SSC CHSL Tier 1 2021 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

In the 2021 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Virat Kohli was named the One-Day International (ODI) Cricketer of the 2010s. This special award was instituted to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first ODI match, honoring one key player from each decade between 1971 and 2021. Kohli dominated the decade from 2010 to 2019, scoring over 11,000 runs in ODI cricket at an outstanding average of more than 60, including 42 centuries.

Explanation

Australia won the 7th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman in October and November 2021. Under the captaincy of Aaron Finch, Australia clinched their first-ever T20 World Cup title by winning the final match played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 14 November 2021.

Explanation

The book Méthode de nomenclature chimique (Method of Chemical Nomenclature) was published in 1787 by the French chemist Antoine Lavoisier, alongside Claude Louis Berthollet, Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau, and Antoine François de Fourcroy. This landmark publication established the first systematic, rational method for naming chemical substances based on their composition rather than arbitrary historical names. It served as a major cornerstone of the chemical revolution by introducing modern nomenclature rules still used today in modified forms.

Explanation

The Lata Mangeshkar Award was instituted by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in 1984. It is a national-level honor presented annually by the state's Department of Culture to recognize outstanding contributions and excellence in the field of music, particularly light music and playback singing. The award was named after the legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, who was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It carries a cash prize, a citation, and a shawl.

Explanation

R Muthukannammal is a veteran seventh-generation dancer of Sadhir, an ancient classical dance form of Tamil Nadu that is the precursor to modern Bharatanatyam. She is widely recognized as the last living practitioner of this traditional temple dance style and belongs to the hereditary Devadasi community associated with the Viralimalai Murugan Temple. In recognition of her exceptional contribution to preserving and teaching this rare art form, the Government of India honored her with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2022.

Explanation

In terrestrial ecosystems, the pyramid of biomass is upright, meaning the total dry weight of organisms decreases at each successive trophic level from the base to the top. Producers, such as green plants, capture solar energy to synthesize organic matter through photosynthesis, representing the primary source of organic material in the food chain. Because of this direct utilization of energy and the inevitable loss of energy and organic matter at each subsequent consumer level, producers possess the highest total biomass and consequently occupy the broad base of the pyramid.

Explanation

Dr. Narthaki Natraj is an eminent Indian classical dancer specializing in Bharatanatyam, particularly the Thanjavur-based Nayaki Bhava tradition under the discipleship of Guru K. P. Kittappa Pillai. In 2019, she was honored with the Padma Shri, making her the first transgender woman to receive India's fourth-highest civilian award. She has been widely acclaimed for her contributions to preserving, practicing, and propagating this classical dance style.

Explanation

The chemical formula CH₃CH₂Cl represents chloroethane, commonly known as ethyl chloride. It is a colorless, flammable gas or liquid with a low boiling point of 12.3 °C. Due to its high volatility and rapid vaporization at low temperatures, chloroethane is utilized as a blowing agent to expand polymers and generate the cellular structure in the production of foamed plastics.

Explanation

Rahul Dev Burman, affectionately and popularly known as Pancham Da, was an extraordinarily influential Indian music director who revolutionized Hindi film music. He pioneered the integration of global sounds into the Indian film industry, seamlessly blending Western genres such as rock, jazz, funk, and disco with classical Indian music. His innovative use of Western tunes, electronic instruments, and unique vocal arrangements transformed the soundscape of Bollywood, making him a pathbreaking composer of his era.

Explanation

Otto von Guericke (1602–1686) was a German physicist, engineer, and politician who made fundamental contributions to the study of pneumatics and atmospheric pressure. In 1650, he invented the first vacuum pump, which used a piston and cylinder with one-way valves to evacuate air from a sealed vessel. To demonstrate the immense force of atmospheric pressure and prove the existence of a vacuum, he conducted the famous Magdeburg hemispheres experiment in 1654, showing that teams of horses could not pull apart two copper hemispheres held together solely by the external air pressure.

Through his experiments, Guericke proposed that outer space is an absolute vacuum, challenging the Aristotelian belief that nature abhors a vacuum. He also succeeded in weighing air by comparing the weight of a vessel before and after evacuation. Furthermore, he constructed a large water barometer on the side of his house, observing that changes in atmospheric pressure correlated with changes in the weather, which enabled him to make early weather forecasts.

Explanation

The members of the class Phaeophyceae are commonly known as brown algae. They are primarily marine organisms that exhibit a range of colors from olive green to various shades of brown depending upon the concentration of the xanthophyll pigment, fucoxanthin, which masks the green color of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll c. They possess a multicellular structure and store food as complex carbohydrates, typically laminarin or mannitol.

