SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Doubling of farmers' income is a policy objective and direct outcome targeted specifically within the agricultural sector, primarily driven by agricultural reforms, productivity enhancement, reduction in input costs, and better price realization for agricultural produce. While a strong industrial sector can support agriculture indirectly by providing inputs like machinery and fertilizers, the direct responsibility and target of doubling farmers' income belongs to agricultural policy and development rather than being a direct outcome of industrial sector growth.

Explanation

Rast-Goftar, which translates to The Truth Teller, was an Anglo-Gujarati newspaper founded in Bombay in 1851 by Dadabhai Naoroji and Kharshedji Cama. It served as the organ of the Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha, also known as the Guides on the Right Path, a socio-religious reform association formed in 1851 to regenerate the Parsi community. The newspaper played a pivotal role in advocating for the modernization of Zoroastrian social customs, promoting Western education, and championing women's education and rights within the Parsi community.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Manipur emerged as the overall champion of the second edition of the Northeast Olympic Games held in Shillong, Meghalaya, in November 2022. The state topped the medal tally by securing a total of 240 medals, which included 88 gold, 75 silver, and 77 bronze medals, defending its title from the inaugural edition of the games.

Explanation

Tropical Deciduous Forests, commonly known as monsoon forests, are the most widespread forest type in India, covering more than 60% of the total forested area. These forests thrive in regions receiving annual rainfall between 70 cm and 200 cm. Based on water availability, they are sub-categorized into moist deciduous forests, which receive 100 to 200 cm of rainfall, and dry deciduous forests, which receive 70 to 100 cm of rainfall. The trees in these forests typically shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks during the dry spring and summer seasons to conserve water. Highly valued timber species such as teak, sal, shisham, sandalwood, and khair are characteristic of this vegetation zone.

Explanation

A standard Kho Kho team consists of 12 players in total. During a match, 9 players take the field to play, while the remaining 3 players are kept as substitutes.

Explanation

Assam is the largest tea-producing state in India and is globally renowned for its high-quality tea plantations. The fertile Brahmaputra valley, with its deep, acidic soil, warm and humid climate, and heavy rainfall, provides the perfect agro-climatic conditions for cultivating Camellia sinensis as a commercial plantation crop.

Explanation

Statement A is false because externalities can be both positive and negative. A negative externality occurs when an economic activity imposes a cost or negative effect on an unrelated third party, such as environmental pollution, traffic congestion, or noise. Since externalities often result in negative social costs, the claim that their impact is always positive is incorrect. Statement B is correct because real national income measures the total value of goods and services produced by a country adjusted for inflation, which is calculated using the constant prices of a designated base year.

Explanation

Oryzenin is the primary storage protein found in rice grains. It belongs to the glutelin class of proteins and constitutes approximately 80% of the total protein content in rice. This protein is highly digestible and plays a significant role in the overall nutritional profile of rice, which is a major staple food worldwide.

Explanation

The Sonepur Cattle Fair is a historic and highly regarded livestock fair held annually in Sonepur, Bihar. It is closely associated with the sacred Hariharanatha temple, located at the confluence of the holy rivers Ganges and Gandak, where pilgrims offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The fair traditionally commences on Kartik Purnima, the full moon night in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik, marking an auspicious period for both religious ceremonies and commercial animal trading.

Explanation

Electric current is defined as the rate of flow of charge, given by the formula I = Q / t, where I is current, Q is charge, and t is time. For a current of 1 A flowing for 1 s, the total charge Q is 1 C.

The quantization of charge is given by the formula Q = n × e, where n is the number of electrons and e is the elementary charge of a single electron, which is approximately 1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹ C.

Rearranging the formula to find the number of electrons:

n = Q / e n = 1 / (1.6 × 10⁻¹⁹) n = 6.25 × 10¹⁸ electrons

Explanation

The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution released the Endorsements Know-Hows guidelines in January 2023. These guidelines are specifically targeted at social media influencers, celebrities, and virtual influencers. They mandate the compulsory disclosure of any material connection, such as monetary compensation, free products, discounts, or trips, between the influencer and the advertiser when endorsing products or services on social media platforms to ensure transparency and protect consumer interests under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

Explanation

The organization of village panchayats is a Directive Principle of State Policy under Article 40 of the Constitution of India, rather than a Fundamental Duty. Article 40 directs the State to take steps to organize village panchayats and endow them with necessary powers and authority to function as units of self-government, whereas the Fundamental Duties of citizens are separately enumerated under Article 51A.

