SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated May 5th as World Hand Hygiene Day to promote the global Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign. The choice of the date, the fifth day of the fifth month, is symbolic of the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene defined by the WHO for healthcare workers to prevent healthcare-associated infections. This annual observance focuses on raising awareness about the importance of hand hygiene in clinical settings as a primary measure to reduce the transmission of pathogens and ensure patient safety. By standardizing these practices, the initiative aims to catalyze local and international action to improve hygiene infrastructure and compliance across health systems worldwide.

Explanation

Lalita is a traditional folk theatre and musical form primarily found in Maharashtra, particularly within the Konkan region. It is regarded as an ancient predecessor to the Dashavatara performances and is deeply integrated into the state's devotional and religious fabric. The performance usually takes place during major festivals such as Ganesha Chaturthi and Navratri, where artists use a combination of music, dance, and dialogue to enact stories from Hindu mythology, especially those related to the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. It serves as both a spiritual medium and a source of community entertainment, often incorporating elements of the Warkari devotional tradition.

Explanation

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is a classic waterborne disease typically transmitted through the fecal-oral route, occurring most frequently in areas with inadequate sanitation and limited access to clean drinking water. When the bacteria enter the small intestine, they produce a toxin that causes the body to secrete massive amounts of water, leading to profuse watery diarrhea and rapid dehydration. In regions with poor infrastructure, the bacteria can easily contaminate local water sources such as wells, rivers, or municipal supplies, leading to outbreaks.

Explanation

The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council based on the recommendations of the Sedition Committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt. This legislation granted the British colonial government far-reaching powers to suppress political dissent and nationalist activities by bypassing standard legal procedures. Specifically, the act authorized the government to arrest and detain any person suspected of involvement in revolutionary or anti-state activities for a period of up to two years without a trial or conviction in a court of law. This suspension of the right to a fair trial and the principle of habeas corpus led to the famous slogan "No Dalil, No Vakil, No Appeal" and sparked nationwide protests led by Mahatma Gandhi.

Explanation

The Hundru Falls is located in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand and is formed by the Subarnarekha River. As the river flows across the Ranchi Plateau, it drops from a height of approximately 98 meters over a vertical cliff, creating one of the highest waterfalls in the state. This natural feature is a significant landmark along the course of the Subarnarekha, which originates near Nagri village in Ranchi and flows through the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha before reaching the Bay of Bengal. The water from the falls is also utilized for hydroelectric power generation at the Sikidiri Hydel Project.

Explanation

Following the demise of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, the leadership of the Sikh community was taken up by Banda Singh Bahadur. Entrusted by the Guru to lead the Sikhs in Punjab, Banda Bahadur organized a massive rebellion against the Mughal Empire to address the decades of religious and political oppression. He successfully galvanized the peasantry and Sikh warriors, leading them to capture significant territories and defeating the Mughal forces at the Battle of Chappar Chiri. Under his leadership, the Sikhs established an administrative system and issued sovereign coins, directly challenging the authority of Mughal emperors like Bahadur Shah I and Farrukhsiyar. This revolt marked a crucial transition in Sikh history from a religious sect into a formidable political and military power in northern India.

Explanation

The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, commonly referred to as the Mont-Ford Reforms, were presented in a formal report published in July 1918. This report was prepared by Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy of India, following extensive consultations and Montagu's visit to India in late 1917. The report proposed a series of constitutional changes aimed at introducing self-governing institutions gradually in India, fulfilling the promise of the August Declaration of 1917. The recommendations detailed in the 1918 report served as the blueprint for the Government of India Act 1919, which introduced the system of diarchy in the provincial executive and established a bicameral legislature at the central level.

Explanation

Zakir Hussain, the world-renowned tabla maestro, collaborated with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead for the global percussion project titled Planet Drum. This ensemble featured a diverse group of master percussionists, including Sikiru Adepoju from Nigeria and Giovanni Hidalgo from Puerto Rico. Their debut album, Planet Drum, was released in 1991 and achieved significant critical acclaim for its fusion of different rhythmic traditions. In 1992, the album won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, marking the inaugural year for this specific category and establishing Zakir Hussain as a key figure in the global world music scene.