Explanation

Jakhan Choto Chilam, which translates to When I Was Young, is an autobiographical memoir written in the Bengali language by the legendary filmmaker, author, and illustrator Satyajit Ray. Published in 1982, the book chronicles his childhood experiences and early life in Kolkata (then Calcutta).

In this memoir, Ray vividly describes his upbringing, his family home on Garpar Road, and his interactions with various family members and relatives, showcasing his remarkable memory and keen power of observation from an early age. He also designed the cover and provided the illustrations for the book himself.

Explanation

Ram Sahay Pandey is a renowned folk artist from the Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh who was conferred the Padma Shri in 2022 for his exemplary contribution to Art, specifically the traditional Bundeli folk dance. He dedicated his life to practicing, preserving, and popularizing the Rai dance, a vibrant folk dance of the Bundelkhand region. Through his organization, the Bundeli Lok Nritya Natya Kala Parishad, he succeeded in bringing international recognition and respectability to this traditional dance form.

Explanation

Pandit Ravi Shankar was a legendary Indian classical musician and composer who became the world's best-known exponent of the sitar. Born in 1920, he was a disciple of Allauddin Khan, the founder of the Maihar gharana. Through his collaborations with international artists like Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison of The Beatles, he successfully introduced traditional Indian instrumental music and the sitar to the Western world, earning numerous prestigious accolades including India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999, as well as multiple Grammy Awards.

Explanation

The Fifteenth Finance Commission of India was constituted by the President of India on November 27, 2017, under the chairmanship of N. K. Singh. Formed in accordance with Article 280 of the Constitution of India, the commission was tasked with providing recommendations for the devolution of taxes and other fiscal matters for the five-year period starting from April 1, 2020.

Explanation

Mirabai Chanu won India's first medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 by securing the silver medal in the women's 49 kg weightlifting category. She lifted a total weight of 202 kg, which included 87 kg in the snatch and an Olympic record-setting 115 kg in the clean and jerk. This achievement made her the second Indian weightlifter to win an Olympic medal, following Karnam Malleswari's bronze medal in 2000.

Explanation

Krishna Sobti's Hindi novel Dilo-Danish, originally published in 1993, was translated into English as The Heart Has its Reasons by Reema Anand and Meenakshi Swami. Set in early twentieth-century Delhi, the novel explores the complexities of love, family, and passion through its central characters, beautifully capturing the cultural and linguistic ethos of the era. The English translation of the book went on to win the prestigious Crossword Book Award in the Indian Language Fiction Translation category.

Explanation

Krishna Sobti was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1980 for her highly acclaimed epic novel Zindaginama, which beautifully portrays the life, culture, and communal harmony of rural Punjab in the pre-partition era.

Explanation

Five Point Someone, published in 2004, is the debut novel of Chetan Bhagat. It became extremely popular and was later adapted into the blockbuster Bollywood movie 3 Idiots.

Explanation

Rabies is a preventable viral disease most commonly transmitted to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected mammal. While domestic dogs are the most common carriers globally, other mammals, including monkeys, can also transmit the rabies virus through their saliva. When an infected monkey bites a human, the virus enters the tissue and travels along the nerves to the central nervous system, leading to progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord if prompt post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered.

Explanation

Mrinalini Sarabhai was a legendary Indian classical dancer, choreographer, and instructor who founded the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts in Ahmedabad. Known for her experimental and cross-cultural collaborations, she worked internationally and was honored by the Mexican Government in 1968 with a gold medal. This prestigious award was presented to her in recognition of her outstanding choreography for the Ballet Folklorico of Mexico, highlighting her immense global impact and artistic versatility beyond traditional Indian classical dance forms.

Explanation

Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakaram, popularly known as Vikku Vinayakaram, is an exceptionally acclaimed Indian percussionist who plays the ghatam, a traditional clay pot instrument of Carnatic music. He is credited with popularizing the ghatam globally, notably through his association with the Grammy Award-winning fusion band Shakti alongside John McLaughlin and L. Shankar. For his immense contributions to Indian classical music, he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2012 and the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in 2014.

Explanation

Arpinder Singh, an elite Indian triple jumper who won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 2021 for his achievements in athletics.

Explanation

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 70,560,000 km² or about 19.8% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west, and Australia to the east. This vast body of water plays a crucial role in global marine trade routes and significantly influences the monsoon climate systems of the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions.

