SSC CGL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The dimensions of a standard badminton court are regulated by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). The total length of the court for both singles and doubles matches is defined as 13.40 meters (44 feet). While the width of the court differs between formats—5.18 meters for singles and 6.10 meters for doubles—the longitudinal distance from one back boundary line to the opposite back boundary line remains constant at 13.40 meters.

Explanation

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is a constitutional authority established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India. The CAG functions as the administrative head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA | AD), which is the organization responsible for auditing the accounts of the Union and State Governments. In this capacity, the CAG exercises full administrative control over the department and its personnel, ensuring that the constitutional mandate of financial oversight and accountability is maintained. The IA | AD serves as the machinery through which the CAG performs their duties of auditing the receipts and expenditures of the government to safeguard the public purse.

Explanation

The Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) is the largest pan-India scheme designed to fortify the countrys healthcare infrastructure with a specific focus on primary, secondary, and tertiary care services. Launched with an investment of over ₹64,000 crore, it aims to build a resilient health system by filling critical gaps in public health facilities. The mission supports the expansion of Health and Wellness Centres in both rural and urban areas for primary care, establishes integrated public health laboratories for diagnostic secondary care, and creates dedicated critical care hospital blocks in districts for tertiary care. It also strengthens national institutions and surveillance systems to ensure the country is better prepared for future biological emergencies and pandemics.

Explanation

Raksha Bandhan is a traditional Hindu festival whose name literally translates to the bond or tie of protection. The term is derived from the Sanskrit words Raksha, meaning protection, and Bandhan, meaning the act of tying or a bond. During this celebration, sisters tie a sacred thread known as a Rakhi around their brothers' wrists. This ritual symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's prosperity and long life, while the brother in return provides a gift and takes a symbolic vow to protect and care for his sister throughout her life.

Explanation

Anshu Malik created history at the 2021 World Wrestling Championships held in Oslo, Norway, by becoming the first Indian woman to win a silver medal at the prestigious event. Competing in the women 57 kg freestyle category, the then 19-year-old wrestler reached the final after defeating Junior European champion Solomiia Vynnyk. In the gold medal match, she faced the Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the USA. Although she lost the final, her performance marked a significant milestone for Indian wrestling, as previous Indian female medalists at the World Championships had only secured bronze medals.

Explanation

The National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Baseline Report, released by Niti Aayog in November 2021, identified Bihar as the poorest state in India. This inaugural index was based on data from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16). According to the report, 51.91 percent of Bihar's population was multidimensionally poor, the highest proportion among all Indian states. The MPI utilizes the Alkire-Foster methodology and measures deprivation across three equally weighted dimensions—Health, Education, and Standard of Living—further divided into twelve indicators including nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets, and bank accounts. Bihar showed significant deprivation across these multiple indicators, particularly in nutrition and maternal health.

Explanation

Consumption of fixed capital is the term used in national income accounting to describe the decline in the value of fixed assets used in the production process during a specific period. This reduction in value occurs due to physical wear and tear, normal accidental damage, and foreseeable obsolescence. In economic and accounting terminology, this process is more commonly known as depreciation. The relationship between gross and net values in national income is defined by this concept, where Net Investment = Gross Investment - Depreciation. Therefore, the consumption of fixed capital represents the portion of gross investment required to replace or maintain existing capital stock rather than adding to it.

Explanation

The river Jhelum was known as the Vitasta during the Vedic period and is mentioned by this name in the Rig Veda. It was one of the primary rivers of the Sapt-Sindhu region, which served as the early home of the Vedic Aryans. In ancient Greek history, the Vitasta was referred to as the Hydaspes, notably serving as the site of the major battle between Alexander the Great and King Porus. The name Vitasta appears in the Nadistuti sukta of the Rig Veda, which lists the important rivers of the northwestern Indian subcontinent.

Explanation

During the Chola period, the Sabha, or Mahasabha, was the specialized village assembly found in brahmadeya villages, which were land grants inhabited predominantly by Brahmanas. This assembly consisted of adult Brahmana males who managed the administrative, judicial, and financial affairs of the settlement. The Sabha functioned through various committees known as variyams, which were responsible for specific tasks such as the maintenance of irrigation tanks, gardens, and temples. The detailed functioning of these assemblies, including the eligibility criteria and the lot-casting system used to select committee members, is documented in the famous Uttaramerur inscriptions of the 10th century.