Explanation

The Saraswati Samman for the year 2020 was awarded to the prominent Marathi writer Sharankumar Limbale for his novel Sanatan. Published in 2018, the work is recognized for its profound exploration of the historical struggles and social lived experiences of the Dalit community. The Saraswati Samman is one of India's most prestigious literary honors, instituted by the K.K. Birla Foundation in 1991, and is presented annually to an outstanding literary work published in any of the 22 Indian languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Explanation

Lala Har Dayal was a primary founding leader of the Ghadar Party, which was established in 1913 in San Francisco, USA. Originally called the Pacific Coast Hindustan Association, the organization aimed to liberate India from British rule through an armed uprising. Har Dayal served as the General Secretary of the party and played a crucial role in mobilizing the Indian diaspora in North America. He was also the editor of the party's mouthpiece, the revolutionary journal Ghadar, which gave the movement its name and spread anti-colonial sentiment and nationalistic fervor among Indian immigrants and soldiers.

Explanation

Kanchenjunga is the third highest mountain in the world, standing at an elevation of 8,586 meters above sea level. It is located in the eastern Himalayas on the border between the Indian state of Sikkim and eastern Nepal. The mountain massif is situated partly in Nepal and partly in India, with the main summit forming the border line between the two countries. It is the highest peak in India and serves as a significant geographical landmark defining the frontier between the Taplejung District of Nepal and the state of Sikkim.

Explanation

The Economic Survey 2020-21, which provides the analytical and statistical foundation for the subsequent Union Budget, reports that the year-on-year credit growth of Scheduled Commercial Banks stood at 6.7 percent as of January 1, 2021. This growth rate occurred during a period of economic recovery following the initial disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resilience in credit expansion was largely supported by government initiatives such as the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme and the accommodative monetary policy stance adopted by the Reserve Bank of India. These measures ensured sufficient liquidity in the financial system and provided necessary credit flow to micro, small, and medium enterprises as well as other stressed sectors of the economy, facilitating a gradual rebound in industrial and commercial activities by the start of the 2021 calendar year.

Explanation

Amorphous solids are characterized by a lack of long-range ordered arrangement of their constituent particles. Because the intermolecular forces and bond environments are not uniform throughout the structure, these solids do not possess a sharp melting point. Instead of transitioning abruptly from a solid to a liquid at a specific temperature, amorphous solids soften gradually over a wide range of temperatures. This property allows them to be molded, stretched, or blown into various shapes upon heating. This gradual transition occurs because the different structural regions within the solid require different amounts of thermal energy to overcome their respective binding forces.

Explanation

The Loo is a strong, dusty, gusty, hot, and dry summer wind that blows from the west over the western and central Indo-Gangetic Plain region of North India and Pakistan. It is particularly intense during the months of May and June. These winds originate from the desert regions to the west and cause temperatures to soar, often ranging between 45 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius. Because of its extremely high temperature and low humidity, exposure to the Loo can cause fatal heatstrokes and severe dehydration, making it one of the most significant weather phenomena of the Indian summer season.

Explanation

Nitrogen is a chemical element represented by the symbol N and is the first member of Group 15 in the periodic table. The atomic number of an element signifies the total number of protons present in the nucleus of an atom. Nitrogen possesses 7 protons, which defines its chemical identity and places it between carbon and oxygen in the periodic arrangement. Its ground-state electron configuration is 1s² 2s² 2p³, reflecting the distribution of its 7 electrons across its energy levels. This atomic structure makes nitrogen a nonmetal that typically exists as a colorless, odorless diatomic gas (N₂) under standard conditions.

Explanation

Ion exchange is a chemical process used to remove dissolved ionic impurities from water by swapping them with other ions from a resin. In the context of TDS reduction, deionization resins replace cations and anions with hydrogen (H⁺) and hydroxyl (OH⁻) ions, which combine to form water, thereby removing the dissolved mineral content. This significantly lowers the concentration of dissolved inorganic salts. Distillation is a physical separation process that relies on the difference in volatility between water and dissolved solids. When water is heated to its boiling point, it transitions into the gaseous phase while the non-volatile dissolved solids remain in the boiling chamber. The steam is then cooled and condensed into purified liquid water, effectively eliminating nearly all dissolved solids present in the source water. Both methods are standard techniques for achieving high-purity water by removing dissolved constituents.

