SSC CHSL Tier 1 2016 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Khangchendzonga National Park, which also functions as a biosphere reserve, is located in the Himalayan state of Sikkim. It covers a vast area in the North and West Sikkim districts and includes the majestic Mount Khangchendzonga, the third-highest peak in the world. The park is renowned for its unique biodiversity, high-altitude lakes, glaciers, and rich cultural significance, and it was inscribed as India's first Mixed Criteria World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2016.

Explanation

Shimla is the capital and the largest city of the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Located in the Himalayas, Shimla was declared the summer capital of British India in 1864. Following India's independence and the reorganization of states, Shimla became the official capital of Himachal Pradesh, which achieved full statehood in 1971.

Explanation

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, serving as the nation's political, economic, and cultural hub. It is situated on the eastern coast of the island of Zealand and has been the capital of the country since the early fifteenth century.

Explanation

The Tripitakas, meaning Three Baskets in Pali, are the primary sacred scriptures of Buddhism. Compiled after the death of Gautama Buddha, these texts were written in the Pali language and serve as the authoritative canon for Theravada Buddhism. They are divided into three parts: the Vinaya Pitaka, which contains the rules and code of conduct for monastic life; the Sutta Pitaka, which consists of the actual discourses and teachings of the Buddha; and the Abhidhamma Pitaka, which offers a detailed philosophical and psychological analysis of the teachings.

Explanation

Bahadur Shah I, also known as Shah Alam I, was the seventh emperor of the Mughal dynasty who ruled India from 1707 to 1712. Born as Prince Mu'azzam, he was the eldest surviving son of the sixth Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb. After his father's death in 1707, he won the war of succession against his brothers to assume the throne, leading the empire during a period of transition and challenges to imperial authority.

Explanation

Benoit Fourneyron, a French engineer, invented the first highly successful and commercial water turbine in 1827. He developed an outward-flow reaction turbine that converted the hydraulic energy of flowing water into mechanical energy with high efficiency. His design featured curved blades in a horizontal wheel that redirected the water flow outward to produce rotational power, significantly improving upon traditional vertical waterwheels and playing a crucial role in powering early industrial factories.

Explanation

The intensity of a wave is defined as the average power transported by the wave per unit area perpendicular to the direction of wave propagation. Since power is the rate of energy transfer over time, intensity represents the rate of transfer of wave energy per unit area perpendicular to the direction of travel. Mathematically, it is expressed as I = P/A, where I is the intensity, P is the power, and A is the area. The SI unit for wave intensity is watts per square meter (W/m²).

Explanation

Translatory motion occurs when a body moves such that all its constituent particles move through the same distance in the same interval of time. When a train travels along a track, every part of the train, from the engine to the last coach, covers the same distance in the same amount of time. This uniform displacement of all parts of the object in a given direction defines its motion as translatory.

Explanation

The Bahujan Samaj Party is a prominent national-level political party in India, founded on 14 April 1984 by Kanshi Ram. The term Bahujan literally translates to the majority of the people, representing Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, and religious minorities. The party is highly active across India, with its strongest political presence and electoral base in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where it has formed the government multiple times under the leadership of Mayawati.

Explanation

The allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha is governed by the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Tamil Nadu has 18 representation seats in the Rajya Sabha, which is the upper house of the Indian Parliament. These members are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu using the system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.

Explanation

Stagflation is an economic scenario characterized by a combination of stagnant economic growth, high unemployment, and high inflation. The term itself is a portmanteau of stagnation and inflation. It represents an anomalous situation where inflation remains persistent even when economic output slows down and unemployment rises, contrasting with traditional macroeconomic models like the Phillips curve, which typically associate high inflation with low unemployment and economic expansion.

Explanation

The Santosh Trophy is a prestigious national-level association football knock-out competition in India. Contested by regional state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the tournament was started in 1941. It is named after the late Maharaja Sir Manmatha Nath Roy Chowdhury of Santosh, who served as the president of the Indian Football Association.

Explanation

Salman Rushdie is the author of Midnight's Children, a landmark novel published in 1981. The book is a prominent work of magical realism and postcolonial literature, dealing with India's transition from British colonialism to independence and partition. It achieved critical acclaim, winning the Booker Prize in 1981, as well as the Booker of Bookers in 1993 and the Best of the Booker in 2008 to commemorate the anniversary milestones of the award.