Explanation

The Tapi River, also known as the Tapti, is a major westward-flowing river in peninsular India. Its basin covers a total area of approximately 65,145 square kilometers, which is distributed across the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Specifically, the basin occupies nearly 79 percent of its area in Maharashtra, about 15 percent in Madhya Pradesh, and roughly 6 percent in Gujarat. Rajasthan is situated to the north of the Satpura Range and the Narmada-Tapi rift valley system. Consequently, Rajasthan does not fall within the catchment area or the drainage network of the Tapi River, as the river originates in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows through the Deccan plateau towards the Arabian Sea without entering the northern state of Rajasthan.

Explanation

Helium, specifically in its liquid state, is the essential cooling medium for superconducting magnets due to its extremely low boiling point of 4.22 K at atmospheric pressure. In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), helium is cooled further to 1.9 K, becoming a superfluid with high thermal conductivity that efficiently removes heat from the magnet system. This cryogenic cooling is necessary to achieve superconductivity, a state where electrical resistance vanishes, allowing the magnets to generate the intense magnetic fields required for particle acceleration in the LHC and for high-resolution imaging in MRI and NMR systems. Helium is the only substance that remains liquid at temperatures close to absolute zero, making it the only viable refrigerant for these large-scale superconducting applications.

Explanation

Mrinalini Sarabhai was a distinguished Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and instructor who was widely recognized for her expertise in Bharatnatyam and Kathakali. She received her formal training in Bharatnatyam under the guidance of Meenakshi Sundaram Pillai and mastered the art of Kathakali under the tutelage of Guru Thakazhi Kunchu Kurup. In 1949, she established the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad, a center dedicated to the promotion and instruction of these traditional dance forms. Throughout her career, she received several prestigious honors, including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri, for her role in popularizing Indian classical dance internationally. Google honored her extensive contributions to the arts with a dedicated Doodle on May 11, 2018, marking the centenary of her birth.

Explanation

Bharatanatyam is a major Indian classical dance form that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu and is deeply rooted in the religious and spiritual traditions of South India. It is primarily associated with Shaivism, as Lord Shiva is worshipped as Nataraja, the King of Dance, who represents the cosmic cycle of creation and destruction. The dance form historically evolved from the Sadir Natyam performed by Devadasis in Hindu temples, where it served as a medium of devotion. Many of its traditional compositions and rhythmic patterns are dedicated to Shiva, and the poses often mirror the iconographic representations of Shaivite deities found in South Indian temple architecture.

Explanation

Ustad Vilayat Khan was a legendary figure in Hindustani classical music and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sitar players of the 20th century. He belonged to the Imdadkhani Gharana, also known as the Etawah Gharana, which has a long lineage of sitar and surbahar maestros. Vilayat Khan is most famous for developing the Gayaki Ang on the sitar, a technique that allows the instrument to emulate the intricate nuances and emotional expressions of the human voice. His contributions to the art form include technical innovations to the sitar's structure and a unique playing style that emphasized fluid melodic passages and complex rhythmic patterns.

Explanation

India served as the host nation for the 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup, marking the 20th edition of this biennial continental football championship. The tournament was held between January 20 and February 6, 2022, with matches staged across three venues in Maharashtra: the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai, the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, and the Balewadi Stadium in Pune. This event also served as the final stage of Asian qualification for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Hosting this tournament was a significant milestone for Indian sports, as it was the second time the country organized the competition since 1979.

Explanation

Bhakti Pradip Kulkarni is a distinguished Indian chess player who holds the titles of Woman Grandmaster and International Master. She was an integral part of the Indian women's team that won the bronze medal at the 44th Chess Olympiad held in Chennai in 2022. Her significant achievements also include winning the Asian Women's Chess Championship in 2016 and the National Women's Chess Championship in 2018. In recognition of her consistent excellence and contributions to the sport at the international level, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports conferred the Arjuna Award 2022 upon her.

Explanation

Subhas Chandra Bose founded the Free India Legion, also known as the Tiger Legion or Infanterie-Regiment 950, in 1941 while he was in Germany. Seeking to secure India's independence from British rule through international alliances, Bose established the Free India Centre in Berlin and began recruiting Indian prisoners of war who had been captured by the Axis powers in North Africa. The unit was trained by the German army and was intended to serve as a revolutionary force to liberate India. The soldiers of the legion were the first to address Bose as Netaji, and the unit prominently featured the leaping tiger on its standard, symbolizing the strength and resilience of the Indian independence movement.