Explanation

In September 2019, the Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) and Sa-Dhan, which are RBI-recognised Self-Regulatory Organisations for the microfinance sector, jointly launched the Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) in collaboration with the Finance Industry Development Council (FIDC). Launched at Sa-Dhan's 15th Annual National Conference, this code is sector-specific and entity-agnostic. It was established to bring uniform standards of customer conduct, transparency, and consumer protection across all diverse lending entities operating in the microcredit landscape, including banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), and microfinance institutions (MFIs).

Explanation

Ustad Zakir Hussain, the preeminent Indian tabla virtuoso, is the eldest son of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. Ustad Alla Rakha was a highly influential percussionist who popularized the classical instrument worldwide, particularly through his frequent collaborations with sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Zakir Hussain was rigorously trained by his father in the Punjab gharana style of tabla playing from a very young age, successfully carrying forward his father's illustrious musical legacy.

Explanation

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Other mosquitoes, such as Aedes and Culex, transmit different diseases like dengue and West Nile virus, respectively.

Explanation

The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award is the highest sporting honour in India, awarded by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. In 2021, Sunil Chhetri was conferred with this award in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contribution to Indian football. With this, he became the first-ever footballer in India to receive this prestigious national award. Sunil Chhetri is the captain of the Indian senior men's national football team and is widely recognized as one of the leading international goal-scorers among active players worldwide.

Explanation

The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) was launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry, and commercialization.

Explanation

Death Valley is located in the Mojave Desert of California and is famous for holding the world record for the highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth of 134°F (56.7°C), measured in July 1913.

Explanation

Lakshmi Shankar was a highly acclaimed Hindustani classical vocalist belonging to the Patiala Gharana. She initially began her artistic career in dance but switched to vocal music after recovering from a severe illness. She received her formal training in Hindustani classical music under Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan, a master of the Patiala Gharana. She was widely celebrated for her exquisite performances of khyal, thumri, and bhajan.

Explanation

An Unsuitable Boy is the autobiography of the Indian film director and producer Karan Johar, co-authored with Poonam Saxena and published in 2017. The book provides an honest account of his personal life, childhood memories, struggles with identity, relationships in Bollywood, and his professional journey in the film industry.

Explanation

Girija Devi was an eminent Indian classical vocalist representing the Banaras and Seniya gharanas. Widely acclaimed as the Queen of Thumri, she played a pioneering role in popularizing and elevating the status of thumri, a semi-classical genre of Hindustani music, along with other traditional styles like Kajri, Chaiti, and Hori. In recognition of her immense contributions to Indian classical music, she was honored with the Padma Shri in 1972, the Padma Bhushan in 1989, and the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, in 2016.

Explanation

The book 'Narcopolis' is the debut novel of the Indian poet and author Jeet Thayil, published in 2012. Set in Bombay during the 1970s and 1980s, the novel explores the dark underworld of the city, focusing on drug addiction, opium dens, and a shifting cultural landscape. The book received widespread critical acclaim, earning a spot on the shortlist for the 2012 Man Booker Prize and winning the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2013.

Explanation

Corn starch is a carbohydrate extracted from the endosperm of corn kernels, which is the nutrient-rich, starchy part of the grain. When heated in the presence of liquid, the starch granules undergo gelatinization, absorbing water and swelling to create a thick, smooth, and translucent texture. This property makes it an ideal and widely used thickening agent for culinary preparations like gravies, marinades, sauces, soups, and casseroles.

Explanation

The first linguistic state in India, Andhra State, was created on October 1, 1953, for the Telugu-speaking people of the Madras State following prolonged protests and the death of activist Potti Sreeramulu.

Explanation

The Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival is an annual festival organized by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation and is held in the month of January at the Soneri Mahal in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.

Explanation

Osteomalacia literally translates to soft bones and is a condition in adults characterized by the softening of the bones. This disease is most commonly caused by a deficiency in vitamin D, which is crucial for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body. Without sufficient vitamin D, the body cannot effectively mineralize the bone matrix, leading to weak and soft bones. This deficiency often arises from inadequate exposure to sunlight, dietary lack, or less commonly, from digestive or kidney diseases that interfere with the absorption or metabolism of vitamin D and essential minerals.

