SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The National Rehabilitation and Resettlement Policy, 2007, aims to provide a comprehensive, balanced, and integrated package for families affected by project-induced displacement. It places equal and significant emphasis on both rehabilitation and resettlement. The policy does not promote prioritizing rehabilitation at the cost of resettlement; rather, it mandates that both aspects must be addressed systematically to ensure that displaced families receive adequate housing, infrastructure, and sustainable livelihood support.

Explanation

The Earth's magnetic field, also known as the magnetosphere, extends thousands of kilometers into space and acts as a protective shield. It deflects the solar wind, which consists of high-energy charged particles flowing from the Sun, and protects the planet from harmful cosmic rays originating outside the solar system. By diverting these charged particles around the Earth, the magnetic field prevents the erosion of the atmosphere and ozone layer, thereby preserving the conditions necessary for life.

Explanation

Sodium chloride is the most abundant dissolved mineral salt in ocean water, accounting for approximately 77.8% of the total dissolved solids. Ocean water has an average salinity of about 35 parts per thousand, meaning that every liter of seawater contains about 35 grams of dissolved salts. Out of this total, sodium chloride alone contributes around 27.2 grams per liter. The high concentration of sodium and chloride ions in the oceans is due to geological processes, including volcanic activity and the weathering of rocks on land, which transport these ions via rivers into the ocean basins where they accumulate over millions of years.

Explanation

Article 39 of the Constitution of India, which falls under Part IV containing the Directive Principles of State Policy, directs the State to secure certain principles of policy. Specifically, Article 39(d) mandates that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women, aiming to ensure gender equality and economic justice in the workplace.

Explanation

The construction and maintenance of border roads in high-altitude areas is the responsibility of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which was established in 1960 and functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. The BRO specifically develops and maintains road infrastructure in India's border areas to meet the strategic needs of the armed forces and to facilitate development in these remote, sensitive regions. This function is entirely distinct from the development and maintenance of the National Highways network.

Explanation

The financial year in India runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following calendar year. This twelve-month period serves as the official cycle for the Government of India to assess its revenues, plan its expenditures, and present the annual Union Budget in Parliament. All national accounting, taxation, and financial reporting systems in India are aligned with this specific timeframe.

Explanation

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell because they are responsible for cellular respiration. During this process, they convert chemical energy from nutrients, such as glucose, into adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which serves as the primary energy currency for various cellular activities. This conversion takes place through metabolic pathways including the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain.

Explanation

Titas Sadhu, the young fast bowler from West Bengal who played a pivotal role in India winning the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in 2023, was honored with the Emerging Hero award at the Sportstar East Sports Conclave 2023 in recognition of her exceptional performance and contribution to Indian cricket.

Explanation

The SVAMITVA scheme, which stands for Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas, is a Central Sector Scheme launched by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. It aims to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India by utilizing drone technology to map inhabited land parcels. This enables rural household owners to obtain property cards or title deeds, providing them with clear proof of ownership that can be leveraged for financial assets like bank loans and helps in reducing property-related disputes.

Explanation

Glycogen is a highly branched homopolysaccharide that serves as the primary storage form of glucose in animals, fungi, and bacteria. It consists of long chains of glucose monomer units linked together. The main chain consists of glucose molecules connected by α-1,4-glycosidic bonds, while the branching points are formed by α-1,6-glycosidic bonds approximately every 8 to 12 glucose residues. Upon energy demand, glycogen undergoes glycogenolysis, where enzymes break it down to release individual glucose molecules into the bloodstream to maintain energy homeostasis.

Explanation

The Human Development Index measures development across three key dimensions: health, education, and standard of living. The health indicator used to calculate the index is exclusively life expectancy at birth, which estimates the number of years a newborn is expected to live if prevailing patterns of mortality remain the same throughout their life. Birth rate and death rate are fundamental demographic metrics of a population, but they are not included as components or indicators in the formulation of the Human Development Index.

Explanation

The Preamble to the Constitution of India explicitly secures to all its citizens liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship. These five dimensions of liberty are vital for the individual's intellectual, spiritual, and personal development, and they form the core of the democratic and secular fabric of the Indian nation.

Explanation

Raja Ram Mohan Roy published his famous treatise Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin, which translates to A Gift to Monotheists, in 1803. He wrote this work originally in the Persian language, which was the official and literary language of the Mughal court and the educated elite in India at the time. The book, which also featured an introduction in Arabic, put forth a strong defense of monotheism and critiqued polytheistic rituals and superstitions.

Explanation

According to the Census of India 2011, India registered a decadal population growth rate of 17.7% for the period 2001 to 2011. During this decade, the total population of India increased from 1.028 billion in 2001 to 1.210 billion in 2011, representing an absolute increase of approximately 181.9 million people. This decadal growth rate of 17.7% marks a noticeable decline from the 21.54% growth rate recorded during the previous decade of 1991 to 2001.

