SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Silicon is a tetravalent element belonging to Group 14 of the periodic table, having four valence electrons. Gallium is a trivalent element belonging to Group 13, containing three valence electrons. When silicon is doped with gallium, the gallium atoms substitute silicon atoms in the crystal lattice. Because gallium has only three valence electrons, it can only form covalent bonds with three of the neighboring silicon atoms. This leaves one bond incomplete, creating an electron vacancy or a hole. These holes function as positive charge carriers that facilitate electrical conduction, thereby forming a p-type (positive-type) semiconductor.

Explanation

Ustad Bismillah Khan was a legendary Indian musician who is globally credited with popularizing the shehnai, a traditional woodwind instrument. He elevated the shehnai from its restricted role in weddings and temples to the classical concert stage. For his outstanding contributions to Indian classical music, he was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 2001.

Explanation

The matching of the functions and characteristics of money is based on standard economic classifications:

Primary functions of money are the fundamental duties it performs in any economy, which include acting as a medium of exchange and a measure of value.

Secondary functions of money are derivative functions that assist the primary ones, which include the store of value, standard of deferred payments, and transfer of value.

Evils of money refer to the economic and social drawbacks arising from its use, such as the instability of value which leads to fluctuations like inflation and deflation.

Contingent functions of money are modern functions that facilitate macroeconomic performance, including the distribution of national income among factors of production and the basis of credit.

Explanation

Real GDP is calculated using the formula:

Real GDP = (Nominal GDP / Price Index) × 100

Under the ceteris paribus assumption, all other factors, including nominal GDP, remain constant. When inflation increases, the price level or Price Index rises. Since the Price Index is in the denominator of the equation, a higher Price Index directly results in a lower value for real GDP. This makes statement A correct.

Explanation

The protection of monuments, places, and objects of artistic or historic interest which are declared to be of national importance is a Directive Principle of State Policy enshrined under Article 49 of the Constitution of India. This article places an obligation on the State to protect such monuments from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal, or export. It is not listed as a Fundamental Duty of citizens under Article 51A in Part IV-A of the Constitution.

Explanation

During an economic boom, overall economic activity, consumer spending, and corporate profits increase significantly. As businesses earn higher profits and individuals receive higher incomes, the government automatically collects more revenue from income taxes, corporate taxes, and consumption-based taxes. This automatic rise in tax revenue acts as a fiscal stabilizer, increasing the government's total revenue and thereby reducing the budget deficit without requiring any direct policy interventions.

Explanation

The Planning Commission of India, utilizing the methodology recommended by the Tendulkar Committee, estimated the poverty ratio in India for the year 2011-12. According to these estimates, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line in India was 21.9%. This national average comprised 25.7% of the population in rural areas and 13.7% in urban areas, calculated based on monthly per capita consumption expenditure data collected by the National Sample Survey Office.

Explanation

The Himalayan Mountains act as a high and continuous physical barrier that blocks the bitterly cold, dry polar and arctic air masses originating in Central Asia and Siberia from entering the Indian subcontinent. Because of this massive mountain wall, the Indian subcontinent is protected from these freezing winds and experiences significantly milder and warmer winters compared to other regions located at similar latitudes in Asia.

Explanation

Globalisation was not a basic goal of the Five Year Plans. It was adopted much later as a policy shift under the New Economic Policy in 1991 to integrate the Indian economy with the global economy, rather than being one of the core long-term objectives established at the inception of planning in India.

Explanation

The Self-Help Group Bank Linkage Program (SHG-BLP) was launched as a pilot project by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in 1992. This initiative was designed to connect informal self-help groups of the rural poor, particularly women, with formal banking institutions to provide them with hassle-free access to savings and credit facilities. Over the decades, this program has grown to become the largest microfinance initiative in the world, playing a pivotal role in promoting financial inclusion, poverty alleviation, and women empowerment across rural India.

Explanation

According to the Census of India 2011, Chhattisgarh has a Scheduled Tribe population of 30.6% of its total state population, which represents the highest percentage among the given states. Out of the total population of 25.54 million in Chhattisgarh, the Scheduled Tribe population stands at approximately 7.82 million. The state is home to several major tribal communities, including the Gond, Halba, Kamar, Baiga, and Oraon, who primarily inhabit the densely forested areas of Bastar, Dantewada, and Surguja regions.

Explanation

The Ghadar Movement was an international revolutionary movement founded in 1913 by expatriate Indians to overthrow British colonial rule in India. The party established its headquarters, known as the Yugantar Ashram, in San Francisco, California. From this central office, the party published its weekly nationalist journal, the Ghadar, and organized revolutionary networks across North America and other parts of the world.

