SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The law of demand is a fundamental principle of economics which states that, ceteris paribus (all other factors being equal), there is an inverse relationship between the price of a good and the quantity demanded of that good. In economic terms, a change in the price of a commodity leads to a movement along the demand curve, which represents a change in the quantity demanded rather than a shift in the demand curve itself. Thus, when the price of a good increases, consumers will purchase less of it, resulting in a decrease in the quantity demanded of that good.

Explanation

Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, making up approximately 46.6% of its total weight. Silicon is the second most abundant element, accounting for about 27.7% of the crust's composition. Combined, these two elements constitute nearly 74.3% of the Earth's crust. They bond together to form silica and various silicate minerals, which are the fundamental components of most of the rocks that make up the continental and oceanic crusts.

Explanation

Cinnabar is a toxic mercury sulfide mineral with the chemical formula HgS. It is the primary and most abundant natural ore of mercury, commonly found in areas of recent volcanic activity and alkaline hot springs, where it has been mined for centuries to extract liquid metallic mercury.

Explanation

Seema Biswas played the lead character of Phoolan Devi in the 1994 biographical drama film Bandit Queen, which was directed by Shekhar Kapur. Her intense and powerful portrayal of the bandit-turned-politician garnered widespread international acclaim and earned her the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1995. This landmark performance established her prominence in Indian cinema.

Explanation

The life cycle of a star is primarily determined by its initial mass. If a star has a mass similar to or less than the Sun, it eventually collapses into a white dwarf. However, stars that are larger than the Sun, up to about twice its mass, undergo a supernova explosion at the end of their nuclear-burning phase.

This catastrophic collapse leaves behind an incredibly dense, compact remnant core composed almost entirely of neutrons, known as a neutron star. Due to the conservation of angular momentum, these highly dense remnants rotate at extremely high speeds and emit powerful beams of electromagnetic radiation from their magnetic poles. When these rotating beams sweep past Earth in regular intervals, they are detected as pulsars.

Explanation

The Gobi Desert is the largest desert in Asia, covering an area of approximately 1.295 million square kilometers. It spans across northern and northwestern China as well as southern Mongolia. Situated in a rain shadow region created by the Himalayas, it is a cold desert characterized by its extreme temperature fluctuations, vast rocky expanses, and gravel plains.

Explanation

Mian Tansen was appointed as the court musician by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1562, after being invited from the court of King Ramchandra Baghela of Rewa. Akbar bestowed upon him the honorary title of Mian, meaning master, and included him as one of the Navaratnas (nine jewels) of his royal court. Tansen is widely regarded as one of the greatest Dhrupad singers and classical music composers in Indian history, credited with creating and perfecting several legendary ragas.

Explanation

Ashoka, also known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Dynasty. He ruled over almost the entire Indian subcontinent from circa 268 to 232 BCE. As the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, who founded the Mauryan Empire, and the son of Bindusara, Ashoka consolidated and expanded the empire, making it one of the largest empires in ancient Indian history. His reign is renowned for his patronage of Buddhism, his propagation of the principles of Dhamma (righteousness), and the erection of various pillars and rock edicts inscribed with his moral codes throughout his territory.

Explanation

Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 jointly with Malala Yousafzai. They received this recognition for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for securing the right of all children to education. As a prominent child rights activist, he founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980, which has rescued and rehabilitated over one hundred thousand children from child labour, slavery, and trafficking across India.

Explanation

The metric prefix nano- represents a factor of 10⁻⁹. Consequently, one nanometer is equivalent to 10 raised to the power -9 meters.

Explanation

The minimum qualifying age to be a voter in India is 18 years. This is mandated by Article 326 of the Constitution of India, which secures the right to vote based on adult suffrage. Under this article, every citizen of India who is not less than 18 years of age on the qualifying date, and is not otherwise disqualified under the Constitution or any law on the grounds of non-residence, unsoundness of mind, crime, or corrupt or illegal practice, is entitled to be registered as a voter. The voting age was reduced from 21 years to 18 years by the Sixty-first Amendment Act of 1988, which came into force in March 1989.

Explanation

The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950. This date was specifically chosen to commemorate the declaration of Purna Swaraj (complete independence) by the Indian National Congress in 1930. With its implementation, the Dominion of India transitioned into a sovereign, democratic republic, replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of the nation. This historic day is celebrated annually across the country as Republic Day.

Explanation

Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, from October 10 to October 24, 1964. This historic event marked the very first time the Olympic Games were held in an Asian country. The hosting of the games symbolized Japan's successful post-World War II reconstruction and its return to the global stage as a peaceful, technologically advanced nation.