Explanation

Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarma, popularly known as Satyam, was an illustrious exponent of the classical Indian dance form Kuchipudi, particularly celebrated for his masterful depiction of female characters in traditional dance-dramas. In recognition of his distinguished contribution to the field of classical dance and arts, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 1970.

Explanation

Fiscal Deficit is the excess of total expenditure of the government over its total receipts, excluding borrowings, during a given financial year.

Fiscal Deficit = Total Expenditure - (Revenue Receipts + Non-debt Capital Receipts)

Since this deficit must be financed through debt, the fiscal deficit directly reflects the total borrowing requirements of the government from all sources, including domestic and external borrowing.

Explanation

The Twenty Point Programme (TPP) was launched by the Government of India in 1975 under the administration of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The primary objective of this multi-pronged programme was to eradicate poverty, improve the living standards of the rural poor, and reduce socio-economic inequalities. It focused on critical areas such as agriculture, land reforms, employment, education, housing, health, and clean drinking water to ensure overall inclusive development and growth.

Explanation

India won a single gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. This historic gold medal was clinched by Neeraj Chopra in the men's javelin throw event with a throw of 87.58 meters, making him the first track and field athlete from independent India to win an Olympic gold medal.

Explanation

Dhimsa is an official folk dance of Andhra Pradesh, primarily performed by indigenous tribal communities such as the Bagata, Valmiki, Khond, and Kotia who reside in the Araku Valley of the Visakhapatnam district. This traditional dance is performed during important festivals, weddings, and community gatherings to promote friendship and harmony among different villages. The dancers, dressed in colorful traditional attire, form a chain by holding hands and move in rhythmic patterns to the tunes of traditional instruments like the Mori, Kiridi, Tudumu, and Dappu.

Explanation

Neeraj Chopra made history on September 8, 2022, by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Diamond League trophy. At the Diamond League Final 2022 held in Zurich, Switzerland, he secured the top spot with a winning throw of 88.44 meters on his second attempt, ahead of the rest of the field.

Explanation

The retreating monsoon, also known as the North-East monsoon, blows from land to sea during the months of October and November. As these winds travel over the Bay of Bengal, they pick up moisture and carry it towards the southern peninsula. When these moisture-laden winds strike the Eastern Ghats, they cause significant rainfall along the Coromandel Coast, making Tamil Nadu the primary recipient of rainfall during this season.

Explanation

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that is on the verge of global eradication, coordinated by the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. It is a prime candidate for eradication because the virus only infects humans, has no animal reservoir, and highly effective vaccines exist to provide lifelong immunity. Two of the three wild poliovirus strains, type 2 and type 3, have already been officially certified as globally eradicated, leaving only wild poliovirus type 1 endemic in very limited geographic areas.

Explanation

During the period between 1928 and 1980, India won a total of 8 Gold medals at the Olympic Games. All 8 of these gold medals were won by the Indian Men's Field Hockey team. The victories were achieved in the consecutive Olympic Games of Amsterdam (1928), Los Angeles (1932), Berlin (1936), London (1948), Helsinki (1952), and Melbourne (1956), followed by triumphs in Tokyo (1964) and Moscow (1980).

Explanation

Money is distinguished from other physical assets that also serve as a store of value primarily because of its perfect liquidity. Liquidity is the ease and speed with which an asset can be converted into a medium of exchange without any loss in its purchasing power and with negligible transaction costs. While physical assets like real estate, gold, or machinery can store wealth over time, they are highly illiquid because selling them requires significant time, effort, and transaction expenses. Money is already the most liquid asset because it is immediately spendable and does not need to be converted into another form to facilitate transactions.

Explanation

Lord Macaulay, as the President of the General Committee of Public Instruction, formulated the highly influential Minute on Indian Education in 1835. In this proposal, he strongly advocated for the introduction of Western education and recommended that English be made the medium of instruction for higher education in India. These recommendations were officially accepted and implemented through the English Education Act of 1835 under the administration of Governor-General Lord William Bentinck, permanently reshaping the educational policy of British India.

Explanation

The book Brihatkathakosha, also known as Vrihat Katha Kosha, was written by the Digambara Jain scholar Harisena in 931–932 CE. Written in Sanskrit during the reign of the Rashtrakuta dynasty, this extensive work is a compilation of 157 stories that provide rich historical, social, and cultural details about medieval India, particularly regarding Jain traditions, geography, and contemporary society.

Explanation

Final goods are defined based on their production stage and usage, meaning they have completed their production process, require no further transformation or processing, and are ready for active use or consumption by the end-user. The designation final does not relate to the chronological order of consumption, making the assertion that they are the last to be consumed incorrect as a reason for their name.