Explanation

The Mansabdari system was introduced by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1571 AD to organize the nobility and streamline the military and civil administration of the empire. Under this system, every officer was assigned a mansab (rank), which determined their status, salary, and military responsibilities. The system was structured into two components: Zat, which indicated the personal rank and salary of the mansabdar, and Sawar, which specified the number of cavalrymen the officer was required to maintain for imperial service. This centralized framework allowed Akbar to establish a highly organized military-bureaucratic structure that consolidated Mughal authority.

Explanation

The Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) is a comprehensive multi-dimensional measure developed to assess the overall well-being and living standard of a population. It compiles three key indicators: basic literacy rate, infant mortality rate, and life expectancy at age one, scaling each from 1 to 100. By combining these essential education and health metrics, the index evaluates how effectively the socio-economic benefits and development of a region translate into tangible improvements in the daily lives and survival of its citizens.

Explanation

In March 2023, the Modern Coach Factory Hockey Stadium in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, was renamed Rani's Girls Hockey Turf to honour the prominent Indian women's hockey player Rani Rampal. This landmark renaming made her the first female hockey player in India to have a stadium named after her, recognizing her outstanding contribution to the sport.

Explanation

Lactitol is a sugar alcohol or polyol that is commercially produced through the catalytic hydrogenation of lactose. Lactose is a disaccharide carbohydrate naturally present in milk. During this chemical process, the carbonyl group of the glucose moiety in lactose is reduced to a primary alcohol group under high pressure and temperature in the presence of a metal catalyst, such as Raney nickel. This reduction converts the disaccharide lactose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) into lactitol (C₁₂H₂₄O₁₁), which is widely used as a low-calorie sweetener and a laxative.

Explanation

In the sport of Kabaddi, a tackle point is awarded to the defending team when they successfully capture and stop an opposing team's raider within their court. A successful tackle prevents the raider from returning to their own half of the court, resulting in one point for the defending side and sending the raider out of the field of play.

Explanation

Vikram Dev Dutt, a senior Indian Administrative Service officer of the 1993 batch from the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory cadre, was appointed as the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in January 2023. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his designation to lead the country's aviation regulatory body.

Explanation

Bohrium is a synthetic, highly radioactive element with the atomic number 107. It is positioned in group 7 and period 7 of the periodic table as a d-block transition metal. The element was named in honor of the Danish physicist Niels Bohr, who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory.

Explanation

The Mediterranean climate zone, designated as Cs in the Köppen climate classification, is typically situated on the western margins of continents between 30° and 45° latitudes in both hemispheres. This zone is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The annual precipitation in this climate region generally ranges from 35 cm to 90 cm, occurring primarily during the winter months when the moisture-laden westerly wind belts shift equatorward. During the summer, these regions come under the influence of subtropical high-pressure cells, which suppress rainfall and lead to dry conditions.

Explanation

Transaction costs in withdrawing money, such as bank fees, ATM charges, or the time and effort spent converting other assets into cash, are costs associated with transferring wealth from interest-bearing or non-liquid assets into liquid money. Holding money directly actually eliminates the need to perform these conversions, thereby avoiding these transaction costs. Consequently, transaction costs represent a cost of holding non-monetary assets rather than an opportunity cost of holding money itself.

Explanation

The equatorial currents are warm ocean currents that flow in the equatorial regions of the oceans, generally between 10 degrees North and 10 degrees South latitudes. Due to their low-latitude location, these currents carry warm water and have no impact on the sub-tropical and temperate continental climate of northern India. Consequently, they do not play any role in causing the winter season or the excessive cold experienced in northern India.

Explanation

Camphor is a volatile organic compound that undergoes sublimation when heated. Sublimation is the phase transition directly from the solid phase to the gas phase without passing through the intermediate liquid phase. This occurs because the intermolecular forces in camphor are relatively weak, allowing its molecules to escape directly into the vapor state at ambient pressure upon heating.

Explanation

Shanti Bardhan was a pioneering choreographer and modern Indian dance exponent who founded the Little Ballet Troupe in Gwalior in 1952, which was later known as the Ranga Sri Little Ballet Troupe. A former member of Uday Shankar's dance troupe and the Indian People's Theatre Association, he was instrumental in blending classical Indian dance forms with modern theatrical techniques. He is best known for creating highly innovative dance-dramas, such as his famous puppet-style presentations of the Panchatantra and the Ramayana, which successfully synthesized traditional Indian dance movements with contemporary stage craft.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

In the women's 100 metres hurdles race, a total of 10 hurdles are placed on the track. The track is laid out such that the distance from the starting line to the first hurdle is 13.00 metres. The interval distance between each of the subsequent hurdles is 8.50 metres. The distance from the tenth and final hurdle to the finish line is 10.50 metres. This distribution is verified by the total distance calculation: 13.00 + 9 × 8.50 + 10.50 = 100.00 metres.

