SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Joseph Proust formulated the Law of Definite Proportions, also known as the Law of Constant Composition. Through his detailed experiments on substances such as copper carbonate, tin oxides, and iron sulfides, he established that a chemical compound always contains its constituent elements in a fixed and definite ratio by mass. His work, summarized in 1806, proved that the elemental composition of a pure chemical substance is completely independent of its source or method of preparation.

Explanation

Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma is universally credited with single-handedly bringing the santoor—originally an obscure hundred-stringed Kashmiri folk instrument primarily used in Sufiana Mausiqi—to the global classical music concert stage. He meticulously modified the structural design of the instrument, altering the arrangement of strings and bridges to expand its melodic range and facilitate the meend (continuous glides between notes) essential for playing Hindustani classical ragas. Through his pioneering efforts, innovative playing techniques using light wooden mallets, and lifelong dedication, he elevated the status of the santoor from a regional accompaniment instrument to a prestigious and widely celebrated solo classical instrument.

Explanation

Article 15 of the Constitution of India secures citizens against arbitrary discrimination by the State. Specifically, Article 15(1) explicitly mandates that the State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. This provision is a cornerstone of the Right to Equality, aiming to foster an inclusive and egalitarian society by preventing discrimination in both state actions and access to public places.

Explanation

E.M. Subramaniam was an acclaimed Carnatic classical percussionist and master exponent of the ghatam, an ancient clay pot instrument from South India. Born into a musical family, he received his initial training in percussion under the guidance of his father, the celebrated mridangam exponent Mahadeva Iyer. He went on to achieve great distinction in the Carnatic classical tradition, accompanying legendary vocalists and instrumentalists. He also shared his extensive knowledge as a faculty member at the Tamil Nadu Government Music College in Chennai, contributing significantly to training the next generation of ghatam players.

Explanation

Pandit Ravi Shankar was an iconic Indian musician and a world-renowned sitar virtuoso. He was a leading proponent of Hindustani classical instrumental music, belonging to the Maihar gharana. He played a monumental role in introducing and popularizing Indian classical instrumental music and the sitar to the Western world through his high-profile collaborations with international artists like violinist Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles. For his unparalleled contributions to the field of classical music, he was honored with India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.

Explanation

Borra Caves are naturally occurring limestone caves located in the Ananthagiri Hills of the Araku Valley in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh, India. These caves are famous for their magnificent karst topography, which was formed over millions of years by the action of the Gosthani River flowing over the limestone deposits. The water, containing humic acid, dissolved the calcium carbonate in the limestone, gradually carving out the subterranean channels and creating stunning speleothem formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. Discovered in 1807 by British geologist William King, these caves are among the deepest and largest of their kind in India.

Explanation

Jayaprabha Menon, an eminent Mohiniyattam exponent and director of the International Academy of Mohiniyattam in New Delhi, was conferred the Devadasi National Award in 2013. Instituted by the Devadasi National Dance Festival Committee in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, this prestigious national honor was presented to her for her outstanding contributions, achievements, and dedication to the enrichment and promotion of the classical dance form Mohiniyattam.

Explanation

Dev Anand, one of the most celebrated and evergreen actors of Hindi cinema, penned his autobiography titled Romancing with Life. Published in 2007, the memoir provides a candid and vivid account of his illustrious career spanning over six decades, his personal relationships, his passion for filmmaking, and his thoughts on life. The book beautifully captures his signature infectious optimism and zest for life, which defined his persona both on and off the screen.

Explanation

Nitromethane is the simplest organic nitro compound. It is composed of a single methyl group (CH₃) covalently bonded to a nitro functional group (-NO₂). Substituting one hydrogen atom in methane (CH₄) with a nitro group yields its chemical formula, CH₃NO₂.

Explanation

The Road Ahead is a book written by Bill Gates, co-authored with Nathan Myhrvold and Peter Rinearson, and published in 1995. In this book, Gates reflects on his journey of building Microsoft, details the personal computer revolution, and outlines his vision for the future of technology, specifically forecasting how the global information superhighway would transform daily life, business, and communication.