Explanation

Microfinance operates on the core principle that the poor are creditworthy and possess entrepreneurial potential. The fundamental philosophy of microfinance is that the poor require reliable access to credit and financial services to generate self-employment and sustainable livelihoods, rather than relying on external charity or government subsidies. Subsidies often create dependency and distort financial markets, whereas access to micro-credit empowers individuals to build small businesses, increase incomes, and lift themselves out of poverty through self-reliance and financial inclusion. Therefore, the assertion that the poor need subsidies more than access to credit directly contradicts the foundational rationale of the microfinance movement.

Explanation

Ileana Citaristi is a renowned Italian-born Odissi and Mayurbhanj Chhau dancer and choreographer based in Odisha, India. In 2006, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, for her outstanding contributions to the field of performing arts. With this honor, she became the first classical dancer of foreign origin to be conferred the Padma Shri.

Explanation

Phenylalanine is an essential aromatic amino acid that must be obtained through the diet. Once inside the body, it is converted into another amino acid called tyrosine by the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase. Tyrosine is the direct precursor used in the biosynthetic pathways to produce key neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain and endocrine system. This includes the catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline, which regulate mood, motivation, and the stress response, as well as the thyroid hormone thyroxine, which regulates metabolism. Thus, phenylalanine is the fundamental essential amino acid required to initiate the production of these vital chemical messengers.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The Directive Principles of State Policy, enshrined in Part IV of the Indian Constitution from Articles 36 to 51, are broadly classified into three categories based on their content and direction: Socialistic, Gandhian, and Liberal-Intellectual. The Constitution does not recognize or classify any of these principles under a Nehruvian category.

Explanation

Jagjit Singh was an iconic Indian singer, composer, and musician who is widely recognized as the Ghazal King. He is credited with reviving and popularizing the ghazal genre by simplifying the complex Urdu poetry and integrating modern musical arrangements, making the art form accessible and immensely popular among the masses.

Explanation

Sattriya Nritya is a classical Indian dance form that originated in the state of Assam. It was introduced in the 15th century by the great Vaishnava saint and reformer Srimanta Sankardev as a medium for propagating the Bhakti movement. The dance form is historically rooted in the Sattras, which are Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam, where it was traditionally performed by celibate male monks called Bhokots. In 2000, the Sangeet Natak Akademi officially recognized Sattriya as a classical dance of India.

Explanation

The Pala Dynasty rulers, who governed the Bengal and Bihar regions from the 8th to the 12th centuries CE, were devout followers and outstanding patrons of Buddhism, specifically Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Under their patronage, great Buddhist learning centres and monasteries such as Vikramashila, Odantapuri, and Somapura Mahavihara were established, while the renowned Nalanda University received significant royal support. Their patronage was instrumental in the spread of Buddhism and its artistic traditions to Tibet, Nepal, and Southeast Asia.

Explanation

Disguised unemployment is a characteristic feature of the agricultural sector in India. It refers to a situation where more people are engaged in an activity than are actually required to perform it. In Indian farming, entire families often work on small, fragmented landholdings due to a lack of alternative employment opportunities in rural areas. Since the work requires fewer people, the surplus labor contributes nothing to the total output. The marginal productivity of these extra workers is zero, meaning that if they are removed from the fields, the total agricultural production remains completely unaffected.

Explanation

Tamil Nadu became the first state in India to make rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory for all buildings in 2001. The state government implemented this initiative to tackle severe water scarcity and recharge rapidly depleting groundwater tables. Under this mandate, all existing and new buildings, both residential and commercial, were required to install rainwater harvesting structures, failing which municipal water connections could be disconnected. This pioneering measure significantly improved groundwater levels and water quality across the state, particularly in urban centers like Chennai.

Explanation

The Central Statistical Office adopted the Gross Value Added concept at basic prices in January 2015. This transition was part of a major revision in India's national accounts, which also updated the base year to 2011-12. The shift from Gross Domestic Product at factor cost to Gross Value Added at basic prices aligned India's national accounting framework with the United Nations System of National Accounts 2008 standards.

Explanation

Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year award for 2022. This achievement made her the first athlete in the history of the award to win it in two consecutive years, having also won the title in 2021. Her outstanding performance in 2022 included winning a gold medal in the womens 49 kg weightlifting event at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, solidifying her position as one of Indias premier athletes.

Explanation

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is India's premier industrial research and development organisation, established in September 1942. As of 1 April 2023, CSIR operates as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Science and Technology with a network of 37 national laboratories spread across the country. These laboratories conduct high-impact research in diverse fields such as aerospace, oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics, biotechnology, and environmental engineering.