Explanation

Prachi Yadav created history by becoming the first Indian paracanoeist to win a medal at the International Canoe Federation Paracanoe World Cup. She clinched the bronze medal in the Women's VL2 200m event at the 2022 ICF Paracanoe World Cup held in Poznan, Poland, by clocking a time of 1:04.71.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2023, the government introduced key amendments to the new personal tax regime. Under these amendments, the threshold limit for taxable income eligible for a rebate under Section 87A of the Income Tax Act was increased from ₹5,00,000 to ₹7,00,000. Consequently, individuals opting for the new tax regime with a total taxable income up to ₹7,00,000 are eligible for a maximum rebate of ₹25,000, reducing their net income tax liability to zero.

Explanation

The iodine test is a well-established biochemical method used to detect the presence of starch in a given sample. When a solution of iodine, specifically a potassium iodide solution containing elemental iodine which forms triiodide ions, is added to a substance containing starch, it reacts with amylose, a helical component of starch. The triiodide ions slip inside the amylose helix, causing a change in light absorption that results in a distinctive deep blue-black color. This highly sensitive color change serves as a positive indicator for starch.

Explanation

Lord Curzon appointed the Police Commission in 1902 under the chairmanship of Sir Andrew Frazer to investigate the functioning and organization of the police administration in British India. The commission identified widespread inefficiency and corruption within the police system and recommended comprehensive reforms. Based on the recommendations of the Frazer Commission, major reforms were implemented, which included the establishment of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in all provinces and the creation of a central intelligence bureau, along with improvements in the recruitment, training, and pay scales of police personnel.

Explanation

Fundamental duties are non-justiciable in character, meaning they cannot be directly enforced by the courts and there is no direct legal sanction or punishment prescribed in the Constitution against their violation or non-performance.

Explanation

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh won the World Chess Armageddon Asia and Oceania event held in Berlin, Germany in April 2023. In the final of this high-stakes tournament, Gukesh defeated former World Rapid Champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in a thrilling sudden-death tiebreak game. With this victory, Gukesh also secured a spot in the Grand Finale of the World Chess Armageddon Championship Series.

Explanation

Under the regulatory guidelines and standard operating procedures for microfinance institutions in India, microfinance loans are designed as short-term, collateral-free credit products tailored for low-income households. To manage credit risk effectively and align with the typical cash flow cycles of micro-enterprises and rural livelihoods, the repayment period for these loans is capped at a maximum tenure of 36 months. This tenure ensures that the loan installments remain affordable for borrowers while preventing them from entering long-term debt cycles.

Explanation

According to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index Baseline Report released by NITI Aayog in November 2021, Bihar registered the highest proportion of multidimensionally poor people in the country. The report, which utilized data from the National Family Health Survey-4 (2015-16), showed that 51.91% of Bihar's population was classified as multidimensionally poor. This index evaluates poverty across three equally weighted dimensions of health, education, and standard of living, represented by twelve indicators including nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets, and bank accounts, with Bihar exhibiting the highest deprivation rates.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Mame Khan, a renowned Manganiyar folk and playback singer from Rajasthan, made history by becoming the first Indian folk artist to walk the red carpet at the 75th Cannes Film Festival in May 2022. He attended the prestigious event as part of the official Indian delegation led by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Khan represented Indian culture and folk heritage on the global stage, making his appearance in traditional Rajasthani attire complete with a colorful turban and a custom-designed sherwani.

Explanation

Matunga Railway Station in Mumbai, under the Central Railway zone, became India's first railway station to be entirely managed by women staff in July 2017, earning a place in the Limca Book of Records. Gandhinagar Railway Station in Jaipur was the second such station in the country and the first on a main-line network.

Explanation

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose was a pioneering Indian polymath who made significant contributions as both a physicist and a plant physiologist. In physics, he was a global pioneer in the investigation of radio and microwave optics, demonstrating wireless communication using millimeter waves and inventing the iron-mercury-iron coherer. In plant physiology, he conducted groundbreaking research on the response of plants to various stimuli, demonstrating that plant tissues share similar electrical response patterns to animal tissues. To measure these minute plant responses and growth, he invented the crescograph, establishing himself as a pioneer of biophysics and plant physiology.

Explanation

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to move the Supreme Court by appropriate proceedings for the enforcement of the Fundamental Rights. It provides the right to Constitutional Remedies, which allows citizens to petition the Supreme Court for the issuance of writs, including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, and certiorari, to protect their fundamental rights from being violated. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar famously referred to this article as the very soul of the Constitution and its very heart.

