SSC CGL Tier 1 2020 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Lord Wavell, who took office as Viceroy in October 1943, immediately recognized the severity of the Bengal famine and mobilized the Indian Army to transport and distribute food supplies to the rural population. His predecessor, Lord Linlithgow, is generally criticized for failing to take such decisive action during the famine's onset earlier that year.

Explanation

Acetic acid (CH₃COOH) is not a natural constituent of healthy, intact grapes. It is a volatile acid that is primarily formed as a byproduct of fermentation or through the action of acetic acid bacteria (such as Acetobacter) when they oxidize ethanol in the presence of oxygen. While grapes naturally contain several fixed organic acids that contribute to their tartness and pH levels, acetic acid only appears if the fruit has been damaged, crushed, or subjected to microbial spoilage. In the context of viticulture and winemaking, the presence of acetic acid is generally monitored as an indicator of volatility and spoilage rather than being a component synthesized by the grape vine itself during the ripening process.

Explanation

The Madhavpur Mela is an annual cultural fair held in the village of Madhavpur Ghed, situated on the coast of the Porbandar district in Gujarat. This festival commemorates the mythological wedding of Lord Krishna and Princess Rukmini. According to local folklore and ancient scriptures, Rukmini was the daughter of King Bhishmaka of Vidarbha, a region often identified in modern traditions with Arunachal Pradesh. It is believed that after Krishna eloped with Rukmini, they arrived in Madhavpur, where their marriage was solemnized. The fair serves as a significant cultural bridge between Western India and Northeast India, featuring a ceremonial procession of the deities and traditional folk performances that celebrate this legendary union.

Explanation

The Congress Socialist Party (CSP) was founded in 1934 as a socialist caucus within the Indian National Congress. Its formation was driven by leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan, Acharya Narendra Deva, and Minoo Masani, who felt that the Congress needed to adopt a more radical socio-economic program following the suspension of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The first all-India socialist conference was held at Patna in May 1934, and the party was formally established at a conference in Bombay in October 1934. The CSP worked to push the national movement towards advocating for the rights of workers and peasants while maintaining the unity of the anti-imperialist front.

Explanation

According to the National Wildlife Database of the Wildlife Institute of India, there were 104 national parks in India as of December 2019. These protected areas encompass a total area of approximately 40,501.13 square kilometers, which accounts for about 1.23 percent of the country's total geographical area. National parks are categorized as IUCN Category II protected areas and are established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to ensure the conservation of various species and their natural habitats. The number of national parks remained at 104 through the early months of 2020, representing the official count available for exams conducted during that period.

Explanation

Nand Kishore Singh, popularly known as NK Singh, is a former senior bureaucrat and a former member of the Rajya Sabha who was appointed by the Government of India as the Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission. The commission was constituted by the President of India in November 2017 under Article 280 of the Constitution to define the financial relations between the central government and the individual state governments. Its primary mandate was to provide recommendations for the distribution of tax proceeds for the period starting from April 2020. NK Singh has an extensive background in fiscal policy, having previously served as the Union Expenditure Secretary and Revenue Secretary.

Explanation

Premchand Roychand was an influential 19th-century businessman and philanthropist who established the Native Share | Stock Brokers' Association in 1875. This institution was the first stock exchange in Asia and later evolved into the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). Known as the Cotton King and the Bullion King, Roychand played a central role in organizing the local stockbroking community into a formal association. He brought together 318 founding members who each contributed an entrance fee to transition from informal trading under banyan trees to a regulated exchange at Dalal Street.

Explanation

Sarbjeet Kaur was handed a four-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) in early 2020 after testing positive for prohibited substances. The violation occurred during the 34th Women Senior National Weightlifting Championship held in Visakhapatnam in 2019, where her urine sample was found to contain banned anabolic steroids. Consequently, the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel imposed the suspension, effectively barring her from competitive weightlifting for a period of four years starting from the date of her provisional suspension.

Explanation

Lt Col Yuvraj Malik was appointed as the Director of the National Book Trust (NBT) on January 11, 2020, joining the organization on deputation from the Indian Army. His appointment was cleared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education) to lead the autonomous body responsible for book promotion and the publication of affordable literature in India. With a background in the administrative and operational cadres of the Army, Malik brought leadership and organizational expertise to the NBT, which plays a pivotal role in organizing the New Delhi World Book Fair and promoting Indian literature both domestically and internationally.

