SSC CGL Tier 1 2022 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) established the IS 10500:2012 specification to regulate the quality of drinking water in India. According to this standard and the Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol, the acceptable limit for the pH value of drinking water is in the range of 6.5 to 8.5. This range is strictly maintained because pH levels significantly influence the chemical and biological properties of water. If the pH falls below 6.5, the water becomes acidic and corrosive, which can damage plumbing and lead to the leaching of heavy metals from pipes. If the pH exceeds 8.5, the water becomes increasingly alkaline, which can impart a bitter taste, cause scale accumulation in distribution systems, and reduce the effectiveness of chlorine disinfection. Notably, the BIS guidelines do not provide any relaxation for the pH value beyond the 6.5 to 8.5 range, even in situations where no alternative source of water is available.

Explanation

The ancient city of Champa served as the capital of the Anga Mahajanapada, located in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. This region corresponds to the modern-day districts of Bhagalpur and Munger in the state of Bihar. Champa was situated at the confluence of the Ganga and Champa rivers and was recognized as one of the six great cities of Northern India during the time of the Buddha. It was a significant center for trade and maritime commerce, facilitating connections to distant lands like Suvarnabhumi. Historical texts and Buddhist literature describe the city as a prosperous and highly developed urban center until it was eventually annexed by King Bimbisara of the Magadha Empire.

Explanation

Wavelength is defined as the horizontal distance between two consecutive corresponding points of a wave, most commonly measured from the peak of one crest to the peak of the next crest, or from the bottom of one trough to the bottom of the next trough. It represents the physical length of one complete wave cycle in space and is usually denoted by the Greek letter λ.

Explanation

The Economic Survey of India 2020-21 cites the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2020 to highlight the status of India's administrative and legal framework. In this index, which assesses countries across eight primary factors, India was ranked 74th out of 128 countries specifically in the category of Regulatory Enforcement. This factor measures the extent to which regulations are fairly and effectively implemented and enforced without improper influence or unnecessary delays. The inclusion of this data in the Economic Survey was part of a broader discussion on the need for process reforms to simplify the regulatory environment and improve the efficiency of governance and decision-making in India.

Explanation

The United Nations General Assembly, through its resolution 58/217 adopted in December 2003, proclaimed the period from 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade for Action, Water for Life. This initiative officially launched on World Water Day, 22 March 2005, with the primary objective of promoting efforts to fulfill international commitments made on water and water-related issues by 2015. A central focus of the decade was to further the implementation of water-related programs and projects to achieve the goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), specifically aiming to halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The decade emphasized the critical role of water in sustainable development and the importance of involving women in water management and conservation efforts.

Explanation

General Dyer issued the crawling order in April 1919 during the period of martial law in Punjab, shortly after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The order was a punitive response to an attack on an English missionary, Marcella Sherwood, who had been assaulted by a mob in a narrow street called Kucha Kurrichhan in Amritsar. Dyer designated this lane as a place where every Indian passing through had to crawl on all fours as a mark of submission and punishment. This dehumanizing order became one of the most notorious symbols of British racial arrogance and colonial oppression during the Indian independence movement.

Explanation

Gulzar received the Best Lyrics award at the 66th Filmfare Awards, held in 2021, for the title track of the film Chhapaak. The lyrics of the song were highly acclaimed for their emotional depth and sensitive portrayal of the journey of an acid attack survivor. The song was composed by the musical trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and sung by Arijit Singh. This award recognized Gulzar's ability to craft impactful poetry that aligned with the film's social theme and narrative intensity.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) scheme. Under this initiative, the government announced the establishment of seven mega textile parks over a period of three years. These parks are designed to create world-class infrastructure with plug-and-play facilities, aiming to enhance the global competitiveness of the Indian textile industry by enabling economies of scale and attracting significant foreign investment. The scheme follows the 5F vision—Farm to Fiber to Factory to Fashion to Foreign—to strengthen the entire textile value chain and boost exports.

Explanation

The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of the Indian Constitution from Articles 36 to 51, were borrowed from the Irish Constitution of 1937. These principles serve as guidelines or instruments of instructions to the State, outlining the social, economic, and political goals that the government should strive to achieve for the welfare of the people. While they are non-justiciable, meaning they cannot be enforced by a court of law, the Constitution itself declares them fundamental in the governance of the country. It is the duty of the State to apply these principles when making laws to establish a social order based on justice, liberty, and equality.