Explanation

Funaria is a genus of common mosses belonging to the division Bryophyta. It is widely distributed across various terrestrial environments. The gametophyte of Funaria is characterized by an erect, leafy axis bearing spirally arranged, small, flattened leaf-like structures. It anchors itself to the soil or substrate using slender, multicellular, branched rhizoids that perform root-like functions of absorption and anchorage. In its reproductive phase, the mature sporophyte features a capsule equipped with a specialized structure called the peristome. The peristome consists of hygroscopic teeth that regulate the gradual and efficient dispersal of spores into the atmosphere depending on humidity levels.

Explanation

Dharmendra Pradhan served as the Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas from 2014 to 2021, and additionally assumed charge of the Ministry of Steel from May 2019 to July 2021. Following a cabinet reshuffle on 7 July 2021, he was appointed as the Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Explanation

Nishant Singh is the youngest recipient of the prestigious Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award (Flex Award) in the field of the Indian classical percussion instrument, the Pakhawaj. A prominent Pakhawaj player belonging to the Bengal Parampara of the Lala Keval Kishan Gharana, he joined the Ali Akbar College of Music in California, USA, for his research. His research work, conducted under the guidance of the eminent tabla maestro Padma Shri Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, focuses on exploring the historical links between the Pakhawaj tradition of Bengal and the Lucknow Gharana of Tabla to retrieve and popularize forgotten compositions.

Explanation

Jane Austen is the author of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice, which was first published in 1813. The novel is one of the most famous works of English literature, centering on the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, while masterfully critiquing the British gentry, marriage, and social status of the Regency era.

Explanation

I Am No Messiah is the autobiography of the Indian actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood, co-written with journalist and author Meena K. Iyer. Published in December 2020, the book recounts Sood's personal experiences and emotional challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. It specifically highlights his extensive humanitarian work in assisting thousands of stranded migrant workers, students, and other individuals to reach their homes safely during the national lockdowns in India.

Explanation

Kiran Desai wrote the critically acclaimed novel 'The Inheritance of Loss', which was published in 2006. The book explores themes of colonialism, identity, migration, and globalization, set against the backdrop of the Gorkhaland movement in Kalimpong in the mid-1980s. The novel won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 2006, making Kiran Desai the youngest woman at that time to win the award. It also won the National Book Critics Circle Fiction Award, establishing it as a landmark work in contemporary Indian English literature.

Explanation

The Indian men's hockey team won the bronze medal at the Men's Asian Champions Trophy held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in December 2021. In a thrilling third-place play-off match on December 22, 2021, India defeated their arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 to secure the podium finish. Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Varun Kumar, and Akashdeep Singh scored the crucial goals for India to seal the victory.

Explanation

Fiduciary money is a type of money that functions as a medium of exchange based on the trust and confidence between the payer and the payee. The term fiduciary originates from the Latin word fiducia, meaning trust or confidence. It does not possess intrinsic value, nor is it legally mandated by a government to be accepted for payments. Instead, its acceptance depends entirely on the mutual agreement and credibility of the parties involved in the transaction. Common examples of fiduciary money include cheques, bank drafts, and promissory notes, which are accepted for transactions solely because the payee trusts that the payer has sufficient backing to honor the instrument.

Explanation

Archery is a sport that involves using a bow to shoot arrows at a target. The primary goal is to launch the arrows as accurately as possible to hit the center of a circular target, scoring points based on where the arrow lands. The fundamental equipment of the sport consists of the bow and the arrows.

Explanation

Pandit Rajeev Janardan is an eminent Indian classical musician celebrated as a master of the sitar and surbahar. He is a prominent representative of the Imdadkhani Etawah Gharana, a school of Hindustani classical music renowned for its rich legacy of sitar performance. Trained under legendary gurus like Pandit Bimalendu Mukherjee and Pandit Arvind Parikh, his playing style seamlessly integrates the vocal style known as Gayaki Ang and the instrumental style known as Tantra Ang on the sitar.

Explanation

Pandit Tulsidas Vasant Borkar was an illustrious Indian composer and legendary master of the harmonium. Renowned for both his solo performances and his accompaniment in Hindustani classical music, he pioneered significant technical improvements to the design and tuning of the harmonium. In recognition of his immense contributions to classical music, the Government of India conferred upon him the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2005 and the prestigious Padma Shri in 2016.

Explanation

On 16 February 2021, the President of India directed that Dr. Kiran Bedi cease to hold the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. Consequently, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, then serving as the Governor of Telangana, was appointed to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry in addition to her own duties. She was sworn in as the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Puducherry on 18 February 2021 by the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Sanjib Banerjee.

Explanation

Ustad Zakir Hussain, the globally acclaimed tabla virtuoso and composer, was the first Indian musician invited by the then US President Barack Obama to perform at the prestigious International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert. The landmark event took place at the White House on April 29, 2016, and brought together celebrated jazz and world music artists from across the globe. Zakir Hussain's participation in this concert represented a major milestone, showcasing the rich tradition of Indian classical music on a prominent international stage.

Explanation

Aqua regia is a highly corrosive mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) and concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃) prepared in a volume ratio of 3:1. This powerful acidic solution is capable of dissolving noble metals such as gold and platinum due to the synergistic action of the acids, which produce free chlorine and nitrosyl chloride that attack the unreactive metals.

Explanation

The classical singer Maithili Thakur and young pianist Lydian Nadhaswaram were honored with the eighth edition of the Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards in the year 2021. The awards were presented to them at the Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi by the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur. Instituted by the Lokmat Media Group in memory of the late Smt. Jyotsna Darda, the Sur Jyotsna National Music Awards are dedicated to identifying, encouraging, and recognizing budding young musical talents across India in classical and popular music categories.

Explanation

Chloroform is an organic compound with the chemical formula CHCl₃. It has a melting point of approximately 209 K (or -63.5 °C) and a boiling point of about 334 K (61.2 °C). It is a colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid that is widely used as a solvent in laboratory and industrial processes, and was historically utilized as an inhalant anesthetic.

Explanation

PV Sindhu finished as the runner-up in the women's singles category at the Yonex Swiss Open 2021, held in Basel, Switzerland. She reached the summit clash but lost the final to Spain's Carolina Marin in straight games with a scoreline of 21-12, 21-5, securing the silver medal in the tournament.

Explanation

R Muthukannammal is a seventh-generation veteran Sadir dancer from Tamil Nadu who was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2022 for her exceptional contributions to the field of art. She is renowned as the last living practitioner of Sadir, a traditional temple dance form of South India that serves as the precursor to modern Bharatanatyam. Her dedication has been instrumental in preserving this ancient heritage.

Explanation

The Jhaveri sisters, namely Nayana, Ranjana, Suverna, and Darshana Jhaveri, are internationally acclaimed classical dancers synonymous with the Manipuri dance form. Trained under the legendary guru Bipin Singh, they played a pioneering role in transitioning this traditional, temple-based art form from Manipur to the metropolitan stage. Together, they founded the Manipuri Nartanalaya to preserve, perform, and propagate the rich cultural heritage and intricate techniques of Manipuri dance globally.

Explanation

The Northern Plains of India are formed by the deposition of fertile alluvial soil brought down by three major Himalayan river systems: the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra, along with their numerous tributaries. These rivers originate in the high Himalayas and carry vast amounts of silt and sediment. As they enter the gentler slopes of the plains, their velocity decreases, leading to the deposition of this alluvium in the deep foreland basin located at the foothills of the Himalayas, creating one of the most fertile and densely populated agricultural regions in the world.

Explanation

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), commonly known as caustic soda, is a highly versatile inorganic compound with diverse industrial applications. In soap making, it acts as a strong base for the saponification of fats and oils. In the textile industry, it is used to purify cellulose during the manufacture of rayon. The pulp and paper industry relies on it for chemical wood pulping. It is also an essential reactant in the chemical synthesis of dyes and explosives, and is used in petroleum refining to remove acidic impurities.

Explanation

Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi was born on February 4, 1922, in Ron, located in the Gadag district of Karnataka. He was one of the most celebrated Indian classical vocalists and belonged to the prestigious Kirana gharana of Hindustani classical music. Renowned for his powerful voice, precise pitch, and emotive performances, he mastered the khayal form of singing and was highly acclaimed for his rendering of devotional music, including bhajans and abhangs. For his extraordinary contributions to Indian classical music, he was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 2008.

Explanation

In August 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government officially adopted the sport of wrestling in India and committed to providing financial support to the Wrestling Federation of India till the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. This initiative, inspired by Odisha's successful sponsorship of Indian hockey, involves an investment of ₹170 crore to improve infrastructure, fund training, and support cadet and junior-level wrestlers to nurture talent at the grassroots level.

Explanation

Ananda Shankar Jayant is an acclaimed Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and scholar widely recognized for her mastery of Bharatanatyam. She received her rigorous training in Bharatanatyam from the prestigious Kalakshetra academy in Chennai and has performed extensively in prominent dance festivals across India and globally. For her outstanding contributions to the field of classical dance, the Government of India conferred upon her the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, in 2007. She was also honored with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009 specifically for her contributions to Bharatanatyam.

Explanation

Beta-carotene is an organic, strongly colored red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits, particularly carrots, sweet potatoes, and other colorful vegetables. It belongs to the carotenoid family and serves as a major precursor to vitamin A in the human body. As a powerful antioxidant, beta-carotene plays a crucial role in neutralizing free radicals, thereby protecting cellular components from oxidative damage. This protective action is highly beneficial for maintaining optimal cognitive function, skin integrity, respiratory health, and vision.

Explanation

Waiting for a Visa is a short autobiographical book written by Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the period 1935–36. The work consists of a collection of his personal experiences and reminiscences documenting his struggles with untouchability and caste discrimination, starting from his childhood. It is also used as a textbook at Columbia University to educate students on the social realities of caste in India.

Explanation

Haleem Khan is a prominent Indian classical dancer, actor, and performer who is widely recognized for his mastery in Kuchipudi, a traditional dance form originating from Andhra Pradesh. He began training at a young age under Guru Sri K.V. Subrahmanyam, who was a disciple of the legendary Kuchipudi exponent Guru Sri Vempati Chinna Satyam. Haleem Khan is particularly celebrated for keeping alive the traditional Kuchipudi art of Stree Vesham (female impersonation), earning accolades for his grace, expressions, and fluidity in portraying female characters. He has conducted hundreds of solo and group performances as well as workshops globally, significantly contributing to the contemporary promotion of Kuchipudi.

Explanation

Lassaigne's test, also known as the sodium fusion test, is a qualitative chemical analysis technique used to detect elements like nitrogen, sulfur, and halogens in organic compounds. Because these elements are covalently bonded to carbon, they cannot be directly detected using standard ionic reagents. Fusing the organic compound with highly reactive sodium metal breaks these covalent bonds and converts the elements into water-soluble sodium salts, such as sodium cyanide (NaCN), sodium sulfide (Na₂S), and sodium halides (NaX). These resulting ionic compounds can then be easily identified using standard qualitative inorganic reactions.

Explanation

The Public Accounts Committee is a standing parliamentary committee in India that is constituted every year. It consists of 22 members, out of which 15 are elected from the Lok Sabha and 7 are from the Rajya Sabha. The members are elected from amongst the members of Parliament according to the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote, and they hold office for a term of one year.

Explanation

Guru Makar Dhwaja Darogha (1933–2014) was an eminent classical dancer and guru, highly celebrated for his mastery and outstanding contributions to Chhau dance, specifically the Seraikela style. Seraikela Chhau is a traditional masked dance form from the Jharkhand region that combines elements of martial arts, folklore, and athletics. For his lifelong dedication to performing, preserving, and teaching this art form to both Indian and international students, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 2011, the country's fourth-highest civilian award.

