SSC CHSL Tier 1 2022 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Sesamoids are a type of bone, not a muscle. A sesamoid bone is a small, nodular bone embedded within a tendon or a joint capsule, with the most prominent example being the patella (kneecap). These bones function to modify pressure, reduce friction, and alter the direction of muscle pull.

Explanation

Indira Gandhi served as the first female Prime Minister of India and is widely referred to as the Iron Lady of India due to her strong-willed leadership, decisive decision-making, and firm governance. Her bold stance during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh, and her uncompromising approach to national security and political administration cemented this reputation.

Explanation

The ancient kingdom of Magadha, situated in the southern part of modern-day Bihar, was bounded by the Ganga river in the north and the Son river in the west. These rivers were crucial for the region as they provided a continuous water supply, made the land highly fertile for agriculture, and served as vital routes for trade and transport. The strategic confluence of the Ganga and Son rivers also marked the location of Pataliputra, which served as the prosperous capital of the Magadha empire.

Explanation

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released the draft Drug, Medical Devices and Cosmetics Bill, 2022, to replace the pre-independence era Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The draft bill aims to regulate the import, manufacture, distribution, and sale of drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics, ensuring their safety, efficacy, and quality standards across the country. It introduces a comprehensive regulatory framework specifically for medical devices, treating them as a distinct category separate from drugs, and proposes the creation of a Medical Devices Technical Advisory Board to advise the government on technical matters.

Explanation

A dot matrix printer is classified as a character printer because it prints a single character at a time. It operates by using a print head containing a matrix of pins that strike an ink-soaked ribbon against the paper, forming characters from a series of dots as the head moves horizontally across the page.

Explanation

Reverse osmosis is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. In this process, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, forcing water to flow from a highly concentrated solute region through the membrane to a low concentration region. The semipermeable membrane has extremely tiny pores that allow only water molecules to pass through while blocking dissolved salts, organics, bacteria, and other contaminants, thereby effectively purifying the water.

Explanation

Bankruptcy is a formal legal status and declaration of an individual or entity that is unable to repay its outstanding debts to creditors. This legal process is initiated through a court order, which is typically requested by the debtor or on behalf of their creditors. It provides a structured framework to resolve the unpaid debts, often involving the liquidation of the debtor's assets to distribute the proceeds among creditors, or the formulation of a court-supervised debt reorganization and repayment plan, offering the debtor a fresh financial start.

Explanation

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that physically links billions of devices worldwide. It consists of an extensive physical infrastructure of fiber-optic cables, copper wires, satellites, routers, and switches that enables data communication and transfer across countries and continents, forming the largest wide area network in existence.

Explanation

Justice Leila Seth was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on 5 August 1991, making her the first woman to hold the position of Chief Justice of a state High Court in India. Earlier in her career, she also became the first woman judge of the Delhi High Court in 1978.

Explanation

Bihu songs, locally known as Bihu Geet, are the most distinctive and celebrated folk songs of Assam, closely associated with the state's most important festival, Bihu. These songs are characterized by themes of love, youth, nature, and the agrarian lifestyle of the Assamese people. Traditionally, they are performed alongside energetic Bihu dances and are accompanied by indigenous musical instruments such as the dhol, pepa, gogona, and taal, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and vibrant rural life of the Brahmaputra valley.

Explanation

Article 14 of the Indian Constitution guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons within the territory of India. It ensures that the state shall not deny to any person, whether a citizen or a foreigner, equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws, establishing the rule of law as a basic feature of the constitution.

Explanation

The Special Marriage Act was enacted by the Parliament of India in 1954. It provides a special form of marriage for citizens of India and all Indian nationals in foreign countries, irrespective of the religion or faith followed by either party. The Act replaced the earlier Special Marriage Act of 1872 to establish a secular legal framework for civil marriages, registration of marriages, and divorce.

Explanation

Government securities are debt instruments issued by the government to borrow money. Statement I is correct because these securities are tradeable instruments that can be issued by both the Central Government and the State Governments. While the Central Government can issue both short-term treasury bills and long-term dated securities, State Governments can issue only long-term dated securities called State Development Loans. Statement II is correct because government securities carry a sovereign guarantee, meaning there is virtually no risk of default on interest and principal repayments. Because of this high safety profile, they are traditionally referred to as risk-free gilt-edged instruments.