Explanation

To expand the algebraic expression (4x + 5y)(5x - 4y), we use the distributive property of multiplication:

(4x + 5y)(5x - 4y) = 4x(5x - 4y) + 5y(5x - 4y)

Multiplying the terms inside the parentheses:

= (4x × 5x) + (4x × -4y) + (5y × 5x) + (5y × -4y) = 20x² - 16xy + 25xy - 20y²

Combining the like terms -16xy and 25xy yields:

= 20x² + 9xy - 20y²

Explanation

CH₂ClF is chlorofluoromethane, commonly known as HCFC-31. It belongs to the class of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). When released into the atmosphere, HCFCs act as potent greenhouse gases that trap heat. Furthermore, because they contain chlorine, they undergo photolysis under ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere, releasing chlorine radicals that actively destroy ozone molecules, leading to the depletion of the ozone layer.

Explanation

Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is located high in the Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills, which form an integral part of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala. Situated along the border with Tamil Nadu in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta, this protected area is renowned for its rich biodiversity, tropical evergreen forests, and its status as a major elephant and tiger reserve.

Explanation

Mihir Sen was the first Indian and Asian to swim across the English Channel, achieving this feat on September 27, 1958. He completed the grueling swim from Dover to Calais in 14 hours and 45 minutes. His historic achievement paved the way for future long-distance swimmers from the region. He later went on to set multiple world records by swimming across the oceans of five continents in a single calendar year in 1966. For his pioneering efforts and outstanding achievements, he was honored with the Padma Shri in 1959 and the Padma Bhushan in 1967.

Explanation

The Lakshadweep Islands are an archipelago of 36 islands located off the southwestern coast of India. They are situated in the Laccadive Sea, which is part of the southeastern region of the Arabian Sea. These islands are characterized by their coral origin, surrounding lagoons, and rich marine life, forming the smallest union territory of India.

Explanation

Madhya Pradesh does not share a geographical border with Jharkhand. The two states are separated from each other by the territory of Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. Jharkhand lies to the east of Chhattisgarh, whereas Madhya Pradesh lies to the west of Chhattisgarh, meaning there is no direct physical contact between their state boundaries.

Explanation

The Kalinga War, fought around 261 BCE, was a major turning point in the life of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. Witnessing the immense bloodshed, destruction, and loss of human life in the war filled him with profound grief and remorse. This trauma led him to renounce armed conquest in favor of cultural and spiritual conquest. He embraced Buddhism, inspired by the Buddhist monk Upagupta, and dedicated the rest of his reign to propagating the principles of non-violence, compassion, and moral righteousness throughout his vast empire and beyond.

Explanation

Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement on August 1, 1920. The movement was formally adopted by the Indian National Congress at its special session in Calcutta in September 1920 and later ratified at the Nagpur session in December 1920. It was organized as a peaceful, non-violent protest against British rule in India, spurred by events such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the harsh terms of the Rowlatt Act, and the Khilafat issue.

Explanation

Agra Fort, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, houses both the Khas Mahal and the Shish Mahal within its sprawling red sandstone complex. The Khas Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1631 and 1640 as his private residence, featuring elegant white marble pavilions, fine carvings, and beautiful gardens. Located adjacent to the Khas Mahal, the Shish Mahal or Glass Palace served as the imperial dressing room and bath. It is famous for its intricate mosaic work made of thousands of tiny, high-quality mirrors imported from Aleppo, which reflect light to create a spectacular glittering effect inside the chamber.

Explanation

Bhalchandra Nemade is an eminent novelist, poet, and critic who writes in the Marathi language. He was awarded the 50th Jnanpith Award for the year 2014 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian literature. He is highly regarded for pioneering the Deshivad (Nativism) movement in Marathi literature, and his celebrated works include his debut novel Kosla (1963) and the monumental novel Hindu: Jagnyachi Samrudha Adgal (2010).

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher and polymath, is recognized as the Father of Biology. He was the first to systematically study and classify living organisms, making detailed observations of their anatomy, behavior, and habitats in works such as Historia Animalium (History of Animals). His empirical approach and pioneering attempts to structure biological knowledge laid the foundational principles of the life sciences.

Explanation

Wilhelm Rontgen, a German physicist, discovered X-rays in 1895. While investigating the effects of high-voltage electrical currents passed through vacuum tubes, he noticed that a screen coated with barium platinocyanide began to fluoresce. He identified that this was caused by a new, unknown type of radiation, which he named X-rays. For this groundbreaking discovery, he was awarded the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901.

