SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Jakhan Choto Chilam, which translates to When I was Young, is the autobiographical memoir written by the legendary filmmaker, illustrator, and author Satyajit Ray. Published in 1982, the book beautifully chronicles his childhood days in Calcutta, capturing the atmospheric essence of his early life, his family home, and his initial experiences with art and literature that shaped his later career.

Explanation

The Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India deals with the division of powers between the Union and the States. Article 246 of the Constitution specifies this distribution through three distinct lists: the Union List (List I) containing subjects of national importance on which only the Parliament can make laws, the State List (List II) containing subjects of local or state interest on which state legislatures have the power to make laws, and the Concurrent List (List III) containing subjects of common interest to both the Union and the States on which both levels of government can legislate.

Explanation

The Badminton World Federation awarded the hosting rights for the 2026 BWF World Championships to India. Scheduled to be held in New Delhi, this tournament marks the return of the prestigious global event to India for the first time since 2009, when it was hosted in Hyderabad.

Explanation

Shovana Narayan is an eminent Indian classical dancer of the Kathak dance form. She trained under the legendary Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj and belongs to the Lucknow Gharana. Known for her intense and expressive style, she has significantly contributed to the preservation, research, and popularization of Kathak globally. For her outstanding contributions to the classical dance form, she was honored with the Padma Shri in 1992 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1999–2000. She has also authored several books tracing the historical development of Indian classical dance.

Explanation

Anita Desai wrote the novel Clear Light of Day, which was published in 1980 and shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Set in Old Delhi, the novel explores the intricate dynamics, memories, and unresolved tensions within a middle-class family, specifically focusing on the relationship between two sisters, Bimla and Tara, against the backdrop of the Partition of India.

Explanation

The potential difference between two points in an electric circuit is defined as the amount of work done in moving a unit electric charge from one point to the other. Mathematically, this relation is expressed as:

V = W / Q

In this formula, V represents the potential difference measured in volts, W represents the work done in joules, and Q represents the electric charge in coulombs.

Explanation

Under the Prime Minister's Scheme for Mentoring Young Authors, known as the YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) scheme launched by the Ministry of Education in May 2021, selected young authors below the age of 30 receive a consolidated scholarship of ₹50,000 per month. This financial assistance is paid for a period of six months per author during the mentorship program to support them while they undergo training and prepare their manuscripts under the guidance of nominated mentors. The National Book Trust (NBT), India, serves as the implementing agency for this initiative.

Explanation

The island regions of Lakshadweep and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located close to the equator in the maritime zone of the Indian Ocean. Because of their near-equatorial location and the moderating influence of the surrounding seas, they experience a tropical warm climate. This climate is characterized by warm temperatures throughout the year, usually ranging between 22°C and 32°C, along with high levels of humidity and heavy precipitation received from both the Southwest and Northeast monsoons.

Explanation

Delhi: A Novel is a widely acclaimed historical novel written by the renowned Indian author and journalist Khushwant Singh. First published in 1990, the book took almost twenty-five years to complete. The narrative offers a vast, colorful, and highly stylized cultural biography of the city of Delhi, weaving together historical events, major historical figures across different eras, and a fictional storyline set in the contemporary era. It became a bestseller in India and remains one of Khushwant Singh's most famous literary works.

Explanation

Bageshwari Qamar is celebrated as India's first and only publicly well-known female shehnai player. Breaking into a traditional male bastion, she was trained by her father, Jagdish Prasad Qamar. She subsequently received advanced training from the legendary shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, under whose guidance she perfected the instrument and with whom she performed a renowned duet. She made her formal debut in 1983 and was crowned the Shehnai Queen.

Explanation

Manish Narwal is a prominent Indian para shooter who represents India in international shooting championships. He specializes in pistol shooting events, such as the P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SH1. He achieved widespread recognition by winning the gold medal in this category at the Tokyo Paralympics. Additionally, he has won multiple medals and set world records at the Para Shooting World Cups and the Asian Para Games.

Explanation

Kumari is a traditional form of shifting cultivation practiced in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats, primarily in states like Kerala and Karnataka. Shifting cultivation, also referred to as slash-and-burn agriculture, is a prime example of primitive subsistence farming. Under this system, small forest patches are cleared and cultivated using basic tools like hoes, daos, and digging sticks, and with the help of family or community labor. The farming is entirely dependent on the monsoon, natural soil fertility, and general environmental conditions, with the output meant almost exclusively for the self-sustenance of the farming household.

Explanation

The Promise is a novel by South African author Damon Galgut. It was awarded the 2021 Booker Prize, making Galgut the third South African novelist to win the prestigious literary award. The novel depicts the decline of a white South African family living on a farm near Pretoria over four decades, reflecting the transition of South Africa from the apartheid era to a multiracial democracy.

Explanation

Daniil Medvedev won the 2021 US Open men's tennis singles title by defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets (6-4, 6-4, 6-4) in the final on September 12, 2021, at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. This victory marked the first Grand Slam singles title of his career, making him the first Russian man to win a major singles tournament since 2005.

Explanation

Suresh Mukund, the director and choreographer of the renowned Indian dance crew Kings United, won the 10th Annual World Choreography Award 2020 in the TV Reality Show/Competition category. He received this prestigious recognition for his exceptional choreography on the American television reality show World of Dance. With this win, he became the first Indian choreographer to bag the award, which is widely celebrated as the Oscars of Dance. Previously, he also earned an Emmy Award nomination in 2019 under the category of Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for his phenomenal work.

