RRB NTPC CBT 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Launched in June 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) aims to establish infrastructure that ensures robust basic civic amenities in urban areas. The mission focuses on providing universal water supply through tap connections, sewerage and septage management systems, storm water drainage, non-motorized urban transport, and green spaces or parks across targeted cities to improve the overall quality of life.

Explanation

Total distance covered by the train = Speed × Time = 45 km/hr × 4 hours = 180 km = 180,000 m.

Number of intervals between the poles = Total distance / Distance between consecutive poles = 180,000 m / 50 m = 3600.

Since the train crosses a pole at the starting point of its journey, the total number of poles covered is equal to the number of intervals plus 1:

Total poles = 3600 + 1 = 3601.

Explanation

Number of neutrons = Mass number (A) - Atomic number (Z). Protium (¹H) is the standard isotope of hydrogen with an atomic number Z = 1 and a mass number A = 1. Substituting these values gives the number of neutrons as 1 - 1 = 0.

Explanation

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2020 (SOFIA 2020) report, China is the largest producer of fish in the world, contributing over 30% of total global fish production. It holds the top position in both capture fisheries and aquaculture sectors globally.

Explanation

The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded by Sir William Jones on 15 January 1784 at Fort William in Calcutta. Established during the tenure of Governor-General Warren Hastings, the society was created to promote Oriental studies and to initiate and catalyze research into the history, antiquities, arts, sciences, and literature of Asia.

Explanation

Dr. Rajiv Kumar served as the Vice Chairperson of NITI Aayog from September 2017 to April 2022, succeeding Arvind Panagariya. As the cabinet-rank functional head of the apex policy think tank of the Government of India, he held this position during November 2020.

Explanation

Lord Ripon is known as the ‘Father of Local Self-Government’ in India because of his famous Resolution of 1882, which laid the foundation for local self-governing institutions across the country. His policy aimed at administrative decentralization and promoting civic participation by establishing local boards and municipal bodies with non-official elected members.

Explanation

Alexander Graham Bell was granted the official U.S. patent for the telephone on March 7, 1876. Three days later, on March 10, 1876, he successfully transmitted the first voice message over a wire to his assistant Thomas Watson, famously saying, "Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you."

Explanation

Raisina Hill is an elevated area in New Delhi that serves as the seat of the Government of India. It houses Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India, alongside the Secretariat buildings (North and South Blocks) containing key central government ministries. Designed as part of Lutyens' Delhi during British rule, the site was selected specifically for its commanding view and prominent elevation to construct the Viceregal Lodge, which was renamed Rashtrapati Bhavan after independence.

Explanation

The Quit India Movement was officially launched by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942 during the All-India Congress Committee session held at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. It was during this historic meeting that Gandhi delivered his famous "Do or Die" speech, calling for an immediate end to British colonial rule in India.

Explanation

A polygraph, commonly referred to as a lie detector, is an instrument that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a subject answers a series of questions. The apparatus operates on the principle that deceptive answers trigger involuntary autonomic nervous system responses, leading to measurable changes in these physiological parameters.

Explanation

India lies in the Northern Hemisphere, where the winter solstice occurs on or around 22 December. On this date, the Sun reaches its southernmost declination directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, causing the Northern Hemisphere to receive the shortest duration of daylight and the longest night of the year.

Explanation

On 24 December 2014, the Government of India announced the conferment of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, on eminent educationist and freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously, alongside former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Malaviya was a notable leader of the Indian independence movement, served four times as the President of the Indian National Congress, and was the founder of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916.

Explanation

Rabindranath Tagore renounced his British Knighthood, which had been conferred upon him in 1915, on 31 May 1919 in protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 13 April 1919. Expressing deep anguish over the ruthless firing on unarmed peaceful demonstrators in Amritsar by British troops under General Dyer, Tagore wrote a letter to Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, stating that the sheer enormity of the atrocity exposed the inhumanity of British rule and rendered knightly honors meaningless.