Explanation

The Tansen Sangeet Samaroh is a world-renowned classical music festival held annually in Gwalior to pay tribute to the legendary musician Tansen, one of the nine gems in the court of Emperor Akbar. The festival is organized by the Ustad Alauddin Khan Kala Evam Sangeet Academy in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh. Held near the tomb of Tansen in Behat, the event brings together eminent vocalists and instrumentalists from across the country. The academy, which is named after the sarod maestro Ustad Alauddin Khan, is the primary body responsible for the preservation and promotion of traditional music and arts in the state, ensuring the smooth execution of this prestigious four-day musical extravaganza.

Explanation

The 12th edition of the bilateral naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman, titled Naseem-Al-Bahr or Sea Breeze, was conducted in January 2020 at Mormugao Port and off the coast of Goa. Initiated in 1993, this biennial exercise aims to bolster maritime cooperation and improve interoperability between the two navies. The 2020 exercise included a harbor phase for professional interactions and a sea phase involving complex naval maneuvers such as surface firing, anti-aircraft drills, and tactical maneuvers. Indian Navy ships INS Beas and INS Subhadra participated alongside Omani vessels RNOV Al Rasikh and RNOV Khassab to strengthen the strategic partnership in the Indian Ocean Region.

Explanation

Galinstan is a eutectic alloy composed of gallium, indium, and tin, which remains in a liquid state at room temperature with a freezing point of approximately -19°C. It is widely used as a non-toxic and environmentally friendly substitute for mercury in clinical and laboratory thermometers. Unlike mercury, Galinstan poses no significant health or environmental risks if the thermometer breaks, making it the preferred choice for modern liquid-in-glass measuring instruments. Its physical properties, such as high thermal conductivity and expansion characteristics, allow it to function effectively across a broad range of temperatures required for medical and household applications.

Explanation

National Highway 44 (NH 44) is the longest north-south highway in India, connecting Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. It was established through the consolidation of seven existing national highways as part of the comprehensive renumbering system introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The seven specific highways merged to form this route are NH 1A (Srinagar to Jalandhar), NH 1 (Jalandhar to Delhi), NH 2 (Delhi to Agra), NH 3 (Agra to Gwalior), NH 75 (Gwalior to Jhansi), NH 26 (Jhansi to Lakhnadon), and NH 7 (Lakhnadon to Kanyakumari). This integrated highway spans approximately 3,745 kilometers, passing through various states including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Explanation

Article 347 of the Indian Constitution contains special provisions relating to languages spoken by a section of the population of a State. This article empowers the President of India to intervene if a substantial proportion of the population of a State desires the use of any language spoken by them to be officially recognized. If the President is satisfied that such a demand is genuine and representative of a significant section of the people, he may direct that the language shall be officially recognized throughout that State or any part thereof for such purposes as he may specify. This constitutional safeguard is intended to protect linguistic diversity and the rights of linguistic minorities, ensuring that their language can be utilized in administrative or official capacities when there is sufficient demographic justification.

Explanation

Deepak Punia was named the Junior Freestyle Wrestler of the Year by United World Wrestling in 2019 following a breakthrough season where he became the first Indian wrestler in 18 years to win a Junior World Championship title. He achieved this feat by winning the gold medal in the 86 kg freestyle category at the Junior World Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia. His consistent performance throughout the year also included winning a silver medal at the 2019 Senior World Wrestling Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, which secured him a quota for the Tokyo Olympics. This recognition by the UWW highlighted his rapid rise from the junior ranks to being a top contender at the senior international level.

Explanation

The World Energy Outlook is the flagship annual publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA). The 2019 report provided comprehensive projections of global energy markets, analyzing future trends in energy demand, production, and carbon emissions through 2040. Established in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, the IEA is an autonomous intergovernmental organization that provides authoritative analysis, data, and policy recommendations to ensure reliable, affordable, and clean energy for its member countries and the world. The 2019 edition specifically highlighted the widening gap between the stated policy goals of governments and the actual trajectory of energy-related emissions and resource use.