Explanation

Charles Elton, a pioneering English ecologist, introduced the concept of the pyramid of numbers in his seminal 1927 book Animal Ecology. He observed that in most ecosystems, the number of individual organisms decreases at each successive trophic level, starting from the numerous producers at the base to the fewer primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers above them. This graphic representation of the numerical relationships between different trophic levels is often referred to as the Eltonian pyramid, which laid the foundational groundwork for modern food web and ecosystem ecology.

Explanation

Column chromatography is an analytical and preparative separation technique used to purify mixtures and isolate specific components or impurities from complex substances like milk. Milk is a complex colloidal mixture containing fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and potential contaminants. During column chromatography, the milk sample is introduced into a column containing a stationary phase. As a mobile phase passes through, different chemical constituents and impurities interact uniquely with the stationary phase based on their polarity, size, or charge. This causes the individual substances to travel through the column at different rates, effectively separating the impurities from the rest of the milk components.

Explanation

Shantaram is a 2003 novel written by the Australian author Gregory David Roberts. The story is heavily influenced by his own real-life experiences as an escaped convict from an Australian prison who fled to India and spent a decade living in the slums and underworld of Mumbai during the 1980s. The thriller novel chronicles his life in the city, including his time setting up a free health clinic in the slums, his involvement with the local mafia, and his deep connection with the local community.

Explanation

Kishori Amonkar was one of the most eminent Indian classical vocalists of the twentieth century, belonging to the Jaipur gharana of music. She was highly celebrated for her mastery of khyal, a major genre of Hindustani classical vocals, as well as light classical genres like thumri and bhajan. For her exceptional contributions to Indian classical music, she was honored with several prestigious accolades, including the Padma Bhushan in 1987 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2002.

Explanation

The Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) scheme was launched on July 29, 2021, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to commemorate the first anniversary of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Governed by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the ABC functions as a digital credit repository that stores academic credits earned by students from recognized higher education institutions. It enables seamless credit accumulation, transfer, and redemption to facilitate flexible and student-centric academic mobility across universities in India.

Explanation

According to the Rural Health Statistics 2019-20, as of March 31, 2020, there were a total of 30,813 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) functioning across India (consisting of 24,918 in rural areas and 5,895 in urban areas). Although the question specifies rural areas, 30,813 is the accepted correct answer representing the total number of PHCs.

Explanation

A direct tax is a type of tax where both the liability to pay and the actual economic burden fall on the very same person or entity. In public finance, the legal liability is called the impact of the tax, and the ultimate financial burden is called the incidence of the tax. For direct taxes, the taxpayer cannot shift this burden to anyone else, meaning the impact and the incidence lie on the exact same person upon whom the tax is legally imposed.

Explanation

Mrinalini Vikram Sarabhai was a legendary classical dancer, choreographer, and instructor who made profound contributions to Bharatanatyam and Kathakali. Throughout her illustrious career, she was honoured with numerous prestigious national accolades for her pioneering work in the arts, but she was never conferred with the Padma Vibhushan.

Explanation

According to Ohm's law, the current flowing through a conductor is inversely proportional to its resistance, assuming the potential difference remains constant. This relation is given by the formula:

I = V/R

where I is the current, V is the voltage, and R is the resistance.

When the resistance is doubled to 2R, the new current I' becomes:

I' = V / (2R) = ½ × (V/R) = ½ I

This directly reduces the current to half of its original value.

Explanation

The National Song of India, Vande Mataram, was composed by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. He wrote the poem in the 1870s, which was later included in his highly influential Bengali novel Anandamath, published in 1882. Written in a mixture of Sanskrit and Bengali, the song is an ode to the motherland personified as a goddess. It served as a powerful rallying cry for freedom fighters during the Indian independence movement. On January 24, 1950, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted its first two stanzas as the official National Song of India.