Explanation

The Earth's circumference measured along a meridian is approximately 40,008 km. Dividing this total circumference across 360 degrees yields roughly 111 km (or 111.1 km) per 1 degree of latitude. Since lines of latitude are parallel to each other, this distance remains nearly constant from the Equator to the Poles.

Explanation

Adhai Din Ka Jhopra is a historical mosque in Ajmer, Rajasthan, commissioned by Qutubuddin Aibak, the founder of the Slave dynasty, on the orders of Muhammad Ghori in 1192 CE. Constructed on the site of an earlier Sanskrit college and temple complex, it was completed around 1199 CE and features intricate Indo-Islamic architectural elements made from reused yellow sandstone pillars and carved screens.

Explanation

Article 18 of the Indian Constitution provides for the abolition of titles to maintain social equality and eliminate aristocratic or hereditary distinctions in democratic India. Under this article, the State is prohibited from conferring titles on any person, except for military or academic distinctions, and citizens of India are forbidden from accepting any title from foreign nations.

Explanation

Vitamin A plays a crucial role in maintaining good vision because it is required for the synthesis of visual pigments in the retina. It forms a key component of rhodopsin and iodopsin, the light-sensitive proteins found in photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) that enable vision in both dim light and color perception. A deficiency in Vitamin A impairs the function of these retinal receptors, leading to visual disorders such as poor vision, night blindness, and defects in visual perception.

Explanation

Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank were established during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in July 1944. Under their Articles of Agreement, the principal office of each institution is required to be located in the territory of the member country holding the largest share of quota or capital, which is the United States. Consequently, the headquarters of both twin financial institutions were established and remain in Washington, D.C.

Explanation

As on 31 December 1947, following the partition of India and the reorganisation of the Constituent Assembly, the total membership stood at 299 members, comprising 229 representatives from Indian provinces and 70 from princely states. Among all the Indian provinces, the United Provinces had the maximum representation with 55 members, allocated in proportion to its population under the guidelines set by the Cabinet Mission Plan.

Explanation

The series follows two distinct rules for the letters and the numbers:

For the alphabetical positions, each letter advances by 5 places: A (1) + 5 = F (6) F (6) + 5 = K (11) K (11) + 5 = P (16) P (16) + 5 = U (21) U (21) + 5 = Z (26)

For the numbers, each term is calculated using the formula (Previous number × 2) + n, where n increases by 1 at each step: 5 × 2 + 1 = 11 11 × 2 + 2 = 24 24 × 2 + 3 = 51 51 × 2 + 4 = 106 106 × 2 + 5 = 217

The term T105 fails both patterns, as the correct term should be U106.

Explanation

The National Institution for Transforming India, better known as NITI Aayog, was constituted via a Cabinet resolution on 1st January 2015 to replace the 65-year-old Planning Commission. It serves as the premier public policy think tank of the Government of India, promoting cooperative federalism by involving State governments in the economic policy-making process and providing strategic and technical advice to the Centre and States.

Explanation

A scanner is an input device that captures physical images, printed text, or objects and converts them into digital data to be sent into a computer system for processing and storage.

Explanation

Soda water is manufactured by dissolving carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas in water under high pressure. When the container is opened, the pressure drops, causing the dissolved carbon dioxide to form effervescent bubbles and escape. The dissolved gas also reacts with water to form weak carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which gives carbonated beverages their characteristic crisp, slightly acidic taste.

Explanation

Mughal Emperor Jahangir issued an imperial farman in 1613 granting permission to the English East India Company to establish their first official factory at Surat. This came after Captain William Hawkins visited Jahangir's court in 1609 seeking trade concessions, and following the British victory over Portuguese naval forces at the Battle of Swally near Surat in 1612. Sir Thomas Roe later visited Jahangir's court in 1615 as an ambassador of King James I to secure expanded trading privileges throughout the Mughal Empire.

Explanation

To be divisible by 21, 35, and 63, a number must be a multiple of their Least Common Multiple (LCM).