Explanation

In the landmark judgment of Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020), the Supreme Court of India ruled that the right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to carry on any trade or business through the medium of the internet is a fundamental right. These rights are protected under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution respectively. The Court held that the internet is an essential tool for exercising these fundamental freedoms, and any restriction on internet access must satisfy the test of proportionality and is subject to judicial review. While the internet is not a standalone fundamental right, its use as a medium for expression and commerce brings it directly under the ambit of the protections provided by Article 19.

Explanation

Mehrunnisa, better known by her title Nur Jahan, was the wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. They were married in 1611, making her his twentieth and last wife. She was the daughter of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and the widow of a Persian nobleman named Sher Afgan. After her marriage to Jahangir, she rose to a position of unprecedented power for a female in the Mughal Empire. Jahangir bestowed the titles Nur Mahal (Light of the Palace) and later Nur Jahan (Light of the World) upon her. She was a highly influential political figure, often managing state affairs, issuing imperial edicts, and even having coins minted in her name alongside the Emperor.

Explanation

Alyssa Healy is a renowned wicket-keeper batter who represents the Australia women's national cricket team. She achieved the world record for the highest individual score in a women's Twenty20 International (T20I) in October 2019. Playing against Sri Lanka at the North Sydney Oval, she scored an unbeaten 148 runs off just 61 deliveries. This performance broke the previous record of 133 runs held by her Australian teammate Meg Lanning. Healy has been a mainstay of the Australian team, contributing significantly to their multiple world championship titles in both the T20 and One Day International formats.

Explanation

When inflation in an economy rises steadily, the Central Bank typically adopts a contractionary monetary policy to stabilize prices. The repo rate is the benchmark interest rate at which the Central Bank lends money to commercial banks. By increasing the repo rate, the Central Bank raises the cost of borrowing for banks, which in turn leads to higher interest rates for loans provided to businesses and consumers. This increase in the cost of credit discourages spending and investment, thereby reducing the overall money supply and aggregate demand in the economy. As demand cools down, the upward pressure on the price level subsides, effectively helping to bring inflation back towards the target level.

Explanation

The Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is the fee that a merchant is charged by their bank for accepting payments from customers via digital means, specifically through debit and credit card transactions. This rate is typically a percentage of the transaction value and is collected to cover the cost of the payment processing infrastructure. The revenue generated from MDR is shared among the acquiring bank, the card-issuing bank, and the payment network provider such as Visa, Mastercard, or RuPay. By paying this fee, the merchant gains access to a secure electronic payment system, reducing the risks and costs associated with handling physical cash. While the rate varies depending on the type of card and the volume of transactions, it remains a fundamental component of the digital payment ecosystem that facilitates seamless commerce between consumers and businesses.

Explanation

Kalli Puri, the Vice-Chairperson of the India Today Group, was conferred with the India's Most Powerful Woman in Media award at the Confluence Excellence Awards ceremony held on September 27, 2019. The event took place at the Houses of Parliament in London, United Kingdom. She was recognized for her significant contributions to the Indian media industry and her leadership in driving digital innovation and excellence within the sector. The Confluence Excellence Awards are designed to honor individuals who have achieved remarkable success and made a profound impact in their respective fields globally.

Explanation

D.C. Sircar, an eminent historian and epigraphist, published Indian Epigraphy in 1965, followed by the Indian Epigraphical Glossary in 1966. Indian Epigraphy serves as a fundamental manual on the study of inscriptions, detailing the history of epigraphical research in India, various writing materials, and the evolution of scripts. The Indian Epigraphical Glossary provides a detailed compilation of technical terms and designations found in ancient and medieval Indian inscriptions, making it an indispensable tool for researchers. These works were published through Motilal Banarsidass and established Sircar as a leading authority in the field of Indian history and paleography.

Explanation

Mardani Khel is a traditional weapon-based martial art that originated and flourished in the state of Maharashtra. It gained significant prominence during the Maratha Empire, particularly under the leadership of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who utilized these techniques to train his soldiers for guerrilla warfare. The art form focuses on agility, speed, and the mastery of several indigenous weapons, most notably the Pata (a sword with a gauntlet integrated as a handguard), the Vittoo (a corded spear), and the Talwar (sword). Today, the tradition is primarily preserved and practiced in the Kolhapur district, where it is performed during cultural festivals to showcase historical Maratha military prowess and rhythmic footwork.