Explanation

The Government of India Act of 1935 introduced provincial autonomy by abolishing the system of diarchy in the provinces and establishing it at the Centre. This Act allowed the provinces to function as autonomous units of administration within their defined spheres. It ushered in responsible government in the provinces, requiring the Governor to act on the advice of ministers who were answerable to the provincial legislature. This system of provincial autonomy was successfully implemented in 1937.

Explanation

Mirabai Chanu won India's first gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham by winning the women's 49 kg weightlifting event with a total lift of 201 kg. Sanket Sargar won the silver medal in the men's 55 kg weightlifting category, which makes the first statement incorrect and the second statement correct.

Explanation

The withdrawal or the retreat of the southwest monsoon is a gradual process that begins in the north-western states of India, specifically over western Rajasthan, by early September. As the Sun shifts southward, the low-pressure trough over the northern plains weakens and is gradually replaced by a high-pressure system. Since the north-western region is located furthest from the oceans and experiences a rapid decline in temperature and humidity, the monsoon winds start retreating from this area first.

Explanation

Karnam Malleswari won the bronze medal in the women's 69 kg weightlifting category at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney by lifting a total weight of 240 kg, which included 110 kg in snatch and 130 kg in clean and jerk. This historic achievement made her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.

Explanation

Chikal Kalo is a unique traditional monsoon mud festival celebrated in Goa, primarily in the village of Marcel. Held during the monsoon season, typically in the Hindu calendar month of Ashadh, the festival is dedicated to Lord Krishna and celebrates his mischievous childhood. Devotees oil themselves before gathering to play various traditional games in the slush and mud, recreating the playful spirit of Lord Krishna and his cowherd friends.

Explanation

Pair I is incorrect because the term penalty kick is associated with association football, where a player kicks the ball directly at the goal from the penalty spot. In handball, players are not allowed to kick the ball, and the corresponding restart of play is called a penalty throw or 7-meter throw.

Pair II is incorrect because Greco-Roman is a style of international wrestling where competitors are forbidden from grabbing the opponent below the waist or using their legs to trip or hold. Boxing, on the other hand, is a combat sport centered solely on striking with gloved fists.

Explanation

Operation Ganga was an evacuation mission launched by the Government of India in February 2022 to safely bring back Indian citizens, primarily students, who were stranded in Ukraine following the military conflict with Russia. Since Ukraine's airspace was closed to civilian aircraft, the evacuation was coordinated by land transport through neighboring countries, including Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, and Moldova, from where flights transported citizens back to India.

Explanation

Joanna Scanlan won the Best Actress in a Leading Role award at the 75th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) ceremony, which took place on March 13, 2022. She received this recognition for her powerful performance as Mary Hussain in the drama film After Love, directed by Aleem Khan.

Explanation

The Rolling Plan was introduced by the Janata Party government in 1978, which terminated the Fifth Five-Year Plan one year ahead of its scheduled completion. This plan was operational between 1978 and 1980, after which the incoming Congress government launched the official Sixth Five-Year Plan for the period 1980–1985.

The Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961) is widely known as the Mahalanobis Plan because it was based on the economic development model formulated by the statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. This model prioritized rapid industrialization with a major emphasis on the development of basic and heavy industries.

Explanation

Bangladesh won the SAFF Women's Championship 2022 by defeating the host country Nepal 3-1 in the final match held at the Dasharath Rangasala Stadium in Kathmandu, Nepal. This victory marked the historic maiden SAFF Women's Championship title for the Bangladesh national women's football team.

Explanation

Hawa Mahal, also known as the Palace of Winds, is a pyramid-shaped palace located in Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and designed by architect Lal Chand Ustad, this five-storey monument is constructed from red and pink sandstone. It features 953 small casements called jharokhas, decorated with intricate latticework, which allowed cool air to circulate through the structure while enabling royal women to observe daily street life and processions without being seen from the outside.