Explanation

Income tax is a prime example of a direct tax because the burden of this tax is borne directly by the individual or entity who earns the income. In a direct tax system, the taxpayer cannot shift the liability or incidence of the tax to another person, meaning the tax is paid directly to the government by the person upon whom it is levied.

Explanation

The statement in option C is incorrect because the Fundamental Duties were incorporated into the Constitution of India by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, which was enacted based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, and not by the 43rd Constitutional Amendment Act.

Explanation

Financially viable and self-sustaining Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have the capacity to cover all their administrative and financial costs through their own operating revenues. This financial independence reduces their reliance on limited and unpredictable donor subsidies or government grants. By demonstrating profitability and robust risk management, self-sustaining MFIs build institutional credibility, which makes them highly attractive to commercial investors, private capital markets, and commercial banks. This reliable influx of commercial investment and recycled profits provides a steady, scalable pool of resources, enabling these institutions to significantly expand their outreach and offer more diverse and sustainable financial services to their clients over the long term.

Explanation

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) comprises 8 member states. It was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985 by seven founding nations, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan subsequently joined the regional intergovernmental organization as its eighth member during the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi, India, in April 2007.

Explanation

Chaitrual and Phulaich are traditional festivals celebrated in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Chaitrual is a prominent spring festival celebrated in the Sirmaur district during the Hindu month of Chaitra to mark the onset of spring and worship local deities for prosperity. Phulaich, which translates to the festival of flowers, is celebrated annually in the Kinnaur district during the month of September. During Phulaich, villagers climb the high peaks to gather rare wild flowers, which are then offered to local deities in a grand community celebration marked by traditional music, dance, and remembrance of ancestors.

Explanation

The princely state of Avadh, particularly under its last Nawab, Wajid Ali Shah, was the premier patron of Kathak dance during the 19th century. Under his artistic patronage, the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak was established, focusing on grace, elegance, and expressive storytelling (bhava), which elevated the dance form to a highly sophisticated classical art.

Explanation

Self Help Groups are voluntary associations that function on the principles of mutual trust, cooperation, and collective responsibility. To ensure smooth operations, financial discipline, and transparency, they must establish and follow well-defined rules, regulations, and bye-laws. These guidelines govern key aspects such as the frequency of meetings, savings contributions, interest rates for internal lending, loan repayment schedules, and penalties for defaults. Without these structured rules, maintaining accountability and democratic decision-making within the group would not be possible.

Explanation

Intensive cultivation is an agricultural production system characterized by high inputs of capital and labour relative to the land area being farmed. In this farming method, the objective is to maximize crop yield from a fixed, often limited, size of land. This is achieved through the concentrated application of resources such as fertilizers, pesticides, high-yielding variety seeds, irrigation, and rigorous labor to ensure maximum productivity per unit of land area.

Explanation

Kapil Dev was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in the year 1982. This award was presented to him by the Government of India in recognition of his exceptional contributions to Indian cricket as an outstanding all-rounder, shortly before he led the national team to its historic first World Cup triumph in 1983.

Explanation

Per capita Gross National Product measures the total value of all finished goods and services produced by the citizens of a nation, whether located domestically or abroad, divided by the total population. It serves as the primary and most generally accepted indicator of overall economic performance because it reflects the average economic capacity, income, and productivity of a country's residents. This standardization allows policymakers and economists to effectively compare economic output and growth trends over time and across different nations.

Explanation

The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) was developed by the United Nations Statistical Office (now known as the United Nations Statistics Division) to analyze and measure the interrelationship between the economy and the environment. This framework integrates environmental and economic data to provide a comprehensive statistical standard, which was first formally introduced in the 1993 handbook on Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting to assist countries in formulation of sustainable development policies.

Explanation

Swami Vivekananda, born Narendranath Datta, was the chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic and spiritual master Ramakrishna Paramahansa. Under the guidance of Ramakrishna, he underwent a profound spiritual transformation and later went on to establish the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897 to propagate his guru's teachings of universal religion, selflessness, and service to humanity.

Explanation

National Waterway 1 runs from Haldia to Prayagraj along the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system. Spanning a length of 1620 km, it is the longest national waterway in India and passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It was declared as National Waterway 1 in October 1986 to facilitate inland water transport and cargo movement across these major states.