Explanation

Cirrhosis is a non-communicable disease characterized by the permanent scarring of the liver, which occurs in response to long-term damage. It is a physiological condition resulting from factors such as chronic alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease, or the long-term effects of viral infections. Unlike infectious diseases caused by pathogens like bacteria or viruses that can move between hosts, cirrhosis is a progressive structural decline of an individual's organ and cannot be transmitted to another person through physical contact, bodily fluids, or any other environmental vector.

Explanation

The Vikrama Era, known as Vikram Samvat, was founded in 57 BC by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain. It was established to commemorate his victory over the Shakas (Scythians) and to mark the beginning of a new era of prosperity. This calendar is a lunisolar system widely used in Northern and Western India. To calculate the year in Vikram Samvat from the Gregorian calendar, one typically adds 57 years. It remains one of the most significant traditional chronological systems in the Indian subcontinent, used for determining the dates of religious festivals and auspicious timings.

Explanation

Field Marshal K. M. Cariappa, who was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, retired from his service on January 14, 1953. To honor the selfless devotion and sacrifice of the veterans who have served the nation, the Indian government began celebrating this retirement date as Armed Forces Veterans Day starting in 2017. While January 15 is celebrated as Army Day to mark the occasion in 1949 when he took over the command from General Sir Francis Butcher, January 14 is specifically dedicated to the retired personnel of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This annual observance serves as a symbol of respect and gratitude for the veterans' contribution to the security and integrity of the country.

Explanation

NITI Aayog is the nodal agency responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in India. It developed the SDG India Index and Dashboard to track the progress of all States and Union Territories toward achieving the 2030 targets. Launched in 2018, the index was created in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the United Nations in India, and the Global Green Growth Institute. It ranks states based on their performance across various social, economic, and environmental indicators, promoting a spirit of competitive and cooperative federalism by identifying leadership and areas requiring policy intervention.

Explanation

Sri Lanka became the first South Asian nation to criminalize match-fixing after its parliament passed the Prevention of Offences Related to Sports bill in November 2019. This legislation was introduced to ensure the integrity of sports and combat corruption, particularly in cricket. The law classifies various activities as criminal offenses, including match-fixing, spot-fixing, and providing inside information for betting purposes. Individuals convicted under this act face severe penalties, including imprisonment for up to ten years and substantial fines. Additionally, the act makes it a crime to fail to report any corrupt approaches by bookies or fixers to the government designated authorities.

Explanation

Haemoglobin is a complex iron-containing protein found within red blood cells that possesses a high chemical affinity for oxygen. In the pulmonary capillaries, oxygen molecules diffuse from the alveoli into the blood and bind directly to the iron atoms in the heme groups of the haemoglobin molecule to form oxyhaemoglobin. This specialized binding capacity allows blood to carry significantly more oxygen than could be transported through simple dissolution in the plasma. Each haemoglobin molecule consists of four subunits, each containing a heme group capable of binding one oxygen molecule, which facilitates the efficient capture of oxygen in the lungs and its subsequent delivery to the body's tissues for cellular respiration.

Explanation

The Jayakwadi Dam is one of the largest earthen dams in India, located on the Godavari river at Paithan in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. Foundation stones were laid by Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1965, and the project was later inaugurated by Indira Gandhi in 1976. The dam creates a massive reservoir known as Nath Sagar, named after the 16th-century Marathi saint Eknath. It serves as a crucial multi-purpose project, providing water for irrigation in the drought-prone Marathwada region, supplying drinking and industrial water to Aurangabad and Jalna, and generating hydroelectric power. The shallow banks of the reservoir also host the Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary, a significant habitat for migratory birds.

Explanation

Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, a prominent Congress leader, devised the C.R. Formula in 1944 to break the political impasse between the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League. The formula was a set of proposals intended to facilitate cooperation between the two parties for the common goal of Indian independence from British rule. It suggested that the Muslim League should endorse the Congress demand for independence and cooperate in forming a provisional interim government. Under the plan, a commission would be appointed after the Second World War to demarcate contiguous Muslim-majority districts in the North-West and North-East. A plebiscite of all inhabitants in these areas would then determine whether they wanted to separate from India. Despite receiving support from Mahatma Gandhi, the formula was rejected by Muhammad Ali Jinnah because it did not concede the idea of Pakistan upfront and insisted on a plebiscite involving the entire population of those regions rather than just the Muslim voters.