Explanation

Ghoom Monastery, also known as the Yiga Choeling Monastery, is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Darjeeling region. Established in 1850 by the Mongolian monk Lama Sherab Gyatso, the monastery belongs to the Gelugpa or the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is situated at an elevation of approximately 7,407 feet in Ghoom, a high-altitude locality within the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The monastery is particularly renowned for its 15-foot-tall statue of the Maitreya Buddha, which represents the Future Buddha and was constructed using clay brought from Tibet. It remains a major religious and historical site for both locals and tourists in the Eastern Himalayan belt.

Explanation

Mridula Sinha was a distinguished Hindi writer and politician who served as the Governor of Goa from August 2014 to October 2019. Her appointment made her the first woman to hold the office of Governor in the state of Goa. Beyond her administrative role, she was a prolific author with over 46 books to her credit and served as the chairperson of the Central Social Welfare Board. She was also a prominent leader of the BJP Mahila Morcha and played a significant role as an ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. She passed away on November 18, 2020.

Explanation

Vegetation plays a crucial role in stabilizing slopes and preventing landslides. The root systems of trees and plants act as a natural reinforcement, binding soil layers together and increasing the shear strength of the ground. Additionally, a dense vegetation cover intercepts rainfall, reducing the amount of water that infiltrates the soil and lowering the pore-water pressure that often triggers slope failure. Reducing vegetation cover removes these protective benefits, leading to increased soil erosion and instability. Therefore, increasing vegetation through afforestation is a mitigation strategy, while reducing it actually exacerbates the risk of landslides.

Explanation

Viswanathan Anand was honored as the Sportsman of the Decade in the Individual Non-Olympic Sports category at the 2021 Sportstar ACES Awards. This special Decade Edition of the awards aimed to recognize the most consistent and impactful Indian athletes between 2011 and 2020. Anand, a five-time World Chess Champion and India's first Grandmaster, was chosen for this prestigious accolade due to his continued excellence at the global level, which included winning the World Rapid Chess Championship in 2017 and maintaining a top-tier world ranking throughout the decade.

Explanation

Limulus is a genus of horseshoe crabs, which are marine chelicerate arthropods rather than insects. While mosquitoes belong to the class Insecta and the family Culicidae, Limulus belongs to the class Merostomata and is more closely related to arachnids like spiders and scorpions. Often called living fossils, horseshoe crabs have a distinct horseshoe-shaped carapace and a long, pointed tail called a telson. They inhabit shallow coastal waters and soft sandy or muddy ocean bottoms, which is fundamentally different from the life cycle and biological structure of any mosquito species.

Explanation

The Hindu Marriage Act was enacted by the Parliament of India on 18 May 1955. It formed part of the larger Hindu Code Bills intended to codify and reform the personal laws relating to marriage and matrimonial causes among Hindus. The Act applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, and it introduced significant legal changes including the establishment of 18 and 21 as the minimum marriageable ages for women and men respectively, the enforcement of monogamy, and the provision of legal procedures for divorce and judicial separation.

Explanation

According to the Histogen Theory proposed by Hanstein in 1868, the apical meristem of the root is composed of distinct tissue zones called histogens. The periblem is the middle layer of these histogens, situated between the outer dermatogen and the inner plerome. The primary function of the periblem is to give rise to the cortex of the root, including the endodermis. The cells in this zone divide to produce the ground tissue system that surrounds the central vascular cylinder.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a significant shift in the government's disinvestment policy by proposing the privatization of two Public Sector Banks and one general insurance company. This move was part of the New Public Sector Enterprise policy for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which aims to minimize the presence of government in strategic sectors, including banking and financial services, while completely exiting non-strategic sectors. The disinvestment of these two banks was intended to help meet the ambitious disinvestment target of 1.75 lakh crore set for that fiscal year, facilitating the infusion of private capital and improving the operational efficiency of the banking sector.