Explanation

Business and Enhancing skill Development is not a component of the New India Literacy Programme (NILP). The scheme, approved for implementation during the financial years 2022 to 2027, comprises five specific components to support adult education and align with the National Education Policy 2020. These five designated components are Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, Critical Life Skills, Basic Education, Vocational Skills Development, and Continuing Education. While the program includes vocational skills to promote local employment, Business and Enhancing skill Development is not part of its structure.

Explanation

The Mahanadi river originates in the highlands of Chhattisgarh near Sihawa in the Dhamtari district, which was historically part of the undivided Raipur district. It flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha, draining a large basin, and eventually drains into the Bay of Bengal through several channels near Cuttack and Paradip.

Explanation

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) was launched on 25 December 2000 as a nationwide program fully funded by the Government of India. The primary objective of this scheme is to provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected habitations in rural areas. This infrastructure development is designed as a core component of the country's poverty reduction strategy by facilitating access to market centers, education, health, and other administrative services, thereby enhancing economic opportunities and improving the quality of life in rural India.

Explanation

Tansen, the legendary court musician in the durbar of Mughal Emperor Akbar, is widely credited with the creation of the Hindustani classical raga Miya Ki Malhar. He modified the existing traditional Malhar raga, which is associated with the monsoon season, by introducing specific microtonal variations, most notably the use of both natural and flat varieties of certain notes. Because of his authorship and his title Miya, which was bestowed upon him by Emperor Akbar, this deeply expressive and rain-evoking raga came to be known as Miya Ki Malhar.

Explanation

A Stevenson screen is a standardized meteorological shelter designed to protect temperature sensors, such as wet and dry bulb thermometers, from direct or reflected solar radiation and precipitation. By utilizing double-louvred walls, it prevents heat from sunlight and the ground from artificially raising the temperature readings, while simultaneously allowing outside air to circulate freely around the instruments to ensure accurate ambient air temperature measurements.

Explanation

Arpinder Singh, the Indian triple jumper who won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, was conferred with the Arjuna Award in the year 2021, not in 2022.

Explanation

Article 3 of the Indian Constitution authorizes Parliament to form new states and alter the areas, boundaries, or names of existing states. Under this article, Parliament may by law increase or diminish the area of any state, alter the boundaries of any state, or alter the name of any state, subject to the conditions specified in the proviso to the article, such as the recommendation of the President and referral to the affected state legislature for expressing its views.

Explanation

Acetylene, also known as ethyne, has the molecular formula C₂H₂ and contains a carbon-carbon triple bond (HC≡CH). When one hydrogen atom is removed from acetylene, it forms the ethynyl radical or group, which has the molecular formula C₂H. Thus, ethynyl is the species directly derived from acetylene.

Explanation

The Mir Saman, also known as Khan-i-Saman, was a highly important officer in the Mughal administrative system who held charge of the imperial household. This office was responsible for managing the emperor's personal and domestic affairs, including the royal kitchens, stores, tents, and transport. Additionally, the Mir Saman supervised the royal karkhanas (state workshops), which produced luxury goods, weapons, and daily necessities for the emperor, the royal family, and the court.

Explanation

Gurunaidu Sanapathi won the gold medal in the men's 55 kg category at the International Weightlifting Federation's Youth World Championships held in Leon, Mexico, in June 2022. He lifted a total weight of 230 kg, which included 104 kg in snatch and 126 kg in clean and jerk. With this achievement, he became the first Indian weightlifter to win a gold medal at the Youth World Championships.

Explanation

Ranjumoni Saikia is a renowned exponent of Sattriya, the classical dance form of Assam that originated in the Vaishnavite monasteries (Sattras) of the state. She was conferred with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2019 in recognition of her immense contribution to the practice, preservation, and propagation of Sattriya dance.

Explanation

Seaborgium is the transuranium element with atomic number 106. It was first synthesized in 1974 at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory by a team of scientists led by Albert Ghiorso and Glenn T. Seaborg. The team produced the new element by bombarding a target of californium-249 with high-energy oxygen-18 ions in a heavy-ion linear accelerator. This nuclear fusion reaction can be represented by the equation:

²⁴⁹Cf + ¹⁸O → ²⁶³Sg + 4 n

This successful synthesis of isotope 263 of element 106 led to its official naming as Seaborgium, honoring Glenn T. Seaborg for his immense contributions to the discovery of transuranium elements.

Explanation

The Monthly Status Approach is not used by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) or any other official statistical agency in India to estimate employment and unemployment. The standard measurement frameworks in India are restricted to usual, weekly, and daily status approaches, which capture activity profiles over annual, weekly, and daily reference periods respectively. No monthly reference period or status measurement exists in the official methodology.