hepatitis worldwide and enabled the development of effective antiviral treatments.

Explanation

Mangal Pandey was a sepoy in the 34th Bengal Native Infantry regiment of the British East India Company stationed at Barrackpore. On 29 March 1857, he attacked British officers in protest against the use of Enfield rifle cartridges rumored to be greased with cow and pig fat, which offended Hindu and Muslim religious sentiments. His execution on 8 April 1857 sparked widespread unrest among Indian sepoys, serving as a major immediate catalyst for the Revolt of 1857.

Explanation

The correct chronological order of the events is:

Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar, Punjab. Non-Cooperation movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in September 1920. Flag Satyagraha was a campaign of peaceful civil disobedience held in 1923, primarily in Jabalpur and Nagpur. Quit India movement was launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee on 8 August 1942.