Explanation

Arjun Munda assumed office as the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs in May 2019 and continued to serve in this capacity through October 2022. As the head of this ministry, he was responsible for the overall policy, planning, and coordination of programs aimed at the socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in India. He is a prominent leader from Jharkhand and has also served as the Chief Minister of that state.

Explanation

Banabhatta was the court poet of the emperor Harshavardhana, who ruled northern India during the seventh century CE. He authored the Harshacharita, which is the oldest surviving royal biography in Sanskrit literature. The text offers a detailed historical account of the life, ancestry, and military achievements of King Harshavardhana, presenting valuable insights into the political and social conditions of the Vardhana dynasty.

Explanation

A speaker functions as an electroacoustic transducer that converts electrical analog signals received from a computer's sound card into audible sound waves. The sound card translates digital audio data from the computer into electrical currents, which the speaker's internal electromagnet and diaphragm use to create vibrations in the air, resulting in the sound heard by the user.

Explanation

Offside is a fundamental rule in football that limits how far forward attacking players can be when the ball is passed to them. Specifically, a player is caught offside if they are nearer to the opponent's goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent at the moment the ball is played. Par is a standard scoring term in golf that represents the predetermined number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need to complete a single hole or an entire round.

Explanation

Article 14 of the Constitution of India guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons, whether citizens or foreigners, within the territory of India. This fundamental right, situated in Part III of the Constitution, ensures that every individual is subject to the ordinary law of the land and prohibits arbitrary discrimination by the State.

Explanation

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the implementing agency for the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 scheme. This integrated nutrition support programme was launched to address the challenges of malnutrition among children under six years, adolescent girls, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. It consolidates the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, and National Creche Scheme to optimize delivery, leverage technology for monitoring, and strengthen Anganwadi infrastructure into high-quality Saksham Anganwadis.

Explanation

Plant cells possess a rigid, outer protective layer surrounding the cell membrane called the cell wall. This structure is primarily composed of cellulose and provides mechanical support, structural integrity, and protection against mechanical stress and osmotic pressure, which is a characteristic feature absent in animal cells.

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

The ICL 2900 series is a line of mainframe computers introduced by the British company International Computers Limited (ICL) in 1974. It is classified as a third-generation computer system because its architecture is based on Integrated Circuits (ICs) rather than the Microprocessors and Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology that define fourth-generation computers.

Explanation

The Tapi River basin covers a total area of approximately 65,145 square kilometers, spanning across the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. The major portion of the basin, nearly 79%, lies in the state of Maharashtra, draining districts such as Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Amravati, and Nashik before the river flows into Gujarat and empties into the Arabian Sea near Surat.

Explanation

The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme is a credit-linked subsidy programme administered by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Launched in 2008 by merging the Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana and the Rural Employment Generation Programme, it aims to generate continuous and sustainable self-employment opportunities in rural and urban areas of the country. At the national level, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, a statutory organization under the administrative control of the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, acts as the single nodal agency for implementing the scheme.

Explanation

The regional division of the Himalayas is demarcated by river valleys from west to east. The Kumaon Himalayas lie between the Satluj and Kali rivers, making the first statement correct. The Nepal Himalayas lie between the Kali and Teesta rivers, whereas the region lying between the Teesta and Dihang rivers is known as the Assam Himalayas, making the second statement incorrect.

Explanation

According to Charles's law, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature at constant pressure, which can be represented as V ∝ T. When air is heated, the kinetic energy of its molecules increases, causing them to move faster and spread further apart. This causes the air to expand and occupy a larger volume, making statement I correct. Because density is defined as mass divided by volume (ρ = m/V), this expansion of a constant mass of air over a larger volume results in a decrease in its density. Consequently, heated air becomes lighter and rises, which makes statement II incorrect.

Explanation

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), enacted in 2005, is a landmark social security legislation that guarantees the right to work in rural India. Under this scheme, at least one adult member of every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work is legally entitled to a minimum of 100 days of guaranteed wage employment in a financial year. This provision aims to enhance livelihood security and reduce distress migration in rural areas.

