SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is a broad belt of low pressure located near the equator. This zone is characterized by intense solar heating, which causes the air to warm and rise, creating a low-pressure area. The northeast and southeast trade winds converge in this region, forcing the warm, moist air upward, which leads to frequent convectional activity and cloud formation. The position of this low-pressure belt shifts north and south of the equator throughout the year following the seasonal movement of the sun.

Explanation

Savitha Shri Baskar secured the bronze medal in the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2022 held in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Playing in the women's rapid section, she scored 8 points out of 11 rounds to finish in third place on the podium, establishing herself as one of the youngest Indian medalists at this global event.

Explanation

Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi, popularly known mononymously as Khayyam, was an iconic Indian music director and composer who made immense contributions to Hindi cinema. His career spanned over four decades, during which he composed timeless soundtracks for classic films such as Kabhi Kabhie and Umrao Jaan. He was the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, multiple Filmfare Awards, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and the Padma Bhushan in 2011 for his creative excellence in music.

Explanation

The Battle of Buxar, fought on 22 October 1764, was contested between the forces of the British East India Company led by Hector Munro, and the combined army of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, Shuja-ud-Daulah, the Nawab of Awadh, and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. Mir Qasim initiated this coalition to counter the growing political influence and trade abuses of the British East India Company in Bengal. The defeat of Mir Qasim and his allies in this battle consolidated British rule in India and led to the signing of the Treaty of Allahabad in 1765, which granted the Company the Diwani rights to collect revenues from Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.

Explanation

Korfball was created in the Netherlands in 1902 by schoolteacher Nico Broekhuysen with the explicit purpose of being a co-educational, mixed-gender team sport. A standard korfball team consists of eight players, precisely divided into four female and four male players. The rules of the game are strictly structured to promote gender equality and prevent physical dominance, meaning players can only defend opponents of the same gender. This unique design makes it the first sport specifically developed from its inception to be played by mixed-gender teams simultaneously under completely equal conditions.

Explanation

Myanmar is not a member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The regional intergovernmental organization comprises eight founding and joined member states located in South Asia, which are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Myanmar holds observer status in the organization and is instead a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Explanation

The Tapi River is one of the major westward-flowing rivers of peninsular India. It originates in the Satpura Range in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh and flows westward for a total length of approximately 724 km. The river drains a basin of about 65,145 square kilometers, traversing the states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat before emptying into the Arabian Sea through the Gulf of Khambhat.

Explanation

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022, passed by the Parliament, amended the Central Universities Act, 2009, to establish the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. This legislative change converted the National Rail and Transportation Institute in Vadodara, Gujarat, which was previously a deemed-to-be-university, into a central university. The transformed institution functions as a multi-disciplinary, premier education and research provider focused on the transport, logistics, and infrastructure sectors to support the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.

Explanation

Fiscal Deficit (FD) is defined as the sum of Primary Deficit (PD) and Interest Payments (IP):

FD = PD + IP

If both the primary deficit and interest payments are doubled, the new primary deficit becomes 2 × PD and the new interest payments become 2 × IP. The new Fiscal Deficit (FD') is:

FD' = 2 × PD + 2 × IP FD' = 2 × (PD + IP) FD' = 2 × FD

The percentage increase in the fiscal deficit is:

Percentage Change = ((FD' - FD) / FD) × 100% Percentage Change = ((2 × FD - FD) / FD) × 100% Percentage Change = (FD / FD) × 100% = 100%

Explanation

Income velocity of money refers to the frequency with which a unit of currency is used to purchase newly produced goods and services within an economy over a given time period. Hoarded money, also known as idle money, is held by individuals and kept out of active circulation. Since this money remains inactive and does not participate in any transactions or facilitate economic exchange, its rate of turnover is zero.

Explanation

Thomas Andrews, an Irish chemist and physicist, carried out a series of landmark experiments on carbon dioxide during the 1860s. In his famous 1869 Bakerian Lecture, he detailed the relationships between the pressure, temperature, and volume of carbon dioxide under high pressures. This work led to his discovery of the critical temperature of carbon dioxide, which is 31.1 °C, and established the concept of the critical point, demonstrating the complete continuity between the gaseous and liquid states of matter.

Explanation

Flow cytometry is a powerful biophysical technology used to rapidly analyze physical and chemical characteristics of single cells or particles. During this process, a sample containing cells is suspended in a buffered saline solution and forced through a narrow nozzle so that cells pass in a single-file stream through one or more focused laser beams. As each cell intersects the laser light, it scatters the light, and any fluorescent markers on or within the cell are excited to emit light of specific wavelengths. This light scatter and fluorescence are captured by detectors and converted into electronic signals, allowing for high-throughput, multi-parametric analysis of individual cells at rates of thousands of cells per second.

Explanation

Tilottama Sen won the bronze medal in the women's 10 m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2023 held in Cairo, Egypt. She secured the third-place podium finish by shooting a score of 262.0 in the ranking round of the competition, which took place in February 2023.

Explanation

Lui Ngai Ni is the collective seed-sowing festival celebrated by the Naga tribes of Manipur. It is observed every year on February 14 and 15 to mark the commencement of the new cultivation season and to pray for a bountiful harvest. The festival is a major cultural event in the state, bringing together various Naga tribes to showcase their rich heritage through traditional dances, folk songs, and indigenous rituals.

Explanation

Gulabo Sapera is a renowned folk dancer from Rajasthan who is credited with taking the traditional Kalbelia dance from its nomadic roots to the international stage. Born into the Kalbelia snake-charmer community, she overcame immense social hurdles to popularize this expressive dance form, which features movements mimicking those of a serpent. Her efforts to preserve and promote this cultural art form earned her the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2016. The Kalbelia dance itself was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010.

Explanation

The measures of money supply M1, M2, M3, and M4 are classified by the Reserve Bank of India based on their ease of transaction or liquidity. M1 is the most liquid measure because it consists of currency in circulation and demand deposits, which can be readily used for transactions. As we move from M1 to M2, M3, and finally M4, the assets included become progressively less liquid, as they incorporate savings and time deposits that cannot be immediately withdrawn or used for transactions without certain delays or penalties. Thus, the sequence M1, M2, M3, and M4 represents a transition from the highest level of liquidity to the lowest level of liquidity.

Explanation

Article 37 of the Constitution of India explicitly declares that the Directive Principles of State Policy are non-justiciable. This means that these provisions are not enforceable by any court of law. If the state fails to implement any directive principle, citizens cannot approach the judiciary to compel the government to enforce them. This non-justiciable character was designed by the constitution makers to provide flexibility to the government, allowing it to implement these socio-economic goals based on the availability of resources and time.

Explanation

The Eighth Five-Year Plan, which spanned from 1992 to 1997, was launched immediately following the severe balance of payments crisis of 1990-1991. Under the leadership of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, India initiated structural adjustment policies and macroeconomic stabilization. This plan marked a historic shift in India's planning paradigm by formally integrating and adopting wide-ranging fiscal and economic reforms, specifically liberalization, privatization, and globalization, to transition the country toward a market-oriented economy with reduced state control and enhanced private sector participation.

Explanation

The government spending multiplier is represented by the formula: m_g = 1 / (1 - MPC)

The tax multiplier is represented by the formula: m_t = -MPC / (1 - MPC)

Since the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) is a value between 0 and 1, the absolute value of the tax multiplier is always smaller than the government spending multiplier. This is because government spending directly injects the entire initial amount into the economy as aggregate demand. In contrast, a reduction in taxes first increases disposable income, of which consumers will save a portion and spend only the remainder. This initial leakage into savings makes the overall multiplier effect of a tax cut smaller than that of an equivalent increase in government purchases.

Explanation

Article 17 of the Indian Constitution explicitly abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability is a punishable offense in accordance with the law. Therefore, the Fundamental Rights strictly prohibit and penalize the practice of untouchability rather than providing conditions to practice it.

Explanation

Kumkum Dhar is a highly distinguished exponent and guru of Kathak, belonging to the Lucknow Gharana. She received training under the legendary Kathak master Pandit Lachhu Maharaj. Over her illustrious career, she has contributed extensively to the field of Kathak as a performer, choreographer, and academician. In recognition of her lifelong dedication and significant contributions to the practice and promotion of Kathak, she was honored with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2020.

Explanation

Kathak is a major Indian classical dance form that originated in Northern India and is deeply intertwined with Hindustani Classical Music. During its performances, the musical accompaniment utilizes Hindustani compositions such as Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri, and Dadra, along with North Indian percussion and melodic instruments like the tabla, pakhawaj, sarangi, and harmonium.