Explanation

Kamsale is a traditional folk art and dance form performed by the devotees of Lord Male Mahadeshwara in the Old Mysore region of Karnataka, primarily in the districts of Mysore, Chamarajanagar, and Mandya. The dance is named after the Kamsale, a brass musical instrument consisting of a cymbal and a bronze disc, which the performers strike rhythmically to create music while singing devotional songs. This unique art form combines physical agility, rhythmic movements, and religious devotion.

Explanation

A bank cheque is classified as fiduciary money rather than fiat money. Fiat money consists of physical currency notes and coins issued by the government or central bank that are declared as legal tender. A bank cheque is a non-cash payment instrument whose acceptance depends entirely on the mutual trust between the payer, the payee, and the banking institution, and it does not carry a government guarantee of legal tender status.

Explanation

Security was not designated as one of the core socio-economic objectives of the Five-Year Plans in India. The planning framework established by the Planning Commission focused specifically on developmental and structural changes in the economy. While national and internal security are fundamental sovereign responsibilities of the state managed through annual defense and home affairs budgets, they do not constitute the targeted developmental goals of the economic planning process.

Explanation

The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu festival held at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. This fair is celebrated during the monsoon season, typically in mid-June, to mark the annual menstruation course of the goddess Kamakhya. Thousands of devotees and sadhus from all over the country visit the temple during this period, making it one of the most prominent religious congregations in Northeast India.

Explanation

Transfer of funds is classified as a secondary function of commercial banks, specifically under their agency functions. As agents for their customers, banks facilitate the remittance and movement of money from one place or account to another using instruments like demand drafts, mail transfers, and modern electronic systems like NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS. Conversely, accepting deposits, lending money, and credit creation are fundamental primary functions that define the core business of commercial banking.

Explanation

The Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, located in the state of Himachal Pradesh, was designated as India's 16th Biosphere Reserve in 2009. This high-altitude region encompasses the Pin Valley National Park, Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarchu, and Chandra Taal. It is a critical habitat for high-altitude wildlife and conservation efforts in this reserve focus on rare and endangered species such as the snow leopard, Himalayan ibex, Tibetan gazelle, red fox, blue rock pigeon, and the Lammergeier vulture.

Explanation

The basic difference between the economic aggregates at market price and factor cost is net indirect taxes.

Market Price = Factor Cost + Net Indirect Taxes

Net indirect taxes are calculated as indirect taxes minus subsidies. Factor cost represents the total cost of all factors of production used to produce goods and services, while market price is the price at which these goods and services are sold in the market, reflecting the impact of indirect taxes levied by the government and subsidies provided by it.

Explanation

Amir Khusrau was the first scholar to record the practice of Jauhar in the Persian language. In his historical work Khaza'in ul-Futuh, also known as Tarikh-i-Alai, he describes the siege of Ranthambore in 1301 CE by Sultan Alauddin Khalji. During this siege, the women of the fort, led by the queen of Hammira Deva, committed self-immolation in a fire pit to protect their honor from the invading army, which Khusrau documented in detailed Persian prose.

Explanation

In the first One Day International of the three-match series played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 17, 2023, India chased down Australia's target of 189 runs. India reached 191 runs with the loss of 5 wickets in 39.5 overs, securing a victory by 5 wickets. An unbeaten partnership of 108 runs between KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja helped India recover from a difficult position of 39/5 and successfully achieve the target.

Explanation

The Sarhul festival is the grandest tribal festival celebrated in the state of Jharkhand, marking the arrival of the spring season and the tribal New Year.

During this festival, nature is worshipped, and the Sal tree holds immense sacred significance. The village priest, known as the Pahan, collects blossoms from the Sal tree and offers them to the tribal deities at the sacred grove called Sarna Sthal to seek blessings for the community's well-being and a bountiful harvest.

The white flowers of the Sal tree, which bloom abundantly during this time, represent the renewal of nature and symbolise the fertility of the Earth, marking the beginning of the agricultural cycle.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Waheeda Rehman, a highly acclaimed actress and trained Bharatanatyam dancer, was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in 2011 for her significant contributions to Indian cinema and the arts.

Explanation

The Bharathapuzha, also known as the Nila River, is widely referred to as the Ponnani River. It is the second-longest river in Kerala, flowing westward through the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur, and Malappuram before emptying into the Arabian Sea at the port town of Ponnani in Malappuram district. Because of its mouth being located at Ponnani, the river has historically acquired this alternative name.

Explanation

According to the Census of India 2011, the literacy rate among the male population in the country is 82.14%. This rate represents the proportion of males aged seven years and older who can read and write with understanding in any language, reflecting the educational status of the male demographic at the time of the 2011 census.