Explanation

Copper possesses inherent antimicrobial properties through a phenomenon known as the oligodynamic effect. When microbes land on a copper surface, the metal releases electrically charged ions that penetrate the cell wall of the bacteria. These ions cause significant oxidative damage to the cell membrane and interfere with vital proteins within the organism. Most importantly, copper ions penetrate the cell and destroy the bacterial DNA and RNA, which prevents the microbe from mutating and developing resistance. This rapid process, often referred to as contact killing, makes copper an effective material for reducing the spread of pathogens on frequently touched surfaces. In 2008, the United States Environmental Protection Agency officially registered copper as the first solid antimicrobial material because of its ability to kill more than 99.9 percent of bacteria within two hours of exposure.

Explanation

The Madhavpur Mela is a renowned annual cultural fair held in the coastal village of Madhavpur Ghed, located in the Porbandar district of Gujarat. This festival commemorates the mythological marriage of Lord Krishna with Princess Rukmini, which, according to local tradition and folklore, took place at this specific site. The fair begins on the auspicious day of Ram Navami in the Hindu month of Chaitra (typically March or April) and lasts for several days. It features traditional folk performances, art, and music, serving as a significant cultural event that links the heritage of Gujarat with North-East India, as Rukmini is traditionally believed to have been a princess from the Mishmi Tribe of present-day Arunachal Pradesh.

Explanation

DNA is recognized as a natural flame retardant because its molecular structure contains all the necessary components of an intumescent flame retardant system. It consists of a phosphate backbone, deoxyribose sugar, and nitrogen-containing bases. When subjected to heat, the phosphate groups act as an acid source that promotes the formation of a protective carbonaceous char. The deoxyribose sugar serves as a carbon source for this char, while the nitrogenous bases release non-combustible gases like nitrogen and ammonia that cause the char to swell and form an insulating barrier. This biological coating effectively prevents the underlying material from reaching its ignition temperature and reduces the release of volatile gases, making it a sustainable and effective fire-extinguishing agent.

Explanation

The planets in our Solar System are arranged in order of their increasing distance from the Sun as Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury is the first planet and the closest to the Sun, while Earth is the third planet in this sequence. Venus occupies the second position, placing it physically between the orbits of Mercury and Earth. As an inner terrestrial planet, Venus orbits at an average distance of approximately 0.72 astronomical units from the Sun, making it the immediate predecessor to Earth in the planetary lineup.

Explanation

Water vapour is consistently the most abundant gas released during volcanic eruptions, typically constituting between 60 percent and 90 percent of the total gas emitted. As magma rises toward the Earth surface, the reduction in lithostatic pressure allows dissolved volatiles to exsolve and expand. Because water is highly soluble in silicate melts at high pressures, it remains the dominant volatile species released upon decompression and cooling. This release of steam is a primary driver of volcanic explosivity as the gas expands rapidly while escaping the magma.

Explanation

The primary sex organs, or gonads, are defined by their dual role in producing gametes and secreting essential sex hormones. In the female reproductive system, the ovaries serve as the primary sex organs because they are responsible for the process of oogenesis, which produces the female gametes known as ova or eggs. Additionally, the ovaries function as endocrine glands by synthesizing and secreting steroid hormones, primarily estrogen and progesterone, which regulate the reproductive cycle and the development of secondary sexual characteristics. All other structures in the reproductive tract are classified as secondary or accessory organs as they facilitate the transport of gametes or provide the environment for fertilization and fetal development but do not produce the gametes themselves.

Explanation

The Gender Park is an autonomous body established by the Government of Kerala under its Department of Women and Child Development. UN Women entered into a strategic partnership with the Gender Park to develop it as a regional hub for gender equality and women's empowerment in South Asia. This collaboration aims to promote gender parity by focusing on social and economic initiatives, such as the International Institute for Gender and Development, and by leveraging the park's facilities in Kozhikode to share best practices and research across the region.