Explanation

Meristematic cells are undifferentiated, actively dividing cells found in specialized regions of the plant called meristems, such as the shoot and root apices. These cells possess the unique ability to divide continuously and differentiate into various specialized cell types. This process of continuous division and subsequent differentiation leads to the formation of new tissues and organs, such as leaves, stems, flowers, and roots, thereby enabling indeterminate growth and development throughout the life of the plant.

Explanation

Rodentia Muridae represents the higher taxonomic classification of the mouse. Rodentia is the mammalian order that includes all rodents, characterized by continuously growing incisors in both the upper and lower jaws. Muridae is the largest family within this order, encompassing true mice, rats, and their close relatives. Therefore, this taxonomic combination directly corresponds to the biological classification of the mouse.

Explanation

Aluminium is a group 13 element with three valence electrons, which it loses to form a stable aluminium cation with a 3+ charge, represented as Al³⁺. Chlorine is a group 17 halogen with seven valence electrons that gains one electron to achieve a stable octet, forming a chloride anion with a 1- charge, represented as Cl⁻. To form an electrically neutral ionic compound, the positive and negative charges must balance. This requires one aluminium ion to combine with three chloride ions, resulting in the chemical formula AlCl₃.

Explanation

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a strong, lightweight, and transparent synthetic plastic belonging to the polyester family. It is produced by the polymerization of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Because of its excellent barrier properties against moisture and gases, high impact resistance, and recyclability, it is the most widely used material for manufacturing beverage bottles, food containers, and synthetic fibers.

Explanation

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is the fundamental communication protocol of the World Wide Web, designed to enable the transfer of information between clients, such as web browsers, and servers. Operating at the application layer, it coordinates how web pages, images, and other resources are requested and delivered across the internet.

Explanation

The Leaning Temple of Huma, located in the village of Huma on the banks of the Mahanadi River near Sambalpur in Odisha, is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is worshipped here in the form of Lord Bimaleshwar. Built in the seventeenth century during the reign of the Chauhan kings of Sambalpur, it is highly renowned as one of the few leaning temples in the world, with the main sanctum, boundary walls, and surrounding smaller structures all tilting at different angles.

Explanation

The relationship between average total cost (ATC), average variable cost (AVC), and average fixed cost (AFC) is given by the formula:

ATC = AFC + AVC

By rearranging the terms, average fixed cost is calculated as:

AFC = ATC - AVC AFC = 2400 - 1700 = 700

Total fixed cost (TFC) is the product of average fixed cost and the total quantity produced (Q):

TFC = AFC × Q TFC = 700 × 75 = 52500

Explanation

Monetization of the fiscal deficit occurs when the government borrows directly from the central bank to fund its spending gap. To facilitate this, the central bank prints or creates fresh currency to purchase government debt securities. This direct injection of new currency into the banking system expands the monetary base, thereby increasing the overall money supply in the economy.

Explanation

Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in the chloroplasts of plants, which is essential for carrying out photosynthesis. It absorbs light energy from the sun and converts it into chemical energy, enabling plants to synthesize their own food from carbon dioxide and water. Non-green plants lack chlorophyll and are therefore unable to perform photosynthesis. Because they cannot produce their own food, these plants rely on alternative heterotrophic modes of nutrition, such as parasitism or saprophytism, to obtain nutrients from other organisms or organic matter.

Explanation

Melghat Tiger Reserve is located in the northern part of Amravati District in the state of Maharashtra. Established in 1973-74 under Project Tiger, it was among the first nine tiger reserves notified in India. The reserve is situated on the southern offshoot of the Satpura Hill Range, with the Tapti River flowing along its northern boundary.

Explanation

According to the lens formula, the relationship between focal length (f), object distance (u), and image distance (v) is:

1/f = 1/v - 1/u

By the Cartesian sign convention for a convex lens: Object distance, u = -12 cm = -0.12 m Image distance, v = +25 cm = +0.25 m

Substituting these values into the lens formula:

1/f = 1/0.25 - 1/(-0.12)

1/f = 4 + 8.33

1/f = 12.33 m⁻¹

The power of a lens (P) is the reciprocal of its focal length (f) when expressed in meters:

P = 1/f = 12.33 diopters

Explanation

The Reserve Bank of India acts as the lender of the last resort because it provides liquidity and financial assistance to commercial banks when they face a severe financial crisis and are unable to raise funds from other sources. By offering emergency loans and discounting bills of exchange during times of liquidity stress, the central bank prevents bank failures, safeguards the interests of depositors, and maintains overall stability in the financial system of the country.

Explanation

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark international environmental treaty adopted in 1987. It was specifically designed to protect the Earth's stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the global production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, primarily chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, and other related ozone-depleting chemicals.