Explanation

India's first unique Open Rock Museum was inaugurated at the CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute campus in Hyderabad in January 2022. The museum displays around 35 different types of rocks sourced from various parts of the country, representing Earth's history with ages ranging from 3.3 billion years to approximately 55 million years. These specimens showcase the rich geological diversity of the Indian subcontinent and serve to educate the public about the deep history of the earth.

Explanation

India won a total of two silver medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The silver medals were clinched by Saikhom Mirabai Chanu in the women's 49 kg weightlifting category and Ravi Kumar Dahiya in the men's freestyle 57 kg wrestling event.

Explanation

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, which prohibited the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of identified single-use plastic items with low utility and high littering potential. This nationwide ban came into effect on 1st July 2022 to combat plastic pollution and promote sustainable alternatives.

Explanation

In India, wet temperate forests are found in the higher hill ranges of northeastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal, and Uttarakhand at an altitude ranging between 1000 and 2000 metres. These forests are characterized by the predominance of evergreen broad-leafed trees such as oak and chestnut.

Explanation

The Lucknow Pact was an agreement reached between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League at their joint session held in Lucknow in December 1916. Through this pact, the two organizations agreed to present common political demands to the British government, including self-government for India and separate electorates for Muslims in provincial legislatures. This historic agreement marked a period of significant cooperation and unity between the Congress and the League in the Indian independence movement.

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

Mohiniyattam is a classical dance form from Kerala that derives its name from Mohini, the legendary female avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology, Vishnu assumed the form of the beautiful enchantress Mohini to lure the nectar of immortality (amrita) away from the demons (asuras) during the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), and to destroy the demon Bhasmasura. The dance style is characterized by its graceful, swaying movements and feminine elegance, embodying the enchanting nature of this incarnation of Vishnu.

Explanation

Shelter belts are rows of trees or shrubs planted in coastal and dry regions to reduce wind speed and protect the topsoil. In these arid and coastal landscapes, strong and unobstructed winds can easily erode and carry away the loose, fertile topsoil. By planting barriers of trees perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction, the velocity of the wind is significantly reduced near the ground level. This physical barrier prevents wind erosion, helps retain soil moisture, and protects the agricultural land from soil degradation.

Explanation

Metabolism is the sum total of all biochemical reactions that take place within the cells of a living organism. These chemical processes are continuously occurring to sustain life, enabling cells to grow, reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments. It encompasses both anabolic pathways, which consume energy to synthesize complex molecules from simpler ones, and catabolic pathways, which break down complex molecules to release energy. Through these highly regulated chemical reactions, cells efficiently manage their material and energy resources, thereby directly controlling and maintaining the living state of the organism.

Explanation

The Rest of India cricket team won the 2022 Irani Trophy by defeating Saurashtra by eight wickets in the match played at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot. This victory marked the 29th Irani Cup title for the Rest of India team.

Explanation

The Haryana-Rajasthan region is not recognized as a major iron ore belt in India. The country's primary iron ore resources are concentrated in the peninsular region, which contains four major belts: the Odisha-Jharkhand belt, the Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt, the Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmagalur-Tumkur belt, and the Maharashtra-Goa belt. Haryana and Rajasthan have very limited and low-grade iron ore deposits that do not support large-scale, major commercial mining operations compared to these high-grade reserve regions.

Explanation

Marginal utility represents the additional satisfaction a consumer gains from consuming one more unit of a good or service. Mathematically, it is defined as MU = ΔTU / ΔQ, where ΔTU represents the change in total utility and ΔQ represents the change in the quantity of the commodity consumed.

Under the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility, as the consumption of a commodity increases, the marginal utility derived from each additional unit decreases. This occurs because the consumer's intensity of desire for the commodity diminishes as they acquire more of it.

Explanation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the world's first Compressed Natural Gas terminal at Bhavnagar in Gujarat on September 29, 2022. The project is being developed through a public-private partnership by a consortium of the Mumbai-based Padmanabh Mafatlal Group and the UK-based Foresight Group, involving an investment of ₹4,000 crore. This terminal is designed to handle 1.5 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, significantly enhancing the port and clean energy infrastructure of Gujarat.

Explanation

World Refugee Day is designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It is observed every year on 20 June to raise awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world and to celebrate the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. This international day was first established on 20 June 2001, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.