Explanation

Tanjore Balasaraswati was an iconic dancer and one of the foremost exponents of Bharatanatyam. Belonging to a traditional family of temple musicians and dancers, she played a revolutionary role in reviving, preserving, and popularizing Bharatanatyam on national and international platforms during the twentieth century. Her extraordinary command over abhinaya, representing the expressive aspect of dance, and her adherence to the traditional repertoire established her as a legendary figure in this classical dance form, earning her prestigious recognitions including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan.

Explanation

The 7th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup was played in the United Arab Emirates and Oman from 17 October to 14 November 2021. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India retained the hosting rights, the tournament was relocated and co-organized by the UAE and Oman due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation in India. The matches were staged across venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah in the UAE, as well as the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Al Amerat, Muscat.

Explanation

The bishop is one of the primary pieces used in the game of chess. Each player starts the game with two bishops, which are positioned between the knights and the king or queen. One bishop is placed on a light square and the other on a dark square. The bishop moves diagonally across any number of unoccupied squares on the board and is restricted to squares of its starting color for the entire duration of the game.

Explanation

Kumudini Lakhia is a legendary Kathak dancer and choreographer who is widely credited with revolutionizing contemporary Kathak dance by moving away from traditional solo formats to innovative group choreographies. She founded the Kadamb Centre for Dance in Ahmedabad in 1964, which became a premier institution for training in Kathak. In recognition of her immense contribution to Indian classical dance, she was awarded the Padma Shri in 1987 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010.

Explanation

The Krishna River originates in the Sahyadri Range, which is the local name for the Western Ghats in Maharashtra. The source of the river is located near the town of Mahabaleshwar in the Satara district of Maharashtra, situated at an elevation of approximately 1,300 meters. From this source in the Sahyadri Range, the river flows eastward for about 1,400 kilometers through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Explanation

Thetakudi Harihara Vinayakram, popularly known as Vikku Vinayakram, is a Grammy Award-winning Indian percussionist who is globally renowned for playing and popularising the ghatam, an earthen clay pot instrument used in Carnatic music. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2014 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2012 for his exceptional contributions to Indian classical music, notably for elevating the ghatam from a secondary accompaniment to a prominent, internationally recognised lead percussion instrument.

Explanation

My Life, My Music (published in 1968 as My Music, My Life) is the autobiography of the legendary Indian sitar virtuoso and composer, Pandit Ravi Shankar. In this memoir, he chronicles his journey from a young dancer in his brother Uday Shankar's troupe to becoming one of the most prominent exponents of Hindustani classical music globally. The book offers deep insights into his musical training under Ustad Allauddin Khan, his collaborations with western musicians like Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison, and also serves as an instructional guide on the art and history of playing the sitar.

Explanation

In the term pH, which measures the acidity or alkalinity of an aqueous solution, the lowercase letter p stands for the German word Potenz, meaning power or potency. The concept was introduced in 1909 by Danish biochemist Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen. In mathematical terms, pH is defined as the negative logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration:

pH = −log₁₀[H⁺]

This represents the power of 10 of the concentration of hydrogen ions in the solution, making Potenz the linguistically and scientifically accurate origin of the letter p in the pH scale.

Explanation

The striking circle, often referred to as the D-circle, is a boundary line used in field hockey. It is a semi-circular area with a radius of 14.63 meters marked around the opponent's goalpost. According to the rules of field hockey, an attacking player must strike the ball from inside this striking circle for a goal to be scored legally.

Explanation

Coriander powder is commonly adulterated with sawdust, which serves as a cheap filler to increase the total weight and volume of the spice. Because finely ground sawdust possesses a powdery texture and a brownish-yellow color similar to ground coriander seeds, it easily blends with the spice without being immediately visible to the naked eye.

A simple physical test to detect this adulteration involves sprinkling the powder onto water. While pure coriander powder absorbs water and settles at the bottom of the container, sawdust and other light impurities float on the water surface.

Explanation

Under Article 182 of the Constitution of India, the Legislative Council of a state chooses two of its members to be the Chairman and Deputy Chairman. Whenever the office of the Chairman becomes vacant, the Legislative Council elects another member from among themselves to fill the position. This ensures that the presiding officer of the Legislative Council is a representative chosen directly by the members of the house itself to maintain the independence of the legislature.

Explanation

Rajkumar Singhajit Singh is a highly distinguished exponent, choreographer, and guru of Manipuri dance, which is one of the classical dance forms of India. Over his long career, he has been widely recognized for his immense contribution to reviving and popularizing Manipuri dance both nationally and internationally. In recognition of his creative contributions and lifetime dedication to the art form, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri in 1986, and he has also been the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.