Explanation

A sidereal year is the time required for the Earth to complete one full orbit around the Sun, measured relative to the fixed stars. Because it uses the distant, virtually motionless stars as a frame of reference, it represents the actual physical orbital period of the Earth, which is approximately 365.25636 days.

Explanation

The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama discovered the direct sea route to India in 1498, landing at Calicut on the Malabar Coast. Under the patronage of King Manuel I, this expedition established direct maritime trade relations between Europe and India, leading to the setting up of several Portuguese trading posts and fortresses along the Indian coastline.

Explanation

The Kargil War began in May 1999 when Pakistani troops and disguised militants infiltrated the Indian-controlled territory along the Line of Control in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. In response, the Indian military launched Operation Vijay to reclaim the occupied peaks. The intense armed conflict lasted for over two months, concluding on July 26, 1999, when Indian forces successfully evicted the infiltrators and restored the status quo ante bellum. This victory is commemorated annually in India as Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Explanation

Edwin Howard Armstrong was an American electrical engineer and inventor who developed frequency modulation (FM) radio in 1933. Prior to this development, radio broadcasts used amplitude modulation (AM), which was highly susceptible to atmospheric static and electrical interference. Armstrong solved this problem by modulating the frequency of the carrier wave rather than its amplitude, delivering clear, static-free, and high-fidelity sound. This breakthrough revolutionized radio transmission and laid the foundation for modern high-quality audio broadcasting.

Explanation

Interference is the phenomenon in which two or more coherent waves superpose to form a resultant wave, according to the principle of superposition. When these waves overlap, the net displacement at any point in space is the algebraic sum of the individual displacements of the waves. This interaction redistributes the wave energy, producing a pattern of alternating maxima, where the waves reinforce each other in phase (constructive superposition), and minima, where the waves cancel each other out of phase (destructive superposition).

Explanation

The acceleration due to gravity at a depth d below the surface of the Earth is given by:

g_d = g(1 - d/R)

where g is the acceleration due to gravity on the Earth's surface and R is the radius of the Earth.

At the centre of the Earth, the depth from the surface is equal to the radius of the Earth (d = R). Substituting this value into the equation yields:

g_d = g(1 - R/R) = g(1 - 1) = 0

Symmetrically, the gravitational pull from all directions of the Earth's mass cancels out at the exact center, resulting in zero net gravitational force and therefore zero acceleration due to gravity.

Explanation

CPI-M stands for the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It is a major political party in India that was formed in 1964 following a split within the Communist Party of India (CPI) due to ideological and political differences regarding the path of the communist movement in the country and its stance on international communist dynamics.

Explanation

The Secretary-General of the Rajya Sabha is the administrative head of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and is appointed by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. In the Indian order of precedence, the Secretary-General holds a rank and status equivalent to the Cabinet Secretary to the Government of India, who is the senior-most civil servant and administrative head of the executive branch. In this capacity, the Secretary-General acts as the principal advisor to the Chairman and the members of the House on all matters relating to parliamentary procedures, practices, and rules.

Explanation

The change in entropy (ΔS) of a thermodynamic system is defined by the formula:

ΔS = ΔQ / T

where ΔQ is the heat energy transferred to or from the system and T is the absolute temperature.

Since heat is a form of energy measured in joules (J) and temperature is measured in kelvin (K), the SI unit of entropy is joule per kelvin (J/K).

Explanation

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won the 2016 Formula One Rolex Australian Grand Prix held on 20 March 2016 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. Starting second on the grid behind his teammate, he managed to claim the victory after a race that was red-flagged due to a major accident in the early stages, leading the championship standings from the season-opening race.

Explanation

The book You are the Best Wife: A True Love Story is written by Ajay K Pandey. Published in 2015, this debut novel is an autobiographical account that details the author's real-life journey with his late wife, Bhavna. It chronicles their relationship starting from their college days, their efforts to overcome cultural and familial differences to get married, and her tragic, untimely demise due to illness. The narrative serves as a poignant tribute to his wife, exploring themes of unconditional love, resilience, and finding the strength to cope with immense personal loss.

Explanation

Article 51A of the Constitution of India specifies the Fundamental Duties of every citizen. These duties were incorporated into the Constitution under Part IV-A through the 42nd Amendment Act in 1976, based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee. Originally consisting of ten duties, an eleventh duty was added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act in 2002. These duties emphasize the moral and civic obligations of citizens to safeguard the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India, and to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood.