RRB NTPC CBT 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0 (PMKVY 3.0), launched in January 2021, envisaged training 8 lakh candidates over a short scheme period of 2020–2021 with an outlay of ₹948.90 crore, rather than a ten-year duration extending up to 2030.

Explanation

In India, the agricultural crop year is divided into three main seasons: Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid. The Zaid season is a short summer cropping season that falls between the harvesting of Rabi crops (winter) and the sowing of Kharif crops (monsoon), typically running from March to June. Crops grown during this period require warm, dry weather for growth and long day-length for flowering. Common Zaid crops include water-rich fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, bitter gourd, and fodder crops.

Explanation

During the inauguration of the Bhakra Nangal Dam in 1954, India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, referred to multi-purpose river valley projects and large dams as the "temples of modern India". He believed these infrastructure projects would drive post-independence national development by integrating agricultural expansion with rapid industrial growth.

Explanation

Under the Constitution of India, executive power at the Union and State levels is exercised through a Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister or Chief Minister as outlined in Articles 74 and 163. Local governance, governed separately under the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts, consists of local self-governing bodies such as Panchayats and Municipalities. There is no constitutional provision or executive category for Ministers of local government within the Council of Ministers.

Explanation

Chandrayaan-2 was specifically designed to explore the completely uncharted lunar South Pole region of the Moon, rather than its North Pole. The primary scientific objectives of targeting the South Pole were to map the surface, study lunar topography, examine mineralogy and elemental abundance, analyze the thin lunar exosphere, and search for signatures of hydroxyl and water ice in permanently shadowed craters.

Explanation

The eastern coastal plain of India is formed by the rich sediment deposits carried by major east-flowing peninsular rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. As these rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal, they form extensive deltaic regions covered predominantly with highly fertile alluvial soil, which is rich in potash and phosphoric acid.

Explanation

Engineers India Limited (EIL) was set up in 1965 as a central public sector enterprise and is a Navratna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It operates as a government-owned corporation providing engineering and technical consultancy services, making it a public sector undertaking rather than a private sector company.

Explanation

The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi in August 1942 demanding an immediate end to British rule in India. Following the conclusion of World War II and the suppression of the movement, the newly elected Labour Party government in Britain, led by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, dispatched the Cabinet Mission to India in March 1946 to discuss the framework for the transfer of power and the formation of a Constituent Assembly.

Explanation

Aurangzeb was the third son of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, born in 1618. Their eldest son was Dara Shikoh, the second son was Shah Shuja, and their fourth and youngest surviving son was Murad Baksh.

Explanation

In January 2021, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) designed India's first research reactor under a public-private partnership (PPP) model for the production of nuclear medicines. Announced as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the project aims to produce key radioisotopes essential for medical diagnostics and affordable cancer treatments. Under this PPP model, private entities invest in the reactor and processing facilities in exchange for exclusive rights to process and market the produced isotopes, enhancing India's self-reliance in nuclear healthcare applications.

Explanation

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born on 18 February 1836 as Gadadhar Chattopadhyay in Kamarpukur village of Hooghly district, Bengal. He was a renowned 19th-century Hindu mystic and spiritual leader who served as a chief priest at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple and taught the essential unity of all religions.

Explanation

Bairam Khan was a prominent military commander and regent of the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century CE, not Chandragupta Maurya. Chandragupta Maurya's mentor, chief advisor, and guide was Chanakya (Kautilya), who assisted him in overthrowing the Nanda dynasty and establishing the Mauryan Empire in the 4th century BCE.

Explanation

Kepler's second law of planetary motion, also known as the Law of Areas, states that a line segment joining a planet and the Sun sweeps out equal areas during equal intervals of time. This law is a direct consequence of the conservation of angular momentum in a central gravitational field. Because the areal velocity remains constant, a planet moves faster when it is closer to the Sun (perihelion) and slower when it is farther away (aphelion).

Explanation

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures the total monetary value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders in a specific time period. Intermediate goods are products used as inputs in the production of other goods. The final price of a finished good already incorporates the value added by all intermediate inputs used during its production process. Including intermediate goods separately alongside final goods would lead to double counting, thereby artificially inflating the estimation of national income.

Explanation

Endemic species are native species that are restricted to a specific geographical region, such as a particular island, mountain range, state, or habitat, and are not found naturally anywhere else in the world. Their geographic distribution is limited due to physical barriers, unique environmental conditions, or long periods of evolutionary isolation. Examples include the Nilgiri Tahr in the Western Ghats and the Kangaroo in Australia.

Explanation

The 2020 Wimbledon Championships were cancelled on April 1, 2020, due to public health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time the grass-court tournament was called off since 1945, at the end of World War II. The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) utilized pandemic insurance coverage to mitigate financial losses resulting from the cancellation.

Explanation

In Windows and most modern desktop operating systems, pressing Alt + Tab displays a task switcher overlay showing all running applications. Holding down the Alt key and tapping Tab allows the user to quickly cycle through and switch focus between open programmes.