Explanation

Brood parasitism is a reproductive strategy and form of social parasitism where an organism relies on the parental care of another individual, known as the host, to raise its offspring. The parasite deposits its eggs into the nest of the host, thereby avoiding the significant energy costs associated with building nests, incubating eggs, and foraging for young. This behavior occurs in various taxa, including birds, insects, and fish, and can be either intraspecific, involving members of the same species, or interspecific, involving different species. The host ends up providing all the necessary care, such as warmth and food, for the development of the parasite's young, often to the detriment of its own biological offspring. This strategy maximizes the parasite's reproductive output while shifting the survival risks to the host.

Explanation

Based on the Census of India 2011, the Scheduled Tribe population of Odisha is approximately 9.59 million. Maharashtra has a higher tribal population recorded at approximately 10.51 million. Madhya Pradesh holds the largest Scheduled Tribe population in the country, totaling approximately 15.31 million. In terms of ascending order from lowest to highest population among these three states, Odisha (C) comes first, followed by Maharashtra (B), and Madhya Pradesh (A) has the highest count.

Explanation

The Industrial Policy Statement of 1980 aimed at promoting economic federalism and increasing the productivity of the small-scale sector. To facilitate this, the government revised the investment ceilings for various categories of industries to reflect the rising costs of machinery and equipment. Under this policy, the investment limit for tiny units was specifically increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh. This change was intended to provide more room for modernization and growth within the smallest segment of the industrial sector. The 1980 policy also simultaneously raised the investment limits for small-scale industries to ₹20 lakh and for ancillary units to ₹25 lakh to further bolster the decentralized industrial base of the Indian economy.

Explanation

Sir Fred Hoyle, along with Hermann Bondi and Thomas Gold, proposed the Steady State theory in 1948 as a cosmological alternative to the Big Bang theory. This model suggests that the universe is eternal, having no beginning and no end, and that its overall appearance remains constant over time. To reconcile the observed expansion of the universe with a constant density, the theory postualtes the continuous creation of matter in the form of hydrogen atoms throughout space. Hoyle was a staunch advocate for this model, famously coining the term Big Bang during a BBC radio broadcast to disparagingly describe the competing evolutionary theory of the universe.

Explanation

Chlorophyceae is the class of green algae, named for the presence of chlorophyll a and b which give them their distinctive green color. Phaeophyceae refers to brown algae, which contain chlorophyll a and c along with the xanthophyll pigment fucoxanthin that provides the characteristic brown coloration. Rhodophyceae represents red algae, characterized by the predominance of the red pigment r-phycoerythrin in addition to chlorophyll a and d. Cyanophyceae is the class for blue-green algae, which are prokaryotic organisms often termed cyanobacteria that contain phycobilin pigments like c-phycocyanin.

Explanation

The Ryotwari system was significantly influenced by the Ricardian theory of rent, which was championed by Utilitarian thinkers like James Mill who held influential positions in the East India Company. David Ricardo defined rent as the portion of the produce of the earth paid to the landlord for the use of the original and indestructible powers of the soil. In the Indian context, the British state assumed the role of the ultimate landlord and sought to claim this economic rent directly from the actual cultivators, known as Ryots. According to Ricardian logic, the state was entitled to the surplus that remained after the costs of labor and capital, including a standard profit, were deducted from the total produce. This theoretical framework justified the direct settlement with individual peasants and the periodic reassessment of land revenue to capture the unearned increment in land value resulting from increased productivity or rising prices.

Explanation

Jacobus Henricus van't Hoff was a Dutch chemist who was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901. This honor was bestowed upon him for his pioneering discoveries regarding the laws of chemical dynamics and osmotic pressure in solutions. His research demonstrated that the laws of thermodynamics could be applied to dilute solutions, leading to the formulation of the van't Hoff equation, Π = cRT, which shows that osmotic pressure behaves similarly to the pressure of an ideal gas. His work established the quantitative foundations for physical chemistry, providing a deeper understanding of how substances interact and move within solutions and how chemical reactions reach equilibrium.