Explanation

The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 was enacted to strengthen urban local government by providing it with constitutional status and a uniform framework. This amendment inserted Part IX-A into the Constitution of India, specifically titled The Municipalities. This part contains Articles 243-P to 243-ZG, which outline the constitution, composition, and powers of urban local bodies. Along with this part, the act also introduced the Twelfth Schedule, which lists eighteen functional responsibilities of municipalities, such as urban planning, regulation of land use, and public health.

Explanation

The Economic Survey 2020-21 highlights the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) by comparing health outcomes in states that implemented the scheme versus those that did not. According to the survey data derived from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), West Bengal saw a significant decline in the proportion of households covered by health insurance or health schemes. Between NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-20), the coverage in West Bengal decreased from 28.3% to 16.1%, marking a drop of approximately 12%. This decline occurred while many other states experienced an increase in coverage due to the rollout of the central PM-JAY scheme.

Explanation

Fatorpa Zatra is a prominent annual festival celebrated at the Shri Shantadurga Kunkalienkarin Temple located in the village of Fatorpa in South Goa. This temple was originally situated in Cuncolim but was shifted to Fatorpa during the Portuguese era to protect the deity. The festival is renowned for its vibrant processions where the deity is carried in various decorated chariots, known as Rathas, through the village. It typically takes place in the Hindu month of Margashirsha and is unique for its communal harmony, drawing thousands of devotees from different religious backgrounds, including a significant number of Christians, across the state of Goa.

Explanation

Neeraj Chopra established a new national record in the men's javelin throw at the Indian Grand Prix 3, which took place at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports in Patiala on March 5, 2021. He achieved a distance of 88.07 meters on his fifth attempt, bettering his previous mark of 88.06 meters set during the 2018 Asian Games. This achievement reaffirmed his position as India's leading track and field athlete ahead of the Tokyo Olympics and demonstrated his peak form during the domestic competition circuit.

Explanation

BNP Paribas is a French multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Paris. It operates in India as a foreign bank branch under the regulatory oversight of the Reserve Bank of India. Having established its initial presence in India in 1860, the bank provides a comprehensive suite of corporate and institutional banking services, including investment banking and wealth management. According to the Reserve Bank of India data for foreign banks operating through branches in India as of May 2021, BNP Paribas is officially listed as a foreign bank entity authorized to conduct banking business within the country.

Explanation

Viktor Axelsen won the Men's Singles title at the 2020 All England Open Badminton Championships, held at the Arena Birmingham. He secured his first All England title by achieving a straight-games victory in the final with a score of 21-13, 21-14. This triumph made Axelsen the first Danish player to win the men's singles crown at this prestigious tournament in twenty-one years, following Peter Gade's victory in 1999. The 2020 edition of the tournament was particularly significant as it was the final major badminton event completed before the international circuit was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Explanation

The continental shelf is the extended margin of each continent occupied by relatively shallow seas and gulfs. It is the shallowest part of the ocean floor, characterized by a very gentle slope with an average gradient of 1° or even less. This zone typically ends at a depth of about 200 meters, where the shelf break occurs and the gradient increases sharply. The width of the shelf varies significantly depending on the tectonic setting, but its defining topographic feature remains its nearly level surface which is often covered by varying thicknesses of sediments derived from the land.

Explanation

The Sikkim state government launched the Bahini scheme in March 2022 to provide free and safe sanitary pads to girls studying in secondary and senior secondary schools across the state. Under this initiative, the government aimed to install sanitary pad vending machines in over 200 government schools to ensure 100 percent access for students from Class 9 to Class 12. The primary objective of the scheme is to improve menstrual hygiene, reduce school dropout rates among adolescent girls, and raise awareness about health and hygiene. Sikkim is the first state in India to introduce such a comprehensive program dedicated to menstrual hygiene management in government-run educational institutions.

Explanation

Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, is the author of the memoir titled The Coalition Years: 1996–2012. This book serves as the third volume in his autobiographical series, which also includes The Dramatic Decade and The Turbulent Years. Published in 2017, the work provides a detailed account of his experiences during a transformative era in Indian politics characterized by the rise of multi-party alliances. It covers significant political developments from the fall of the Congress in 1996 through the governance of the United Front, the National Democratic Alliance, and the United Progressive Alliance, offering insights into the challenges of governance and consensus-building within coalition frameworks.

Explanation

The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was introduced to streamline the regulatory environment for mergers and acquisitions in India. Under the original Competition Act, 2002, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was granted a period of 210 days to pass an order on a combination notification. To accelerate the approval process and improve the ease of doing business, the 2022 Bill proposed to reduce this overall time limit to 150 days. This reduction ensures that corporate transactions are processed more efficiently, providing greater certainty to businesses and investors regarding the timelines for regulatory clearances.

Explanation

The Grand Trunk Road is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads, spanning over two millennia. In the modern geographical context of India, it stretches from Amritsar in Punjab, near the Pakistan border, to Kolkata in West Bengal. This historic route was extensively rebuilt and modernized by the 16th-century ruler Sher Shah Suri to connect the far-flung parts of his empire, originally running from Sonargaon in present-day Bangladesh to Kabul in Afghanistan. Within India, the road follows the Indo-Gangetic Plain and corresponds primarily to the alignment of modern National Highway 19 and National Highway 44. It remains a critical infrastructure corridor for the transport of goods and people across Northern and Eastern India.

Explanation

According to the Laws of Cricket established by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), Law 4 specifies the physical requirements for the ball used in professional matches. For men's cricket, which constitutes the standard for international matches, the ball must have a circumference between 8.81 inches (22.4 cm) and 9 inches (22.9 cm). Additionally, the ball must weigh between 5.5 ounces (155.9 g) and 5.75 ounces (163 g). These precise measurements ensure that the ball maintains consistent aerodynamic properties and fits within the standard gauges used by umpires to check for shape distortion during play.

Explanation

The Hampi Festival is widely known as Vijaya Utsav and is celebrated annually in Hampi, the historical capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in Karnataka. This cultural extravaganza is organized by the state government to commemorate the grandeur and heritage of the medieval empire, which was known as the City of Victory. The festival showcases the rich traditions of the region through music, dance, puppet shows, and grand processions, effectively reviving the atmosphere of the Vijayanagara era.

Explanation

Temperate evergreen forests are typically located in the mid-latitudinal coastal regions, specifically along the eastern margins of continents. These areas, including the South Eastern USA, South China, and South Eastern Brazil, experience a climate that supports a mixture of both hard and soft wood trees. These forests are characterized by the presence of tree species such as oak, pine, and eucalyptus, which thrive due to the consistent moisture and moderate temperatures provided by the maritime influence in these geographical zones.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosted the first session of the Fit India Dialogue on 24 September 2020 via video conferencing to celebrate the first anniversary of the Fit India Movement. The event served as a platform for the Prime Minister to interact with various fitness icons and enthusiasts, including cricketer Virat Kohli, actor Milind Soman, and nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, to discuss the importance of health and wellness. During this session, the Prime Minister also launched the Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols, which outlined specific fitness guidelines for three different age groups: 5 to 18 years, 18 to 65 years, and those above 65 years. The dialogue aimed to further the objectives of the Fit India Movement, which was originally launched on 29 August 2019, by encouraging citizens to adopt a physically active lifestyle.

Explanation

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and its commencement signifies the start of the Islamic New Year, also known as the Hijri New Year. It is considered one of the four sacred months in Islam. The first day of this month marks the migration of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina, an event known as the Hijra, which serves as the starting point for the Islamic dating system. In India, the Muslim community observes the beginning of the year with religious fervor and reflection, acknowledging the historical and spiritual significance of the month as the foundation of their calendar.

Explanation

Ankita Raina is a leading Indian professional tennis player who has consistently held the top ranking in women's singles in the country. She achieved a significant career milestone by winning a bronze medal in the women's singles at the 2018 Asian Games. In addition to her success on the ITF and WTA circuits, she represented India at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the women's doubles event and has been a mainstay of India's Billie Jean King Cup team. Raina is known for her baseline game and has secured multiple titles in both singles and doubles formats internationally.

Explanation

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as Lokmanya Tilak, was a prominent nationalist leader who played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement. He coined the iconic slogan Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it (often translated as Freedom is my birthright and I shall have it) in 1916 during the Home Rule Movement. This declaration reflected his commitment to self-rule and served as a powerful catalyst for mobilizing the Indian masses against British colonial governance. As a leader of the extremist faction within the Indian National Congress, Tilak used his newspapers Kesari and Mahratta to spread the message of national pride and political autonomy.

Explanation

Prince Philip was granted the title of Duke of Edinburgh by King George VI on November 20, 1947, shortly before his marriage to Princess Elizabeth. He held this senior peerage title alongside the subsidiary titles of Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich throughout his life. As the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, he served as the royal consort for over six decades and remained the Duke of Edinburgh until his death on April 9, 2021, at the age of 99.

Explanation

The chemical composition of pure water is governed by the Law of Constant Proportions, which states that a chemical compound always contains its constituent elements in a fixed ratio by mass, regardless of its source. A water molecule, H₂O, is composed of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Using the approximate atomic masses of hydrogen as 1.008 u and oxygen as 16.00 u, the total molar mass of water is calculated as:

Molar mass of H₂O = (2 × 1.008) + 16.00 = 18.016 g/mol

The percentage of oxygen by mass is the ratio of the mass of oxygen to the total molar mass of the water molecule, expressed as a percentage:

Percentage of Oxygen = (Mass of Oxygen / Total Molar Mass) × 100 Percentage of Oxygen = (16.00 / 18.016) × 100 ≈ 88.81%

When using the standard integer approximations of H = 1 and O = 16 for calculation, the mass ratio of hydrogen to oxygen is 2:16 or 1:8. The percentage of oxygen is then (8/9) × 100, which equals 88.888...%, rounding to 88.89%.

Explanation

The Treaty of Salbai was signed on May 17, 1782, marking the formal conclusion of the First Anglo-Maratha War. It was negotiated between Mahadji Shinde, representing the Maratha Confederacy, and the British East India Company under the administration of Governor-General Warren Hastings. The treaty was ratified in 1783 and resulted in the British recognizing Madhavrao II as the legitimate Peshwa while withdrawing their support for Raghunath Rao. Under the terms of the agreement, the British returned most of the territories seized during the conflict to the Marathas, although they retained control over Salsette. This treaty was significant for establishing a period of relative peace between the British and the Marathas that lasted for approximately twenty years until the commencement of the Second Anglo-Maratha War.

Explanation

The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, or Self-Reliant India Mission, was launched by the Prime Minister on May 12, 2020, to provide relief and structural reforms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government announced a comprehensive economic stimulus package valued at approximately ₹20 lakh crore. This total amount was specifically designed to be equivalent to roughly 10% of India's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The package consolidated previous measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana with new fiscal allocations focused on land, labor, liquidity, and laws. It aimed to support various sectors including MSMEs, farmers, and migrant workers while strengthening the five pillars of Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography, and Demand.

Explanation

The phylum Platyhelminthes derives its name from the Greek words platys, meaning flat, and helminth, meaning worm. Organisms in this phylum are characterized by a dorsoventrally flattened body, which is the defining physical trait that leads to them being commonly called flatworms. These animals are triploblastic, acoelomate, and exhibit bilateral symmetry. While some species like Planaria are free-living, many are endoparasites, such as Taenia (tapeworm) and Fasciola (liver fluke), which possess specialized structures like hooks and suckers for attachment to their hosts. Their flattened shape facilitates the diffusion of oxygen and nutrients across the body wall, compensating for the lack of a formal respiratory or circulatory system.

Explanation

The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016, introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. This amendment was essential to confer concurrent taxing powers upon both the Parliament and the State Legislatures to levy GST on the supply of goods and services. It led to the insertion of Article 246A, which provides the framework for this dual tax structure, and Article 279A, which mandated the creation of the GST Council as a joint forum of the Centre and the States. The Act received Presidential assent in September 2016 and the unified indirect tax regime officially came into effect across India on July 1, 2017, replacing multiple central and state taxes such as excise duty, service tax, and value-added tax.

Explanation

The death zone in mountaineering refers to altitudes above 8,000 metres where the partial pressure of oxygen is insufficient to sustain human life over an extended duration. At these heights, the available oxygen is approximately one-third of the level found at sea level, causing the human body to consume its internal oxygen stores faster than they can be replenished through respiration. This physiological state leads to a progressive decline in bodily functions, severe exhaustion, and increased vulnerability to life-threatening conditions such as high-altitude cerebral edema and pulmonary edema. Consequently, climbers typically limit their time in this zone and often rely on supplemental oxygen to survive the ascent and descent of the world highest peaks.

Explanation

According to the National Family Health Survey 5 (NFHS-5) conducted between 2019 and 2021, Tripura recorded a sex ratio at birth of 1,028 females per 1,000 males for children born in the five years preceding the survey. This data point represents the number of female births for every 1,000 male births in both urban and rural areas combined. This figure indicates a positive demographic trend in the state regarding the survival and representation of female infants at birth, surpassing the natural biological baseline and showing a marked improvement over previous survey cycles.

Explanation

According to Section 8(4) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the directors nominated to the Central Board hold office for a period of four years. The Central Board of Directors is the primary body responsible for the overall superintendence of the bank's affairs. It comprises official directors, including the Governor and up to four Deputy Governors, and non-official directors. Specifically, the fourteen non-official directors, consisting of ten directors from various fields and four directors from the local boards, are appointed by the Central Government for this fixed four-year term and are eligible for re-appointment upon the completion of their tenure.

Explanation

Badruddin Tyabji was one of the key founding members of the Bombay Presidency Association, established in 1885 alongside Pherozeshah Mehta and K.T. Telang. This organization was formed to advocate for the rights of Indians and to provide a structured political platform in the Bombay Presidency following the controversy surrounding the Ilbert Bill and the reactionary policies of the British administration. Tyabji, a distinguished lawyer who later became the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court and the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress, played a vital role in organizing the local intelligentsia to demand administrative reforms and better representation for Indians in the civil services.

Explanation

Naomi Osaka topped the 2020 Forbes list of the world's highest-paid female athletes, setting a record for the most money ever earned by a female athlete in a single year. According to the report released in May 2020, Osaka earned a total of $37.4 million through prize money and endorsements within a twelve-month period. This historic figure was driven largely by her extensive portfolio of sponsors, including global brands like Nike, Nissan, and Mastercard, which capitalized on her status as a multi-time Grand Slam champion. Her total earnings for that year surpassed all other female competitors, marking the first time she held the number one position on the annual rankings.

Explanation

Hypnea indica and Hypnea bullata are species of red seaweeds discovered by marine biologists from the Central University of Punjab. These species were identified along the Indian coastline, specifically in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, and the Gujarat coasts of Somnath Pathan and Sivrajpur. Belonging to the genus Hypnea, these red algae are ecologically and economically significant as they are a source of carrageenan. Carrageenan is a biomolecule widely used in the food industry as a thickening and stabilizing agent. The discovery marked the first time these specific species of the genus Hypnea were documented, increasing the known diversity of red algae in Indian waters.

Explanation

The book Till We Win: India's Fight Against the Covid-19 Pandemic was published in late 2020 by Penguin Random House India. It was co-authored by three leading health experts in India: Dr. Randeep Guleria, who was the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS); Dr. Chandrakant Lahariya, a leading public policy and health systems expert; and Dr. Gagandeep Kang, a world-renowned virologist and vaccine expert. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, while a prominent figure during the pandemic as the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, did not serve as a co-author of this specific literary work.

Explanation

Limestone, chalk, and marble are different physical forms of the chemical compound calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Although they differ in their geological formation and texture, their chemical composition is identical. Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed primarily from the skeletal fragments of marine organisms like coral and mollusks. Chalk is a soft, porous, and fine-grained form of limestone composed of the microscopic shells of plankton. Marble is a metamorphic rock that results when limestone is subjected to intense heat and pressure, causing the calcium carbonate to recrystallize into a denser mineral structure. Because they share the same chemical identity, all three substances react with dilute acids to release carbon dioxide gas.

Explanation

Extended Producer Responsibility is a policy approach that extends the manufacturer's responsibility for a product to the post-consumer stage of its life cycle. It shifts the burden of waste management from local governments and taxpayers to the producers themselves, incentivizing them to incorporate environmental considerations into product design and manufacturing. By making producers financially or physically responsible for the collection, recycling, and safe disposal of their products, this policy promotes resource efficiency and reduces the volume of waste sent to landfills. It is a critical component of waste management frameworks for items such as electronics, plastics, and batteries.

Explanation

The Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism was initiated by the Government of India in the mid-1960s as a key component of the Green Revolution strategy. In 1966-67, wheat became the first crop for which an MSP was announced to incentivize farmers to adopt high-yielding variety seeds and modern agricultural practices without the fear of price crashes. This price guarantee was designed to ensure food security and achieve self-sufficiency in food grain production. The Agricultural Prices Commission, which was established in 1965 and later renamed the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), played a central role in recommending these price supports based on the cost of production and market trends.