Explanation

Matangini Hazra was a prominent Indian revolutionary and social activist from West Bengal who earned the title Gandhi Buri, which translates to Old Lady Gandhi in Bengali, for her steadfast adherence to Gandhian principles and non-violent resistance. She became actively involved in the Indian independence movement during the 1930s, participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Salt Satyagraha. Her most heroic act occurred during the Quit India Movement in 1942 when, at the age of 73, she led a massive procession of thousands of protesters towards the Tamluk Police Station. Despite being shot multiple times by the British police, she continued to advance, clutching the Indian National Congress flag and chanting Vande Mataram until her death. Her bravery and dedication to the cause of freedom made her an enduring symbol of resistance in India.

Explanation

The Gandhi Peace Prize was established by the Government of India in 1995 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It is an annual award that recognizes individuals or institutions for their contributions toward social, economic, and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods. The award carries a plaque, a citation, and a monetary prize of one crore rupees. It is an international award open to all persons regardless of their nationality, race, language, caste, creed, or sex. For the year 2020, the Government of India conferred the prize on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh in recognition of his leadership and contribution to the liberation of Bangladesh and his efforts in establishing peace and non-violence in the region.

Explanation

The Bishnupur gharana is the premier school of Hindustani classical music in West Bengal and is uniquely distinguished by its focus on the Dhrupad style. It was founded by Ramsharan Bhattacharya, who was a disciple of Bahadur Khan, a descendant of the legendary Tansen and a master of the Senia gharana. While most other gharanas in North India transitioned towards the more flexible Khayal style over time, the Bishnupur gharana remained a bastion for the rigorous and structured Dhrupad tradition. This style is characterized by its emphasis on the purity of the raga, the absence of excessive ornamentation, and a disciplined approach to rhythm, typically accompanied by the pakhawaj rather than the tabla. The patronage of the Malla kings of Bishnupur allowed this specific musical lineage to flourish as a distinct regional center for classical Dhrupad singing.

Explanation

Flipflopi is a Kenyan project that created the world's first 100% recycled plastic sailing dhow to raise awareness about the environmental impact of plastic waste. Constructed from 10 tonnes of plastic trash and approximately 30,000 discarded flip-flops collected from the Kenyan coast, the 9-meter vessel was launched in 2018 in Lamu. The boat was built using traditional dhow-making techniques, replacing timber with plastic components that were melted, shaped, and carved. Its maiden voyage from Lamu, Kenya, to Zanzibar, Tanzania, served as a high-profile campaign to encourage a circular economy and advocate for the protection of marine ecosystems from plastic pollution.

Explanation

The Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988, amended Article 326 of the Constitution of India to lower the minimum voting age for elections to the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of States from 21 years to 18 years. This reform was introduced to provide the younger generation of India an opportunity to involve themselves in the political process of the country, recognizing their maturity and political awareness. The act received the President's assent on March 28, 1989, and became effective immediately, thereby broadening the base of Indian democracy.

Explanation

The 2020 ITTF Women's World Cup was hosted by China and took place in the city of Weihai from November 8 to 10, 2020. This event was significant as it marked the official return of international table tennis competitions after a series of cancellations and postponements caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was held at the Weihai Nanhai Olympic Center as part of the ITTF's Restart series, which utilized a secure bubble format to manage health and safety protocols. The competition saw Chen Meng of China claim her first World Cup title by defeating Sun Yingsha in the final.

Explanation

The Black Sea is geographically categorized as a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via a sequence of water bodies and straits, beginning with the Bosphorus Strait, which leads to the Sea of Marmara. From there, the Dardanelles Strait connects to the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The final link to the open Atlantic Ocean is provided by the Strait of Gibraltar. This hydrological connection places the Black Sea within the broader Atlantic Ocean basin.

Explanation

The 2020 Online FIDE Chess Olympiad concluded with Russia being declared the joint winner alongside India. In the final round of the tournament, the match was disrupted by a massive global internet outage that caused two Indian players to lose their connection and time out during their games. Following an official appeal by the Indian team, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich conducted an investigation and determined that the disconnection was due to a technical failure of the hosting server rather than a local connectivity issue. Consequently, the world chess governing body decided to award the gold medal to both Russia and India, marking the first time in the history of the Olympiad that joint winners were crowned.