Explanation

I Too Had A Love Story is the debut autobiographical novel written by Ravinder Singh, first published in 2008. The book narrates the real-life tragic love story of the author and his girlfriend, Khushi, who met with a fatal accident just days before their formal engagement. The raw emotional appeal of the narrative made the book a national bestseller and launched Ravinder Singh's career as a prominent contemporary Indian romantic fiction writer.

Explanation

Raw data represents unorganized and unstructured facts, numbers, or symbols that do not carry a specific meaning on their own. When this raw data undergoes processing, structure, and organization within a specific context, it is converted into a meaningful and useful form called information. Information provides context, allowing the recipient to interpret the data and use it for decision-making.

Explanation

John Napier, a Scottish mathematician and physicist, invented logarithms in the early 17th century. He published his discovery in 1614 in his work Mirifici Logarithmorum Canonis Descriptio (Description of the Wonderful Rule of Logarithms). His invention of logarithms aimed to simplify mathematical calculations, particularly in astronomy and navigation, by converting complex processes of multiplication and division into simpler operations of addition and subtraction.

Explanation

The liver is the largest gland as well as the largest internal organ in the human body. Located in the upper right quadrant of the abdominal cavity just below the diaphragm, it typically weighs about 1.2 to 1.5 kg in an adult. It functions as both an exocrine and endocrine gland, performing vital roles in digestion through bile secretion, metabolism, detoxification, and protein synthesis.

Explanation

Leaves are the primary organs responsible for photosynthesis in plants. They contain specialized cells known as mesophyll cells, which are rich in chloroplasts. These chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that absorbs light energy from the sun. The broad and flat structure of leaves provides a large surface area to maximize sunlight absorption, while microscopic pores called stomata allow for the essential exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen required for the process.

Explanation

Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans. Many of these vectors are blood-sucking insects, which ingest disease-producing microorganisms during a meal from an infected host and later inject them into a new host during a subsequent feeding. Common examples of insect vectors include mosquitoes, ticks, flies, fleas, and lice, which are responsible for transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue, Lyme disease, and bubonic plague.

Explanation

Chloroform (CHCl₃) is slowly oxidized by atmospheric oxygen in the presence of sunlight to form carbonyl chloride (COCl₂), which is commonly known as phosgene. Phosgene is an extremely toxic and poisonous gas. To prevent this photo-oxidation reaction, chloroform is typically stored in tightly closed, dark brown-colored bottles filled up to the brim to exclude any air.

Explanation

Benzene was first isolated and discovered by the English scientist Michael Faraday in 1825. Faraday obtained this clear, liquid hydrocarbon from the oily residue left behind in the cylinders used to store illuminating gas, which was produced by the pyrolysis of whale oil. He originally named the newly discovered compound bicarburet of hydrogen, which was later determined to have the molecular formula C₆H₆.

Explanation

The Gateway of India was built by the British Government to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder, Bombay, during their visit to India in December 1911. The foundation stone was laid in March 1911 by the Governor of Bombay, Sir George Sydenham Clarke, and the final design by British architect George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914. Construction was completed in 1924, and the monument was formally opened by the Viceroy, Rufus Isaacs, the Earl of Reading.

Explanation

Bhangra is a traditional folk dance originating from the Majha region of Punjab. It was historically performed by Punjabi farmers during the spring festival of Vaisakhi to celebrate the harvesting of crops. Characterized by energetic movements, high jumps, and vibrant athletic steps, the dance is performed to the powerful, rhythmic beats of the dhol, a double-headed drum, accompanied by traditional folk singing. Over time, it has evolved from a seasonal harvest celebration into a prominent dance form performed at weddings, festivals, and various social occasions.

Explanation

The break-even quantity is calculated using the standard formula:

Break-even Quantity = Fixed Cost ÷ (Selling Price - Variable Cost)

Rearranging the formula to find the Fixed Cost gives:

Fixed Cost = Break-even Quantity × (Selling Price - Variable Cost)

Substituting the given values into the equation:

Fixed Cost = 2,400 × (24 - 15) Fixed Cost = 2,400 × 9 Fixed Cost = Rs. 21,600

Explanation

Market equilibrium occurs at the price level where the plans of consumers and the plans of producers coordinate perfectly. At this specific price, the quantity of a good that buyers are willing and able to buy is exactly equal to the quantity that sellers are willing and able to sell. Because there is neither a surplus (excess supply) nor a shortage (excess demand) in the market, the market clears, and there is no pressure for the price to change. This state of market balance is defined by the condition where quantity demanded is equal to quantity supplied.

Explanation

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a highly toxic, colorless, and odorless gas produced by the incomplete combustion of hydrocarbon fuels in automobile engines. Upon inhalation, carbon monoxide rapidly diffuses across the alveolar membrane into the bloodstream, where it binds to hemoglobin with an affinity approximately 200 to 250 times greater than that of oxygen. This binding forms carboxyhemoglobin, which prevents oxygen from binding to hemoglobin and also shifts the oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation curve to the left, inhibiting the release of oxygen to body tissues. The resulting cellular hypoxia impairs the functioning of oxygen-dependent organs, particularly the brain and the heart, making it a lethal asphyxiant.