Explanation

Part II of the Constitution of India contains the provisions relating to citizenship under Articles 5 to 11. These articles describe the categories of persons who became citizens of India at the time of its commencement on January 26, 1950. Article 5 details citizenship by domicile, while Articles 6 and 7 deal with the rights of persons who migrated from Pakistan and those who migrated to Pakistan but later returned. Article 8 addresses the citizenship rights of certain persons of Indian origin residing outside India. Article 9 clarifies that any person who voluntarily acquires the citizenship of a foreign state loses their Indian citizenship. Most importantly, Article 11 grants the Parliament of India the plenary power to make any provision with respect to the acquisition and termination of citizenship and all other matters relating to it.

Explanation

Coffee cultivation in India originated in the 17th century when the Sufi saint Baba Budan smuggled seven coffee beans from the port of Mocha, Yemen, while returning from a pilgrimage. He planted these seeds in the Chandragiri Hills of the Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka. These hills were subsequently named the Baba Budan Hills to honor him. This event is recognized as the starting point of the coffee industry in India, eventually leading to the establishment of large-scale plantations in the Western Ghats and making Karnataka the leading coffee-producing state in the country.

Explanation

Ocean tides are the periodic rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun combined with the rotation of the Earth. Most coastal areas experience a semidiurnal tidal cycle, which involves two high tides and two low tides in a lunar day. This happens because the Earth rotates through two tidal bulges every day: one bulge created by the moon's gravitational pull on the side of the Earth facing it, and a second bulge on the opposite side caused by inertial forces. As a result, the water level rises and falls twice within a period of approximately 24 hours and 50 minutes, resulting in a daily frequency of two cycles of up and down movement.

Explanation

Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar was a distinguished Sanskrit scholar and an influential leader of the Prarthana Samaj, a reformist religious organization established in Bombay in 1867. He played a pivotal role in shaping the ideological foundation of the society, emphasizing monotheism and the rejection of idol worship based on his deep study of the Vedas and Upanishads. Along with Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Bhandarkar spearheaded social reforms under the banner of the Prarthana Samaj, advocating for the education of women, the abolition of the caste system, and the promotion of widow remarriage. His intellectual leadership provided the movement with historical and religious legitimacy within the socio-cultural context of Western India.

Explanation

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) was established on January 25, 1984, as a registered society under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It was founded to manage the sports infrastructure created for the 1982 Asian Games and to serve as the apex body for sports promotion and excellence in the country. SAI acts as a nodal agency to implement various schemes aimed at spotting and nurturing sporting talent at a young age and providing them with the necessary training and international exposure. In 1987, the Society for National Institutes of Physical Education and Sports (SNIPES) was merged with SAI to further consolidate sports development efforts.

Explanation

Mahapajapati Gotami was the maternal aunt and foster mother of Gautama Buddha, having raised him after the death of Queen Maya. Following the death of King Suddhodana, she led a group of women in seeking admission to the Sangha to lead a life of renunciation. After the Buddha initially declined, she demonstrated her resolve by shaving her head, donning yellow robes, and walking a great distance from Kapilavastu to Vaishali. Her persistence, combined with the intervention of the disciple Ananda, led the Buddha to establish the Bhikkhuni Sangha. She became the first woman to be ordained into the Buddhist monastic order upon accepting the Eight Garudhammas, marking the formal beginning of female monasticism in Buddhism.

Explanation

The nit is a non-SI unit used to measure luminance, which is the luminous intensity per unit area of light emitted or reflected in a specific direction. One nit is defined as being equivalent to one candela per square meter (1 nit = 1 cd/m²). This unit is widely utilized in the technology industry to quantify the brightness of electronic displays, including computer monitors, smartphone screens, and televisions. Luminance describes the amount of light that passes through or is emitted from a particular area and falls within a given solid angle, providing a standardized way to measure how bright a surface appears to the human eye.

Explanation

Vidya Pravesh is a three-month, play-based school preparation module developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) specifically for students entering Class 1. Launched by the Ministry of Education in 2021 under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the program is designed to bridge the learning gap and ensure a smooth transition for children from home or preschool to formal primary education. It focuses on developing foundational literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills through play-based activities, ensuring that all children are ready for the Grade 1 curriculum regardless of their prior educational background. The initiative is a key component of the NIPUN Bharat mission, which aims to achieve universal foundational literacy and numeracy.