Explanation

Under Article 249 of the Constitution of India, if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting declaring that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest, Parliament becomes empowered to make laws for the whole or any part of India with respect to any matter enumerated in the State List (List II) of the Seventh Schedule. Such a resolution remains in force for a period not exceeding one year, though it can be renewed repeatedly for one year at a time.

Explanation

The Ever Given, a 400-meter-long container ship operated by Taiwanese transport company Evergreen Marine, ran aground in the Suez Canal on 23 March 2021 after being blown off course by strong winds and a dust storm. The massive vessel blocked all traffic through the narrow trade corridor for six days, halting billions of dollars in global trade daily. Following an extensive salvage operation involving dredging and multiple tugboats, the ship was successfully freed on 29 March 2021.

Explanation

Late Indian actor Om Puri was posthumously conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 3rd edition of the India International Film Festival of Boston (IIFFB) held virtually from October 16 to 18, 2020. The award recognized his extensive contributions to world cinema across Indian, British, and Hollywood productions. The honor was accepted on his behalf by his wife, Nandita Puri.

Explanation

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan (PMGKRA) was initiated across 116 districts in 6 states (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Odisha) in Mission Mode for 125 days, rather than 11 districts. These 116 districts were specifically chosen because they received the highest concentration of returning migrant workers following the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.

Explanation

Under the five-year roadmap released by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in August 2020 for 23 new expressways and economic corridors, the 277 km long Chennai-Salem Expressway was scheduled for completion by March 2025.

Explanation

On International Women's Day (March 8, 2021), Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani launched Her Circle, a digital social media and networking platform specifically designed to empower women. It acts as an inclusive, goal-fulfilment community and safe digital space providing expert advice, career resources, and content on health, wellness, entrepreneurship, finance, and leadership.

Explanation

In April 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 3 June as World Bicycle Day. The day acknowledges the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle, highlighting it as a simple, affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally sustainable means of transportation.

Explanation

The Ganga-Brahmaputra basin drains specific northern, eastern, and northeastern states of India, including Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam. It does not encompass most of North and East India, as major parts of North India belong to the Indus river basin and significant sections of East India are drained by peninsular river systems such as the Mahanadi, Subarnarekha, and Brahmani.

Explanation

Black soil (also known as Regur soil or black cotton soil) is rich in fine clay particles, giving it an exceptionally high capacity to absorb and retain moisture for long periods. When wet, it swells and becomes sticky, and upon drying, it shrinks and develops deep cracks that facilitate auto-aeration or self-ploughing. This remarkable water-retention property makes it highly suitable for rain-fed agriculture and dryland cropping.

Explanation

A doab is a tract of land lying between two converging rivers. The term Bari Doab is named by combining the first syllables of the two rivers bounding it: the Beas and the Ravi. It is a highly fertile alluvial plain situated in the Punjab region, encompassing major historic cities like Amritsar and Lahore.

Explanation

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar synthesized two-dimensional boron-rich nanosheets using magnesium diboride (MgB₂). With a thickness of about 1 nanometer—approximately 100,000 times thinner than a sheet of paper—this material represents a breakthrough in two-dimensional nanomaterials. The synthesis involved a simple process where magnesium diboride crystals dissolved in water at room temperature recrystallized into ultra-thin 2D structures, opening possibilities for applications in next-generation batteries, energy storage, and nano-catalysis.

Explanation

Sriharikota is a barrier island situated along the Bay of Bengal coast in the Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore (SPSR Nellore) district of Andhra Pradesh. It is home to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), India's primary orbital launch site operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), from which missions like Chandrayaan-2 were launched in 2019.

Explanation

Casein is the primary phosphoprotein present in mammalian milk, constituting about 80% of the total protein content in cow's milk. It plays a crucial role in providing essential amino acids, calcium, and phosphate required for the growth and development of mammals, and its suspension in micellar form gives milk its characteristic white color.

Explanation

Melanin is a biological pigment produced by specialized cells called melanocytes located in the skin, hair follicles, and the iris of the eyes. The concentration, type, and distribution of melanin determine the wide variation in human skin tones, hair shades, and eye colours, while also serving as a natural defense against ultraviolet radiation.

Explanation

Chilika Lake in Odisha, India's largest brackish water lagoon, is a premier wintering ground for thousands of migratory birds on the Indian subcontinent. It is especially famous for hosting large concentrations of Greater and Lesser Flamingos that migrate to the lake from regions like the Rann of Kutch and Central Asia. The shallow waters and rich mudflats of the Nalabana Bird Sanctuary, located within Chilika Lake, offer an ideal habitat and abundant food source for flamingos during the winter season.

Explanation

Raja Rammohan Roy founded the Brahmo Sabha in Calcutta in August 1828 to promote monotheism and reform Hindu society by denouncing idol worship, caste discrimination, and harmful social practices like Sati. The organization was later renamed the Brahmo Samaj and served as a major catalyst for the Indian socio-religious reform movement known as the Bengal Renaissance.

Explanation

Creating innovative business models for private enterprises or individual sectors is outside the domain of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF operates as an intergovernmental organization focused on macroeconomic stability, global monetary cooperation, exchange rate surveillance, and providing balance of payments assistance to member nations, rather than developing commercial business strategies or microeconomic business models.