Explanation

The Government of Odisha decided to recruit members of the transgender community as jail warders in various prisons across the state. This decision was in accordance with the Supreme Court directive recognizing transgenders as a third gender category. The State Police initiated the recruitment process by instructing the Odisha Subordinate Staff Selection Commission to include transgenders as a separate gender category, keeping their physical standard requirements at the same level as those prescribed for female candidates.

Explanation

An equinox occurs twice a year when the Sun is positioned directly above the Earth's equator. During these events, which happen around March 21 and September 23, the Earth's axis of rotation is tilted neither away from nor toward the Sun. Because the Sun's rays fall vertically on the equator, the circle of illumination passes through both the geographic poles, dividing the globe into two equal halves. This results in nearly equal duration of daylight and night (approximately 12 hours each) across almost all regions of the Earth. The term itself originates from the Latin words aequus, meaning equal, and nox, meaning night, signifying this astronomical balance.

Explanation

As of 2016, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was the largest Union Territory of India by land mass, covering a total area of approximately 8,249 square kilometers. Situated in the Bay of Bengal, this archipelago comprises 572 islands, of which 38 are permanently inhabited, and features a vast coastline along with significant strategic and ecological importance.

Explanation

Mahatma Gandhi, born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, a coastal town in present-day Gujarat. His birth anniversary, October 2, is commemorated worldwide as the International Day of Non-Violence and in India as Gandhi Jayanti to honor his pioneering role in the Indian independence movement through non-violent resistance.

Explanation

Mughal Emperor Jahangir, originally named Salim, was born on August 31, 1569, in Fatehpur Sikri. He was the eldest surviving son of Emperor Akbar and his Rajput wife, Mariam-uz-Zamani. Akbar had prayed for an heir at the shrine of the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti, and following the child's birth, he was named Salim in honour of the saint.

Explanation

Dhondo Keshav Karve, popularly known as Maharshi Karve, was born on 18 April 1858 and lived to the age of 104. He was a pioneering social reformer and educator who made outstanding contributions to women's welfare and education in India, including establishing the country's first women's university, SNDT Women's University, in 1916. Recognizing his immense lifelong service to society, the Government of India conferred the Bharat Ratna, the nation's highest civilian award, upon him in 1958, marking the historic occasion of his 100th birthday.

Explanation

Scalar quantities are physical quantities that are completely defined by their magnitude, consisting of a numerical value and a unit of measurement, without any requirement for a spatial direction. Examples of such quantities include mass, time, temperature, and distance. Since they lack direction, they can be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided using the ordinary laws of algebra.

Explanation

A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which is the force exerted by the weight of air in the atmosphere. A sudden and rapid fall in the barometric reading indicates a steep decline in atmospheric pressure. This rapid drop creates a strong localized low-pressure system. Air from the surrounding high-pressure areas rushes rapidly toward this low-pressure center to restore equilibrium. The resulting intense and rapid movement of air, combined with the rising warm, moist air in the low-pressure system, creates unstable atmospheric conditions, leading to strong winds and stormy weather.

Explanation

Under Article 83(1) of the Constitution of India, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent house and is not subject to dissolution. To ensure continuity, one-third of its members retire every second year, meaning that each individual member is elected for a term of 6 years.

Explanation

The Constituent Assembly of India officially adopted Jana Gana Mana as the National Anthem of India on 24th January 1950. This historical event occurred during the final session of the Constituent Assembly, just two days before India became a Republic on 26th January 1950. During this same session, the assembly also adopted Vande Mataram as the National Song and elected Dr. Rajendra Prasad as the first President of India. Originally composed in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911, the Hindi version of the song was adopted as the official National Anthem.

Explanation

Aditya Mehta won the 83rd Senior National Snooker Championship held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, in January 2016. He clinched the title by defeating Manan Chandra with a score of 6-3 in the men's final round. Representing the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), Mehta also registered the tournament's highest break of 128 during the final match to secure his national victory.

Explanation

Train to Pakistan is a widely acclaimed historical novel written by Khushwant Singh and published in 1956. The novel recounts the tragedy of the Partition of India in August 1947 through the perspective of Mano Majra, a fictional border village where Sikhs and Muslims had lived in peace for generations before being torn apart by sectarian violence. Khushwant Singh, an eminent Indian novelist, journalist, and lawyer, utilizes this setting to highlight the human loss, horror, and chaos associated with the partition.