Explanation

The Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress in 1931, presided over by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, adopted a historic resolution on Fundamental Rights and the National Economic Programme. This resolution represented the first time the Congress defined the socio-economic content of Swaraj, moving beyond mere political independence. The National Economic Programme section contained provisions for a living wage, social security, and the state's responsibility to protect the interests of industrial workers and peasants. These provisions served as the ideological precursor to the Directive Principles of State Policy, as they established the concept of a welfare state and the obligation of the government to ensure social and economic justice for all citizens.

Explanation

The Industrial Policy Resolution of 1956, which formed the basis of the Second Five Year Plan and is often called the Economic Constitution of India, classified industries into three distinct categories known as Schedules. Schedule A included seventeen industries that were the exclusive responsibility of the State, such as arms and ammunition, atomic energy, and heavy industries like iron and steel. Schedule B consisted of twelve industries that were to be progressively State-owned, where the State would generally take the lead in establishing new units but private enterprise was permitted to supplement these efforts. Schedule C comprised all the remaining industries not listed in the first two schedules, which were left to the initiative and development of the private sector, albeit within the regulatory framework of the government. This tripartite classification was designed to give the State a commanding role in the economy while allowing for a mixed economic structure.

Explanation

The theme We Have Wings was the official concept for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which took place in 2021. This creative motif was chosen to symbolize the resilience, determination, and courage of Paralympic athletes. The ceremony depicted a narrative of a one-winged plane that initially doubted its ability to fly but eventually found the strength to take to the skies, serving as a powerful metaphor for the human spirit and the ability to overcome physical limitations through perseverance and inner strength.

Explanation

Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lagoon in India, located on the border of the states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is separated from the Bay of Bengal by the barrier island of Sriharikota. As a lagoon, it receives a mix of seawater through narrow openings and freshwater from land drainage, resulting in brackish water conditions rather than a purely freshwater environment. Its salinity levels fluctuate with the seasons and tidal cycles, distinguishing it from freshwater ecosystems.

Explanation

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek is widely recognized as the Father of Microbiology for his pioneering work with high-quality, single-lens microscopes. In 1674, while examining samples of pond water with his handcrafted lenses, he became the first person to observe and describe single-celled organisms, which he famously referred to as animalcules. These observations included various protists and green algae like Spirogyra. His detailed reports and drawings were sent to the Royal Society of London, marking the first documented discovery of the microscopic world and establishing the existence of living cells as independent entities.

Explanation

Sri Lanka designates Sinhala and Tamil as its official languages, with Sinhala being the primary language of the majority Sinhalese population. Bhutan uses Dzongkha as its sole national and official language, a member of the Tibeto-Burman language family. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, recognizes Burmese as its official language, which serves as the main medium of administration and education across the country.

Explanation

Veer Kunwar Singh, the octogenarian Zamindar of Jagdispur in the Shahabad district, was the preeminent leader of the 1857 rebellion in Bihar. Despite his advanced age, he provided military leadership to the sepoys who had revolted at Danapur and organized a formidable resistance against the British East India Company. He successfully liberated Arrah and engaged in a series of strategic battles across Bihar and parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, employing guerrilla warfare tactics that challenged British control for nearly a year until his death in April 1858.

Explanation

Thabal Chongba is a traditional folk dance of the Meitei people in Manipur. The name literally translates to dancing by moonlight, as the performance traditionally takes place outdoors under a full moon. It is a key highlight of the Yaoshang festival, which is celebrated for five days starting on the full moon day of the Phalguna month, coinciding with Holi. During the dance, young men and women join hands in a large circle and perform rhythmic footwork to the beat of the Dholak or drum. It serves as a significant social event in Manipuri culture, allowing the youth from different localities to interact and celebrate the arrival of spring together.

Explanation

Rana Amar Singh I, the son and successor of Maharana Pratap, signed a historic peace treaty with the Mughal Empire in 1615 during the reign of Emperor Jahangir. This treaty followed several Mughal military campaigns led by Prince Khurram, which eventually pressurized the Mewar leadership into a diplomatic settlement. Under the terms of this agreement, Amar Singh accepted Mughal suzerainty, ending the long-standing conflict that had lasted since the era of his father. A unique feature of this submission was that the Rana was granted an exemption from personal appearance at the Mughal court, with his son Prince Karan Singh serving in his stead, thereby maintaining the prestige of the Sisodiya house while formally becoming part of the Mughal administrative framework.