Explanation

Povadas are a traditional folk art form of Maharashtra that combines poetry, music, and dance to narrate historical events and heroic deeds. Emerging in the 17th century, these ballads were primarily used to celebrate the life and military achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other Maratha warriors. The performance is typically led by a lead singer known as a Shahir, who uses a high-pitched voice accompanied by instruments like the daph, a handheld drum, and the tuntune, a single-stringed instrument. While primarily a narrative song, the rhythmic movements and dramatic delivery by the Shahir and his troupe make it a vibrant folk performance unique to the cultural heritage of Maharashtra.

Explanation

Vote on Account is a constitutional provision under Article 116 that allows the government to seek the approval of Parliament to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet its expenditure requirements for a portion of the financial year until the full budget is passed. Since it does not involve any changes in the tax structure or revenue collection, it deals strictly with the expenditure side. An Interim Budget and a Vote on Account are fundamentally different because an Interim Budget is a full set of accounts comprising both expenditure and receipts, similar to a regular Union Budget, whereas a Vote on Account is merely a part of the budget process focused on spending. Furthermore, an Interim Budget provides a comprehensive financial statement including estimates of revenue and expenditure for the transition period, whereas a Vote on Account is limited to the appropriation of funds for immediate spending.

Explanation

The Nanda dynasty ruled over the Magadha kingdom in northern India during the 4th century BC. Chandragupta Maurya, with the strategic guidance and mentorship of the scholar Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, led a military campaign to depose Dhana Nanda, the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty. Dhana Nanda's reign was characterized by heavy taxation and unpopularity among his subjects, which Kautilya and Chandragupta exploited to build a coalition and seize power. Following their victory, Chandragupta Maurya was crowned king at Pataliputra in approximately 322 BC, marking the end of Nanda rule and the establishment of the Mauryan Empire, which became the first pan-Indian empire in history.

Explanation

Carrying capacity is defined as the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that an ecosystem can support and sustain over the long term without degrading the resource base. This limit is determined by the availability of essential resources such as food, water, shelter, and space. In ecological modeling, this concept is represented by the variable K in the logistic growth equation (dN)/(dt) = rN (1 - (N)/(K)). As a population size N approaches the carrying capacity K, environmental resistance increases, causing the growth rate to slow down until the population stabilizes. If a population exceeds this capacity, resource depletion typically leads to an increase in mortality rates until the population returns to a sustainable level.

Explanation

The F-Diagram represents the faecal-oral transmission routes of diseases, which traditionally include Fingers, Flies, Fluids (water), Fields, and Food. Fungi is not a transmission pathway in this model.

Explanation

The Constitution (112th Amendment) Bill, 2009, was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend Article 243T of the Constitution of India, which relates to the reservation of seats in Municipalities. The bill proposed to increase the reservation for women in Urban Local Bodies from the existing one-third to 50% of the total number of seats. This enhancement was intended to apply to the total number of seats filled by direct election, the number of seats reserved for individuals belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the total number of offices of Chairpersons in the Municipalities. The initiative aimed to ensure greater participation of women in urban local governance and decision-making processes.

Explanation

Black soil, also known as Regur soil, is characteristically poor in phosphoric content. While it is chemically rich in nutrients such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime, it lacks sufficient amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen, and organic matter. This nutrient deficiency is a standard chemical property of the basaltic soils found across the Deccan Trap region.

Explanation

Ardhendu Dastidar was a revolutionary nationalist and a member of the armed group led by Surya Sen that executed the Chittagong Armoury Raid on April 18, 1930. This operation aimed to seize the weapons of the police and auxiliary forces to challenge British colonial authority. Following the raid, Dastidar was one of the revolutionaries who fought against the British troops in the Battle of Jalalabad Hills on April 22, 1930. He was severely wounded during the intense gunfight and passed away as a result of his injuries, cementing his role as a prominent figure in the militant phase of the Indian freedom struggle.

Explanation

Kushal Konwar was a prominent freedom fighter from Assam and a dedicated follower of Mahatma Gandhi. During the Quit India Movement in 1942, he served as the president of the Sarupathar Congress Committee. On October 10, 1942, a train carrying British soldiers derailed near Sarupathar in the Golaghat district due to sabotage of the railway tracks. Although Konwar was a proponent of non-violence and not directly involved in the physical act of sabotage, the British colonial authorities held him responsible as the mastermind behind the conspiracy. He was arrested, tried, and sentenced to death by hanging. He was executed at the Jorhat Jail on June 15, 1943, making him the only martyr of the Quit India phase of the Indian independence struggle to be officially hanged by the British.