Explanation

Chennai is known as the Detroit of India because it is the country's major automobile manufacturing hub. The city and its surrounding regions host manufacturing facilities for several leading global and domestic automotive brands, including Hyundai, Renault, Nissan, Mitsubishi, BMW, Ashok Leyland, and TVS. Chennai accounts for more than one-third of India's total automobile industry and a vast majority of the country's automotive exports, supported by well-developed port infrastructure and a robust auto-ancillary ecosystem.

Explanation

The Reserve Bank of India introduced the comprehensive and harmonized regulatory framework for microfinance loans, titled the Reserve Bank of India (Regulatory Framework for Microfinance Loans) Directions, 2022, on March 14, 2022. Under these directions, which became effective on April 1, 2022, a microfinance loan is defined as a collateral-free loan granted to a household with an annual income up to ₹3 lakh. The framework aims to protect borrowers, prevent over-indebtedness, and ensure a level playing field by applying uniform regulations to all RBI-regulated entities lending to the microfinance sector, including commercial banks, co-operative banks, and non-banking financial companies.

Explanation

Rohit Dahiya won the bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 82 kg category at the World Under-20 Wrestling Championship 2022, held in Sofia, Bulgaria. He secured the medal by defeating Ukraine's Ruslan Abdiiev in the bronze medal playoff match, contributing to India's successful campaign at the tournament.

Explanation

The office of the Vice-President of India is modeled on the office of the Vice-President of the United States of America. Under Article 63 of the Constitution of India, there shall be a Vice-President of India. According to Article 64, the Vice-President acts as the ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), which is directly analogous to the US Vice-President serving as the President of the Senate. The framers of the Indian Constitution adopted this administrative structure, along with other key features like Fundamental Rights and judicial review, from the American constitutional system.

Explanation

The Indian men's doubles badminton duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. They defeated the English pair of Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in straight games with a score of 21-15, 21-13 in the final match, securing India's historic first-ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in the men's doubles event.

Explanation

According to the Koeppen climate classification, the letter code Aw represents a Tropical Savanna climate, which is characterized by a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct dry winter season. In this system, the capital letter A denotes a tropical rainy climate where the temperature of the coolest month is above 18°C, and the lowercase letter w indicates a dry winter season. This climate type is widely distributed across a large part of peninsular India south of the Tropic of Cancer, covering most of the Deccan Plateau, where the dry period occurs during the winter months and the wet period coincides with the summer southwest monsoon.

Explanation

The Pudhumai Penn scheme, officially known as the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar Higher Education Assurance Scheme, was launched by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in September 2022. Under this welfare initiative, female students who completed their schooling in government schools from classes 6 to 12 receive a monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000. This amount is directly deposited into their bank accounts to help them pursue higher education, including undergraduate degrees, diplomas, or ITI courses, thereby reducing dropouts due to financial constraints and improving the enrollment ratio of girls in higher educational institutions.

Explanation

Kandyan dance is the primary traditional dance form of Sri Lanka, originating in the central hill region of Kandy. It developed from ritual dances performed during the Kohomba Kankariya festival to appease local deities and cure illnesses. Historically patronized by the Kandyan kings, the dance is characterized by energetic, athletic movements, leaps, and spins, mimicking the graceful motions of animals and birds. It is traditionally performed to the rhythm of the Geta Beru drum, with dancers wearing elaborate costumes and silver headdresses.

Explanation

M.S. Subbulakshmi was a legendary Carnatic vocalist from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, who is widely revered as the Queen of Carnatic Music. Jawaharlal Nehru famously referred to her as the Queen of Music. She achieved numerous historic milestones, including being the first musician to be awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, in 1998, and the first Indian musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1974.

Explanation

Crystalline solids possess a highly ordered, regular, and repeating arrangement of constituent particles throughout their three-dimensional structure. Because of this uniform arrangement, all the intermolecular bonds holding the particles together in the lattice require the same amount of thermal energy to break. Consequently, crystalline solids have a sharp and precise melting point, meaning they transition abruptly from a solid to a liquid phase at a specific, well-defined temperature when heated.

Explanation

One mole of any substance contains Avogadro's number of molecules, which is approximately 6.022 × 10²³.

The chemical formula of methanol is CH₃OH. Counting the individual atoms in one molecule of CH₃OH gives 1 Carbon atom, 4 Hydrogen atoms, and 1 Oxygen atom, resulting in a total of 6 atoms per molecule.

The total number of atoms in one mole of CH₃OH is calculated by multiplying the number of atoms per molecule by Avogadro's number: Total atoms = 6 × 6.022 × 10²³ = 3.6132 × 10²⁴ ≈ 3.6 × 10²⁴ atoms.

Explanation

Rann Utsav is an annual cultural festival celebrated in the White Desert of Kutch, located in the state of Gujarat. This vibrant winter carnival showcases the rich traditional art, music, dance, crafts, and culinary heritage of the region. Held against the backdrop of the salt marshes of the Thar Desert, the festival typically spans from November to February, attracting tourists from all over the world to experience the unique landscape under the full moon.