Explanation

Gymnosperms are seed-bearing vascular plants, belonging to the group Spermatophyta. The term is derived from the Greek words gymnos meaning naked and sperma meaning seed, referring to the fact that their ovules are not enclosed by an ovary wall and remain exposed both before and after fertilization. Unlike angiosperms, gymnosperms do not produce flowers or fruits. Their reproductive structures are typically arranged in cones or strobili. Since gymnosperms possess seeds and lack flowers, the description of them as seedless flowering plants is scientifically inaccurate.

Explanation

According to Article 164(1A) of the Constitution of India, which was inserted by the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003, the total number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the Council of Ministers in a State shall not exceed fifteen percent of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State. This amendment was introduced to prevent jumbo cabinets and ensure a more efficient and lean executive. The same article also specifies a minimum limit, stating that the number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in a State shall not be less than twelve. Similar provisions apply to the Union Council of Ministers under Article 75, where the total number of ministers cannot exceed fifteen percent of the total number of members of the Lok Sabha.

Explanation

Lift systems require high starting torque and a continuous, high-capacity power supply to safely transport heavy loads vertically. The instantaneous electricity demand of an elevator motor is significantly higher than what typical solar cell arrays can provide directly. Because lifts must operate reliably at all times, including at night or during heavy cloud cover, they are powered by the primary electrical grid or large-scale building power systems rather than being directly operated by solar cells.

Explanation

Diwali is celebrated on the Amavasya (new moon day) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Hindu lunar month of Kartika. This month generally corresponds to October or November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival signifies the darkest night of the year being illuminated by lamps to symbolize the victory of light over darkness and knowledge over ignorance. According to tradition, the main festivities take place on the fifteenth day of the month of Kartika, marking the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after his fourteen-year exile.

Explanation

The biennial tri-services amphibious exercise, AMPHEX 2023, was conducted at Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh from 17 to 22 January 2023. As the largest such exercise involving the Indian Navy, Indian Army, and Indian Air Force, it focused on validating the joint training and operational capabilities of the three services in complex amphibious operations. The exercise included a wide range of activities such as ship-to-shore maneuvers, troop landings, and aerial support, all designed to enhance coordination and synergy among the armed forces during multi-domain military operations along the coastline.

Explanation

Padmaja Reddy is a distinguished exponent of Kuchipudi, a classical dance form originating from Andhra Pradesh. She was honored with the Padma Shri in 2022 for her exceptional contributions to the field of art. Reddy is widely recognized for her extensive research and choreographic innovation, specifically for reviving Kakatiyam, a dance style inspired by the 13th-century sculptures of the Kakatiya dynasty at the Ramappa Temple. A disciple of the legendary Guru Vempati Chinna Satyam, she has dedicated decades to performing and teaching Kuchipudi, and she holds the distinction of being the first dancer from the state of Telangana to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, which she won in 2015.

Explanation

Ustad Allah Rakha was a legendary exponent of the Tabla and a key figure of the Punjab gharana, known for his masterful accompaniment and solo performances. Pandit Totaram Sharma is a renowned master of the Pakhawaj, an ancient barrel-shaped drum that is a primary percussion instrument in the Dhrupad tradition of Hindustani music. T.H. Vinayakram, famously known as Vikku Vinayakram, is a Grammy-winning maestro of the Ghatam, a clay pot percussion instrument used extensively in Carnatic classical music and global fusion.

Explanation

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the SMILE scheme, which stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise, on February 12, 2022. This central sector umbrella scheme is specifically designed to provide comprehensive welfare and rehabilitation measures for the transgender community and persons engaged in the act of begging. The scheme incorporates two sub-schemes: the Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons and the Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging. It focuses on providing legal protection, social security, and a life of dignity through interventions such as skill development, education, medical facilities including gender-reassignment surgery support under PM-JAY, and the establishment of Garima Grehs to provide shelter and care.

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 calculated by dividing the Nominal GDP by the Real GDP and then multiplying the result by 100 to express it as an index. The formula is:

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

Nominal GDP measures the value of all finished goods and services produced within a country at current market prices. Real GDP measures the same output but at constant prices of a designated base year, thereby adjusting for the effects of inflation or deflation. This ratio indicates how much of the change in the GDP of an economy is attributable to changes in the price level rather than changes in the actual quantity of goods and services produced.