Explanation

The Drafting Committee was established by the Constituent Assembly on August 29, 1947, to prepare a draft of the new Constitution for independent India. It consisted of seven members who were responsible for scrutinizing the various constitutional proposals. The committee was headed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as Chairman. The other six members were N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Dr. K.M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadulla, N. Madhava Rau, and T.T. Krishnamachari. During the drafting process, N. Madhava Rau replaced B.L. Mitter after his resignation due to ill-health, and T.T. Krishnamachari was appointed to the committee following the death of D.P. Khaitan in 1948. The committee sat for 141 days to finalize the draft before submitting it to the President of the Constituent Assembly.

Explanation

Gol Gumbaz, located in Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur), Karnataka, is the mausoleum of Mohammad Adil Shah, the seventh Sultan of the Adil Shahi dynasty. Completed in 1656, it features a massive central dome with an internal diameter of approximately 37.9 meters (124 feet), which makes it the largest dome in India and one of the largest masonry domes in the world. The architectural design is a masterpiece of the Deccan style, characterized by its immense square hall and the Whispering Gallery located inside the dome, where even the slightest sound can be heard across the vast space due to its unique acoustic properties. The structure stands on a single square platform and is supported by eight intersecting arches, demonstrating sophisticated engineering and architectural precision of the 17th century.

Explanation

The GDP deflator is a measure of the level of prices of all new, domestically produced, final goods and services in an economy. It is defined as the ratio of Nominal GDP to Real GDP, calculated as:

GDP Deflator = (Nominal GDP)/(Real GDP) × 100

It is known as the implicit price deflator because it is not based on a fixed basket of goods and services like the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Instead, it is derived implicitly by comparing the total value of all goods and services produced at current prices (Nominal GDP) with the value of that same production at constant base-year prices (Real GDP). This allows the index to reflect changes in both prices and the composition of the economy's output over time.

Explanation

A Bunch of Old Letters is a collection of correspondence compiled and edited by Jawaharlal Nehru, first published in 1958. The book contains letters written to Nehru by various prominent figures of the Indian independence movement and international leaders, as well as some letters authored by Nehru himself. This compilation offers a deep insight into the political and personal thoughts of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Motilal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Sarojini Naidu, and Subhas Chandra Bose, reflecting the complex historical and intellectual landscape of India during the struggle for freedom.

Explanation

Thermal pollution refers to the discharge of heated water into natural water bodies, primarily resulting from human activities. Power plants and various industrial facilities use large volumes of water from nearby rivers, lakes, or oceans to cool machinery and condense steam. This water absorbs heat and is subsequently released back into the environment at a much higher temperature. This sudden increase in temperature constitutes pollution because it reduces the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water, which is vital for aquatic life. Furthermore, it can cause thermal shock to fish and other organisms, disrupt reproductive cycles, and alter the local ecological balance. Since power plants and industries are the principal anthropogenic sources of such heated discharges, they are categorized as sources of thermal pollutants.

Explanation

Tadej Pogacar won the 2020 Tour de France, becoming the first Slovenian to win the title and the second-youngest winner in the history of the race. Egan Bernal won the previous edition in 2019.

Explanation

World Toilet Day is an official United Nations international observance day held on 19 November each year to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. In 2020, the theme was Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change. This theme focused on the critical link between sanitation systems and the environment, highlighting how climate change impacts such as floods, droughts, and rising sea levels can damage sanitation infrastructure and spread disease. Sustainable sanitation involves systems that are resilient to climate shocks and use waste as a resource, such as for energy or fertilizer, to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve agricultural productivity.

Explanation

The Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (TIPRA) is a regional political organization in Tripura led by Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma. It gained significant national attention in March and April 2021 when it emerged as a dominant political force by winning the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) elections. The alliance was formed to champion the cause of the indigenous people of the state, centered primarily around the demand for Greater Tipraland, a proposed separate state for the indigenous communities of Tripura under Articles 2 and 3 of the Indian Constitution. This electoral success marked the first time a regional party focused on indigenous rights managed to displace established national parties in the council elections.