Explanation

Every economy faces three fundamental, central economic problems due to the scarcity of resources. These foundational questions are: what to produce (determining which goods and services to produce and in what quantities), how to produce (choosing the technology or combination of resources to use), and for whom to produce (determining how the national product is distributed among the members of society). While the exchange of goods is a functional mechanism of trade and market operation, it is not classified as one of these three primary, structural questions that every society must answer to allocate its resources.

Explanation

Fundamental duties, enshrined in Part IVA under Article 51A of the Constitution of India, are non-justiciable in nature. The Constitution does not provide for their direct enforcement by the courts, which means that no citizen can be legally penalized or prosecuted by a court of law solely for failing to perform these duties. While they serve as moral obligations and civic duties, any enforcement of these provisions requires specific legislation enacted by the Parliament.

Explanation

Non-tax receipts are government revenues generated from sources other than taxes. These administrative receipts arise from the services provided by the government or as penalties to enforce law and order. Examples of non-tax receipts include interest receipts, dividends and profits from public sector enterprises, external grants, and administrative revenues such as fees, fines, penalties, and license fees. Because fees and fines are compulsory payments imposed for specific administrative purposes or law violations rather than taxes on income, wealth, or commodities, they are classified as non-tax revenue receipts.

Explanation

Smita Vadnerkar, the artistic director of Nupur Arts Dance Academy based in Leicester, was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in South Asian Dance at the One Dance UK Awards 2021. This award recognized her outstanding contribution, dedication, and lifelong service of over three decades in promoting, teaching, and preserving South Asian dance forms, particularly Bharatanatyam, within the United Kingdom.

Explanation

Tippani is a traditional folk dance originating from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, particularly popular among the women of the Koli and Mahar communities. The dance is named after the tippani, a long wooden stick with a wooden or iron block attached to its base, which is rhythmically beaten against the ground. Historically, this dance arose from the manual labor of tamping down floor surfaces during construction, where workers performed these coordinated movements to relieve the monotony of their physical work. Today, it is performed as a vibrant cultural dance during various festivals and celebrations in the state.

Explanation

Jog Falls is created by the Sharavati River, which flows through the Western Ghats of Karnataka. The river plunges from a height of 253 meters (830 feet) in four distinct cascades known as Raja, Rani, Roarer, and Rocket, forming one of the highest plunge waterfalls in India. The Sharavati River originates at Ambuthirtha in the Thirthahalli taluk of Shimoga district and flows entirely within the state of Karnataka before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

Explanation

Narayan Guru was born on 20 August 1856 in Chempazhanthy, a village near Thiruvananthapuram in the state of Kerala. Belonging to the Ezhava community, which faced severe social discrimination at the time, he dedicated his life to reforming the caste-ridden society of Kerala. He championed social equality, spiritual enlightenment, and education, and famously coined the slogan "One Caste, One Religion, One God for All" to promote universal brotherhood.

Explanation

Dodecane is a straight-chain alkane hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C₁₂H₂₆, containing exactly 12 carbon atoms. It is a liquid at room temperature and is a major constituent of kerosene and jet fuel. Due to its stability and specific physical properties, dodecane is widely utilized as a surrogate in research for aviation fuels, as well as an organic solvent and processing aid in the paper and rubber industries.

Explanation

Cotton is a major Kharif crop in India, sown during the onset of the southwest monsoon in May to July and harvested during the autumn months from October to December. It is a tropical and subtropical crop that requires high temperatures ranging between 21°C and 30°C, along with a minimum of 210 frost-free days and bright sunshine for its growth. It thrives well in areas receiving moderate rainfall of 50 to 100 cm, particularly in the black cotton soils of the Deccan Plateau.

Explanation

The All India Congress Committee met in Bombay on August 7 and 8, 1942, and accepted the historic Quit India Resolution at the Gowalia Tank Maidan, now known as August Kranti Maidan. This resolution officially authorized Mahatma Gandhi to launch a non-violent mass movement against British rule, which led to the famous call of Do or Die.

Explanation

Jaimal Rathore and Patta Sisodia were legendary Rajput warriors entrusted with the defense of Chittor Fort during its third siege in 1567–1568 by the Mughal Emperor Akbar. When the ruler of Mewar, Rana Udai Singh II, left the fort to take refuge in the hills, he placed the responsibility of safeguarding the fort in the hands of Jaimal and Patta. Both commanders fought with exceptional valor against the massive Mughal army and sacrificed their lives in the battlefield. Their extraordinary courage and sacrifice earned them immortal fame, and Akbar himself acknowledged their bravery by erecting stone statues of them riding elephants at the gates of the Agra Fort.