LCM(21, 35, 63) = 3² × 5 × 7 = 315

The number of positive integers less than 10000 that are divisible by 315 is calculated by taking the integer division of the greatest integer less than 10000 by 315:

Floor(9999 ÷ 315) = 31

These multiples range from 315 × 1 = 315 to 315 × 31 = 9765.

Explanation

According to official estimates from the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, foodgrain production in India for the year 2019-20 reached a total of 297.5 million tonnes. Rice was the most produced foodgrain crop at 118.87 million tonnes, followed by Wheat at 107.86 million tonnes, Coarse cereals at 47.75 million tonnes, and Pulses at 23.03 million tonnes.

Explanation

R. K. Narayan created the fictional South Indian town of Malgudi, which served as the backdrop for most of his literary works. He introduced this setting in his debut novel, Swami and Friends (1935), which chronicles the childhood adventures, school life, and relationships of a young boy named Swaminathan, affectionately called Swami.

Explanation

Article 243 to 243O under Part IX of the Indian Constitution contains detailed provisions regarding Panchayats, introduced by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992. Additionally, Part IXA (Articles 243P to 243ZG), inserted by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, lays down provisions for Municipalities and urban local body governments. These articles define the composition, duration, powers, responsibilities, and election procedures for local self-government institutions across India.

Explanation

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) operates the National Financial Switch (NFS), which is the largest network of shared Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in India. The NFS facilitates inter-bank ATM transactions, linking ATMs across various banks to enable cardholders to access banking services, withdraw cash, and check balances at any ATM nationwide regardless of their issuing bank.

Explanation

Using the BODMAS rule, simplify the expression step-by-step starting with the innermost brackets:

First, evaluate the small brackets: 12 × 12 = 144 6 - 2 = 4

Substitute these values back into the expression: 103 - [144 ÷ 144 + 5 + 12 ÷ 4 + 10]

Next, perform the division operations inside the square bracket: 144 ÷ 144 = 1 12 ÷ 4 = 3

Now perform addition inside the bracket: 1 + 5 + 3 + 10 = 19

Finally, perform the subtraction: 103 - 19 = 84

Explanation

In March 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill dispatched the Cripps Mission, led by Sir Stafford Cripps, to India. The mission was sent to negotiate Indian cooperation and full support for the Allied forces during World War II in exchange for the promise of dominion status after the conclusion of the war.

Explanation

GPS relies on line-of-sight microwave radio signals transmitted from orbiting satellites to receivers on Earth. High-density physical structures such as mountains, tall buildings, and concrete blocks obstruct or reflect these high-frequency radio signals, causing signal attenuation or complete blockage (known as the urban canyon effect). Without a clear line-of-sight path to at least four satellites, the receiver cannot accurately calculate its location, elevation, and time.

Explanation

The Lion Capital of Ashoka was erected around 250 BCE at Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, to commemorate the site where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon, known as the Dharmachakrapravartana. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the capital features four Asiatic lions standing back to back on a circular abacus decorated with relief sculptures of an elephant, a horse, a bull, and a lion, separated by wheel-spokes representing the Dharma Chakra. This masterpiece of Mauryan sculpture was adopted as the official National Emblem of India on January 26, 1950.

Explanation

Cyclone Amphan originated as a low-pressure area over the southeastern Bay of Bengal in May 2020. It rapidly intensified into a Super Cyclonic Storm, becoming the first super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal since the 1999 Odisha cyclone, before making landfall near Sagar Island in West Bengal.

Explanation

Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha National Park, is situated across the Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. Created as a sanctuary in 1933 and declared a national park in 1955, it was designated a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. It is renowned for saving the Hard Ground Barasingha (swamp deer) from near extinction and forms a critical part of the Central Indian landscape ecosystem.

Explanation

The Karakoram Pass is situated at an elevation of 5,540 meters in the Karakoram Range, connecting the Ladakh region of India with the Xinjiang region of China. Kargil is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh, making it geographically the closest region to the pass.