Explanation

On 20 December 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/73/250 designating 7 June as World Food Safety Day. Facilitated jointly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the day aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks. This contributes to food security, human health, economic prosperity, and sustainable development. The first World Food Safety Day was celebrated on 7 June 2019.

Explanation

Thomas Babington Macaulay played a pivotal role in promoting English education in India through his influential "Minute on Indian Education" presented in February 1835. He strongly advocated for Western science and literature to be taught through the medium of the English language rather than traditional Oriental learning. His recommendations were accepted by Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, leading to the enactment of the English Education Act of 1835, which redirected British government funding toward English-medium instruction and established English as the medium for higher education in India.

Explanation

The pattern alternates between taking the opposite alphabet letter (sum of positional values equals 27) for odd-positioned letters and shifting forward by +2 for even-positioned letters.

In POSITIVE: P → K (opposite), O → Q (+2), S → H (opposite), I → K (+2), T → G (opposite), I → K (+2), V → E (opposite), E → G (+2).

Applying the same rule to NATIONAL: N becomes M (opposite), A becomes C (+2), T becomes G (opposite), I becomes K (+2), O becomes L (opposite), N becomes P (+2), A becomes Z (opposite), and L becomes N (+2), forming MCGKLPZN.

Explanation

Rhizobium is a genus of nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria that forms a symbiotic relationship with the roots of leguminous plants such as peas, beans, and clover. The bacteria infect the root hairs of host plants, inducing the formation of specialized structures called root nodules. Within these nodules, Rhizobium converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia using the enzyme nitrogenase, providing vital nutrients to the plant while receiving carbohydrates and shelter in return.

Explanation

Kalighat paintings originated in the 19th century around the vicinity of the famous Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata. Created by traditional scroll-painters known as Patuas who migrated to the growing urban center, this style of art combined bold outlines, vibrant colors, and swift watercolor brushstrokes on paper to depict Hindu mythological deities as well as satirical scenes of contemporary daily life and social customs in colonial Bengal.

Explanation

Ringworm, also known as dermatophytosis or tinea, is a common contagious skin infection caused by microscopic fungi known as dermatophytes (including species of Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton). These fungi feed on keratin, a protein found in the outer layers of human skin, hair, and nails, causing a characteristic circular, red, itchy rash with raised edges.

Explanation

At the 67th National Film Awards, Sushant Singh Rajput did not receive the Best Actor award. His film Chhichhore, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and released in 2019, was honored with the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi.

Explanation

Dr. Vivek Murthy, an Indian-American physician, was confirmed by the US Senate in March 2021 as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States under President Joe Biden. He previously served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017.

Explanation

Naujawan Bharat Sabha was founded in March 1926 in Lahore by Bhagat Singh, along with associates such as Sukhdev Thapar, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, and Ram Chandra. It was established as a socialist youth organization aimed at rallying workers and peasants against British rule, fostering secular consciousness, and spreading anti-imperialist ideas across India.

Explanation

Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (Jyotiba Phule) was a prominent social reformer from Maharashtra who worked extensively against caste discrimination, untouchability, and gender inequality. He wrote 'Ghulamgiri' (meaning Slavery) to draw a direct parallel between the plight of the lower castes in India and the African American slaves in the United States, dedicating the work to the American abolitionist movement. Through this seminal book, he criticized Brahmanical dominance and advocated for the social liberation, education, and equality of the marginalized lower castes.

Explanation

A projector is an output device that receives video or visual signals from a computer and projects the image onto a screen or flat surface. It displays information generated by the computer system to the user, rather than sending data or commands into the computer.

Explanation

A mouse is a hand-held pointing input device that detects two-dimensional motion relative to a surface. It allows users to input commands, select items, and control the cursor position on a computer screen, rather than receiving data or displaying output from the computer.

Explanation

The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757 at Palashi on the banks of the Hooghly River in Bengal. The British East India Company forces, led by Robert Clive, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, largely due to the treachery of Mir Jafar. This decisive victory enabled the East India Company to seize control of Bengal's revenues and laid the foundation of British colonial rule in India.

Explanation

The perfect cube closest to and less than 2750 is 14³ = 2744.

The least positive integer to subtract from 2750 to get a perfect cube is: 2750 - 14³ = 2750 - 2744 = 6

Explanation

In March 2021, Chief Justice of India S. A. Bobde officially recommended Justice N. V. Ramana, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court after him, as his successor. Following established convention where the outgoing Chief Justice recommends the next senior-most judge, President Ram Nath Kovind subsequently appointed Justice N. V. Ramana as the 48th Chief Justice of India, and he assumed office on April 24, 2021.

Explanation

The required number is of the form LCM(7, 9, 11) × k + 5.

Since 7, 9, and 11 are pairwise coprime, their LCM = 7 × 9 × 11 = 693.

The largest four-digit number is 9999. Dividing 9999 by 693 gives a quotient of 14 with a remainder of 297.

The largest four-digit multiple of 693 is 693 × 14 = 9702.

Adding the constant remainder 5 gives the required number: 9702 + 5 = 9707.