Explanation

Raymond Samuel Tomlinson was an American computer programmer who implemented the first email program on the ARPANET system in 1971. He is widely recognized as the pioneer of network email, creating the system that allowed messages to be sent between users on different hosts. Tomlinson also introduced the use of the @ symbol to separate the user name from the destination host name, establishing the format still used in email communication globally today.

Explanation

Isaac Merritt Singer developed and patented the first practical and commercially successful sewing machine in 1851. While previous versions existed, his design introduced key innovations, including an overhanging arm that held a needle bar over a horizontal table, allowing for continuous and curved stitching. He also designed a foot treadle to power the machine, which freed up both hands of the operator. Singer subsequently founded the Singer Sewing Machine Company, which popularized the machine for domestic use worldwide.

Explanation

The pancreas is the second largest gland in the human body. Located in the abdomen behind the stomach, it functions as a heterocrine or mixed gland, possessing both endocrine and exocrine parts. The exocrine part secretes pancreatic juice containing essential digestive enzymes into the duodenum, while the endocrine part, represented by the Islets of Langerhans, secretes crucial hormones like insulin and glucagon directly into the bloodstream to regulate blood glucose levels.

Explanation

Annona squamosa is the scientific name of Custard Apple, which is also commonly referred to as sugar-apple or sitaphal. It belongs to the family Annonaceae and is a small, semi-deciduous tree native to the tropical regions of the Americas and the West Indies. The plant is widely cultivated across tropical regions, including India, for its sweet, edible, and creamy-textured aggregate fruit.

Explanation

Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, zoologist, and physician, founded the system of binomial nomenclature, which is the formal system of naming species of living things. He introduced this standard method in his seminal publications, Species Plantarum in 1753 and Systema Naturae in 1758. Under this system, each species is designated by a two-part scientific name in Latin, consisting of the genus name followed by the specific epithet. This established a uniform and universally accepted method for cataloging biodiversity, replacing the complex and lengthy descriptive names used previously.

Explanation

Acids dissociate into ions, such as hydrogen ions H⁺ and their corresponding anions, when dissolved in water. These free-moving ions act as charge carriers, allowing the aqueous solution to conduct electric current efficiently. Consequently, aqueous solutions of acids are good conductors of electricity, which makes the statement that they are bad conductors false.

Explanation

Ethyl alcohol, commonly known as ethanol, is a versatile organic compound with the chemical formula C₂H₅OH. It is the active ingredient in all alcoholic beverages and liquors, where it is produced through the fermentation of sugars by yeast. In the medical field, its excellent solvent and antimicrobial properties make it a key component in manufacturing various medicines, cough syrups, antiseptics, and disinfects. Additionally, ethyl alcohol is highly valued as a clean-burning biofuel. It is used as an alternative fuel source and is increasingly blended with aviation turbine fuel or converted into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to power aircraft, helping to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation industry.

Explanation

The Hawa Mahal, also known as the Palace of Winds, is a famous pyramid-shaped palace located in the city of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, the palace was designed by architect Lal Chand Ustad. Constructed using red and pink sandstone, the five-story structure features 953 small windows, or jharokhas, which were decorated with intricate latticework to allow royal women to observe everyday life and street festivals of the city without being seen.

Explanation

The Pushkar Fair, also known as the Pushkar Camel Fair, is a famous annual multi-day livestock and cultural fair held in the town of Pushkar, located in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. It is one of the largest camel and livestock fairs in the world, attracting thousands of domestic and international tourists. The event takes place during the Hindu calendar month of Kartik, culminating on Kartik Poornima, when pilgrims also gather to take a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake.

Explanation

The marginal tax rate is defined as the percentage of additional income that is paid in taxes. It is calculated using the formula:

Marginal Tax Rate = (Change in Tax / Change in Income) × 100

In this scenario: Change in Income = Rs. 11,00,000 - Rs. 10,00,000 = Rs. 1,00,000 Change in Tax = Rs. 92,500 - Rs. 80,000 = Rs. 12,500

Substituting these values into the formula: Marginal Tax Rate = (12,500 / 1,00,000) × 100 = 12.5%

Explanation

A direct tax is a type of tax where the liability to pay the tax and the actual burden of the tax fall on the exact same entity or individual. Because the tax is levied directly on an individual's or corporation's income, property, or wealth, it cannot be shifted or passed on to another person or consumer. The taxpayer must bear the entire economic burden of this tax directly, making both the impact and the incidence of the tax lie with the same entity. Examples of direct taxes include personal income tax and corporate tax.

Explanation

Located in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, and Nagaon districts of Assam, Kaziranga National Park is highly celebrated for harboring approximately two-thirds of the world's population of the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. This spectacular conservation success story led to its declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The park's unique landscape, characterized by tall elephant grass, fertile alluvial soil, marshy swamp areas, and dense tropical forests along the Brahmaputra River, provides the ideal natural sanctuary for this species to thrive.