Explanation

The Constitution of India consists of 12 Schedules as of April 2021. Although the original document adopted in 1949 contained only 8 Schedules, the number increased through various constitutional amendments to accommodate evolving legal and administrative requirements. The 9th Schedule was added by the 1st Amendment in 1951 to validate land reform laws. The 10th Schedule was introduced via the 52nd Amendment in 1985 to prevent political defections. The final two additions, the 11th and 12th Schedules, were incorporated through the 73rd and 74th Amendments in 1992 to delineate the powers and functions of Panchayats and Municipalities. These 12 Schedules act as appendices to the Constitution, providing detailed tabular information and lists that support specific Articles, such as the list of states and union territories, emoluments for high officials, and the distribution of legislative subjects.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2021-22, the Government of India adopted a holistic approach to health by categorizing several sectors under the pillar of Health and Wellbeing. The total allocation for this pillar was ₹2,23,846 crore, representing a significant increase of 137% over the previous year's budget estimate of ₹94,452 crore. This expanded budget included outlays for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of AYUSH, and nutrition programs, alongside substantial investments in water and sanitation through the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban). The allocation also featured a dedicated provision of ₹35,000 crore for COVID-19 vaccines and the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Atmanirbhar Swasth Bharat Yojana, a new centrally sponsored scheme designed to develop capacities of primary, secondary, and tertiary care health systems.

Explanation

Amitav Ghosh authored the historical novel Sea of Poppies, which was published in 2008. It serves as the opening volume of his Ibis Trilogy, a series that meticulously explores the impact of the colonial opium trade on the Indian subcontinent and China during the mid-19th century. The narrative centers on the schooner Ibis and a diverse cast of characters, including indentured laborers, sailors, and colonial officials, as they journey across the Indian Ocean. The book received significant critical acclaim for its linguistic depth and historical detail, earning a place on the shortlist for the Man Booker Prize in 2008.

Explanation

Bees possess a total of five eyes that are categorized into two different types. They have two large compound eyes situated on the sides of their head, which are composed of thousands of individual lenses called ommatidia. These eyes are primarily used for detecting motion, perceiving distance, and seeing shapes and colors. In addition to the compound eyes, bees have three small simple eyes known as ocelli, which are arranged in a triangular pattern on the top of their head. These ocelli are highly sensitive to light and assist the bee in navigation and maintaining stability during flight by sensing changes in light intensity and the sun's position.

Explanation

The Jivhala scheme is a unique credit initiative launched by the Maharashtra Department of Prisons in collaboration with the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank. Introduced at the Yerawada Central Jail in Pune, the scheme provides personal loans of up to ₹50,000 to inmates who have been undergoing imprisonment for more than three years. The loan is intended to help prisoners fulfill their financial obligations toward their families, such as paying for their children’s education, medical treatment, or legal fees. Since inmates earn a wage for their labor within the prison, this income is used to repay the loan installments. The name Jivhala translates to affection in Marathi, reflecting the rehabilitative nature of the scheme aimed at maintaining the emotional and financial bond between the inmate and their family during their incarceration.

Explanation

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the calendar year and is traditionally held during the last fortnight of January at Melbourne Park. In 2022, the tournament took place from January 17 to January 30. This edition marked a return to its regular schedule after the 2021 event had been delayed into February due to pandemic-related travel restrictions. Rafael Nadal won the men's singles title, while Ashleigh Barty secured the women's singles title during this period.

Explanation

The teachings of the holy Quran were first brought to India by Arab merchants and migrants in the seventh century. Long-standing maritime trade routes existed between the Arabian Peninsula and the western coast of India, particularly the Malabar Coast in present-day Kerala. Shortly after the rise of Islam in Arabia, these traders introduced the new faith and its holy book to the coastal regions during their commercial voyages. This early arrival is evidenced by the establishment of some of the earliest mosques in the Indian subcontinent, such as the Cheraman Juma Mosque, which tradition dates to the first half of the seventh century.

Explanation

Genghis Khan, the founder and first Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, died in August 1227. His death occurred during a military campaign against the Western Xia (Xi Xia) kingdom in Northern China. Historical records indicate that he died of natural causes, complications from a fall from his horse, or wounds sustained during the siege, though the exact cause remains a subject of debate. Following his death, his third son, Ogedei Khan, was chosen as his successor to lead the Mongol Empire.