Explanation

Credit money refers to currency where the monetary value (or face value) exceeds its commodity value (or intrinsic value). Under this system, the physical material of which the money is made, such as paper or base metals, has negligible market worth when compared to the value assigned to it for carrying out market transactions. This covers various modern instruments, including token coins, paper notes, and bank deposits, where the face value remains greater than the material's intrinsic value.

Explanation

In February 2022, the Sports Authority of India established a dedicated Para Centre under its National Centre of Excellence Scheme at the SAI Western Regional Centre in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The establishment of this centre was announced in the Parliament by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The Gandhinagar centre serves as a premier training facility for para-athletes, operating in key sports disciplines including athletics, swimming, powerlifting, and table tennis. Under this scheme, selected para-athletes are supported with expert coaches, advanced sports equipment, specialized sports kits, boarding and lodging, educational support, medical and insurance coverage, and a monthly stipend to prepare them for international events.

Explanation

The music treatise 'Man Kautuhal' was compiled under the patronage and direction of Raja Mansingh Tomar, the Tomar Rajput ruler of Gwalior who reigned from 1486 to 1516. He was a great patron of arts and music, particularly credited with the reorganization and popularization of the Dhrupad genre of Hindustani classical music. To make classical music accessible to a wider audience, Raja Mansingh Tomar brought together the finest musicians of his court to compile 'Man Kautuhal', which simplified traditional Sanskrit music traditions and incorporated songs in Hindi. This influential work was later translated into Persian under the title 'Raga Darpana' by Fakirullah during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Explanation

Species of Sphagnum, commonly known as peat moss, grow in waterlogged, acidic bog environments where the lack of oxygen severely slows down the rate of decomposition. Over thousands of years, the accumulation of this partially decayed organic plant matter compacts to form a carbon-rich substance called peat. Once harvested and dried, peat acts as an effective fossil-like fuel and has been traditionally burned for heating, cooking, and generating energy in various parts of the world.

Explanation

White blood cells (leukocytes) are characterized by an irregular, flexible, and dynamic amoeboid shape. This amoeboid nature allows them to alter their form constantly and perform amoeboid movement, which is essential for squeezing through the narrow gaps in capillary walls (diapedesis) to reach the sites of tissue injury or infection. Furthermore, they are nucleated eukaryotic cells possessing a highly distinctive, often lobed or segmented central nucleus enclosed by a prominent nuclear membrane. This structure and adaptability enable them to actively migrate toward, engulf, and destroy foreign pathogens through phagocytosis, forming a vital component of the body's immune defense system.

Explanation

Asafoetida, commonly known as hing, is an oleo-gum-resin obtained from the dried latex exuded from the living rhizome or thick, fleshy tap root of several perennial herb species belonging to the genus Ferula, which is part of the carrot family (Apiaceae). Just before the plant flowers, the upper part of the tap root is laid bare and cut close to the crown. A milky juice exudes from this cut surface, which subsequently dries and hardens upon exposure to the air. This dried resinous material is then scraped off, collected, and processed for culinary and medicinal uses.

Explanation

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma is widely credited with introducing the santoor, a traditional folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir, into the realm of Hindustani classical music. He modified the design and playing technique of the instrument, such as adding more strings and altering the shape of the wooden mallets, to sustain notes and play classical ragas effectively. His contributions elevated the santoor from a folk accompaniment to a highly respected solo classical instrument on the global stage.

Explanation

Under Article 263 of the Constitution of India, the President of India is empowered to establish an Inter-State Council if at any time it appears that the public interest would be served by its establishment. The President also defines the nature of the duties to be performed by the council, along with its organization and procedure, to facilitate coordination, cooperation, and the resolution of disputes between the Centre and the states or among the states themselves.

Explanation

Gracilaria is a genus of red algae (Rhodophyta) that is highly valued for its economic importance as a primary source of agar. Agar is a gelatinous substance consisting of polysaccharides (specifically agarose and agaropectin) extracted from the cell walls of certain species of red algae, known as agarophytes. It is widely used in microbiology as a solidifying agent for culture media, as well as in the food industry as a gelling agent, stabilizer, and thickener.

Explanation

Kathak is a classical dance form that originated in northern India, particularly in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word Katha, which translates to story, and Kathakar, which refers to a storyteller. The dance evolved during the Bhakti movement, primarily focusing on the childhood tales and legends of Lord Krishna and Radha, before transitioning into a highly sophisticated court dance under the patronage of northern Indian medieval rulers and Mughal emperors.

Explanation

Beach volleyball is a globally recognized modified version of the traditional indoor volleyball game. It originated as a recreational variation played on outdoor sand surfaces, sharing the core technical aspects of volleyball, including serving, passing, setting, and attacking. However, it incorporates several distinct modifications to suit the outdoor sand environment. These modifications include reducing the team size from six players to two players per side, playing on a slightly smaller sand court rather than a hard indoor court, utilizing a larger ball with lower internal pressure, and using a best-of-three sets scoring format.

Explanation

Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi, popularly known as M. S. Subbulakshmi, was a legendary Carnatic vocalist who became the first-ever musician to be awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1998. Widely regarded as the Queen of Carnatic Music, she was also the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1974 and the first Indian to perform at the United Nations General Assembly in 1966.

Explanation

The Elephanta Festival is an annual festival of classical music and dance held on Elephanta Island, located near Mumbai in Maharashtra. Organized by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, this cultural festival celebrates the rich heritage and art associated with the Elephanta Caves, which are a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the state.

Explanation

Shovana Narayan is a renowned Indian classical dancer who specializes in Kathak. She trained under the legendary Kathak maestro Birju Maharaj and has played a vital role in popularizing this classical dance form internationally. She is known for her expressive storytelling, technical precision, and innovative choreography. For her immense contributions to the enrichment and promotion of Kathak, she was conferred with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 1992.