Explanation

Under Article 23 of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council consists of fifteen members, including five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. The non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly by a two-thirds majority for a term of two years. Five non-permanent members are elected each year to maintain continuity, and retiring members are not eligible for immediate re-election.

Explanation

The Ease of Doing Business Index was created by Simeon Djankov at the World Bank Group and published annually by the World Bank from 2003 to 2020. The index measured and compared business regulations across economies based on quantitative indicators covering various parameters, such as starting a business, getting electricity, registering property, paying taxes, protecting minority investors, and enforcing contracts.

Explanation

The first session of the Indian National Congress was held from 28 to 31 December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. It was presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee and attended by 72 delegates from across India. Originally scheduled to take place in Poona, the venue was shifted to Bombay due to an outbreak of cholera in Poona.

Explanation

Mercury is commonly known as quicksilver because of its bright silvery appearance and liquid state at room temperature, which gives it a mobile, fluid nature. The term originates from the ancient term meaning "alive silver", referring to its ability to flow rapidly. Its chemical symbol, Hg, comes from the Greek word hydrargyrum, which translates to "liquid silver".

Explanation

The National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) was established in 1992 as the country's first dematerialized electronic exchange. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, with its primary office located in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). NSE was set up to bring transparency and efficiency to the Indian financial market and is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

Explanation

OMR stands for Optical Mark Recognition (or Optical Mark Reader). It is an electronic method of gathering human-marked data from document forms such as surveys, tests, and multiple-choice examination answer sheets. The technology operates by shining a light beam onto the document page to detect the presence or absence of a mark based on light reflectivity.

Explanation

The Hornbill Festival is celebrated annually from 1 to 10 December in Nagaland, primarily at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama near Kohima. Organized by the state's Tourism and Art | Culture Departments, the event brings together all the Naga tribes to display their rich cultural heritage, traditions, crafts, and music, earning it the title 'Festival of Festivals'. The festival is named after the Indian hornbill, a bird featured prominently in Naga tribal folklore and song.

Explanation

The phrase 'Satyameva Jayate', which translates to "Truth alone triumphs", is a sacred mantra from the Mundaka Upanishad (Mundaka 3.1.6), an ancient Sanskrit Vedic text. Following India's independence, this phrase was adopted as the official national motto of India on 26 January 1950. It is inscribed in Devanagari script at the base of the State Emblem of India, which is adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.

Explanation

Modern printers, such as inkjet and laser printers, process and render entire pages at a time rather than individual characters or lines. Therefore, Pages Per Minute (PPM) is the standard industry metric used to measure their operational speed, representing the total number of full pages a printer can produce in one minute under standard printing conditions.

Explanation

Heavy water is deuterium oxide (D₂O), a form of water in which the ordinary hydrogen atoms are replaced by deuterium isotopes. It is primarily used in nuclear power generation plants, particularly in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), where it serves as a neutron moderator and coolant. As a moderator, heavy water slows down fast-moving neutrons produced during nuclear fission without absorbing them excessively, thereby enabling a sustained nuclear chain reaction using natural uranium fuel.

Explanation

The International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station positioned in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude ranging between approximately 370 and 460 kilometers (230 and 290 miles) above Earth's surface. It orbits Earth about 15.5 times a day at a speed of nearly 28,000 km/h, functioning as a continuous microgravity and space environment research laboratory.

Explanation

Russia hosted the 21st FIFA World Cup from 14 June to 15 July 2018, making it the first FIFA World Cup held in Eastern Europe. The tournament took place across 12 venues located in 11 Russian cities, with the final held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, where France defeated Croatia to win the title.

Explanation

Vishnu Gupta, popularly known as Chanakya or Kautilya, was the teacher, mentor, and chief advisor of Chandragupta Maurya. He guided Chandragupta in overthrowing Dhana Nanda, the ruler of the Nanda dynasty, and establishing the Mauryan Empire in 322 BCE. Vishnu Gupta was a scholar and professor at the ancient university of Takshashila and is renowned for writing the political treatise Arthashastra.