Explanation

NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) is an apex development finance institution and regulatory body in India, established in 1982 under an Act of Parliament. It is fully owned by the Government of India through the Ministry of Finance, meaning it is a statutory government body and a development bank rather than a non-governmental organization.

Explanation

The Swaran Singh Committee was set up by the government in 1976 to make recommendations about fundamental duties, the need for which was felt during the operation of the national emergency. The committee recommended the inclusion of a separate chapter on fundamental duties in the Constitution to ensure that citizens are conscious of their duties while enjoying their rights. Accepting these recommendations, the Parliament enacted the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976, which added Part IV-A and Article 51-A to the Constitution, introducing ten Fundamental Duties.

Explanation

Pratham Bank was established on October 2, 1975, as the first Regional Rural Bank in India. Sponsored by Syndicate Bank, it was set up with its head office in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, following the recommendations of the Narasimham Committee on Rural Credit.

Explanation

Gujarat became the first state in India to introduce a dedicated Semiconductor Policy (2022-2027) in July 2022. This policy was launched to align with the central government's India Semiconductor Mission, aiming to establish the state as a leading hub for semiconductor and display fabrication manufacturing. It offers major incentives to investors, including concessions on land procurement, subsidies on power tariffs, and high-quality water supply facilitation to attract domestic and global semiconductor design and manufacturing companies.

Explanation

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a Test cricket series played between India and Australia. During the 2022-23 series held in India, the Indian cricket team defeated Australia 2-1 in the four-match series to retain the trophy. This series victory, combined with other international match results, ensured India's qualification for the ICC World Test Championship Final.

Explanation

Uttararamacarita is a celebrated Sanskrit play composed by Bhavabhuti, an eminent 8th-century dramatist and scholar who served in the court of King Yashovarman of Kannauj. The play, structured in seven acts, chronicles the later life of Rama as described in the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana. It primarily focuses on the abandonment of Sita, Rama's profound grief and remorse, the childhood of their twin sons Lava and Kusha, and the ultimate emotional reunion of the family. Bhavabhuti is highly acclaimed for his masterful portrayal of Karuna Rasa (the sentiment of pathos and compassion) in this work.

Explanation

The Indian Constitution establishes India as a secular state, meaning the state does not recognize, promote, or patronize any religion as the official state religion. The Preamble of the Constitution explicitly declares India to be a secular republic. Under this framework, the state maintains a policy of neutrality and equal tolerance toward all religions, ensuring that there is no state-sponsored religion and that the state does not align itself with any particular faith.

Explanation

A liquidity trap is an economic situation described in Keynesian economics where the nominal interest rate falls to an extremely low level, making monetary policy ineffective. At this very low interest rate, the opportunity cost of holding cash is virtually zero, and public expectation is that interest rates will only rise in the future, which would cause bond prices to fall. Consequently, investors and consumers prefer holding liquid cash rather than investing in bonds or other debt instruments. This behavior makes the speculative demand for money infinitely elastic, as people are willing to hoard any amount of money supplied. Consequently, the liquidity preference curve, which represents the demand for money relative to interest rates, becomes completely horizontal or perfectly elastic at this minimum interest rate.

Explanation

Koneru Humpy secured the silver medal in the Women's section of the FIDE World Blitz Chess Championship held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in December 2022. By scoring 12.5 points out of 17 rounds, she finished just half a point behind the winner, becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal in the history of this prestigious global blitz tournament.

Explanation

The Atal Road Tunnel, constructed under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway, connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley. This 9.02 km long tunnel bypasses the Rohtang Pass, reducing the travel distance between Manali and Keylong by about 46 km and travel time by around 4 to 5 hours. It provides all-weather connectivity to the Lahaul-Spiti valley, which previously remained cut off from the rest of the country for nearly six months every year due to heavy snowfall.

Explanation

Himachal Pradesh is designated as India's first carbon-free state due to its comprehensive environmental policies and sustainable development initiatives. The state government launched a dedicated master plan to combat climate change and reduce carbon emissions, focusing heavily on clean energy, extensive afforestation, banning plastic bags, and promoting organic farming. By successfully leveraging its vast hydropower potential and implementing strict environmental regulations, Himachal Pradesh achieved this pioneering status in green governance.

Explanation

The banyan tree is scientifically classified as Ficus bengalensis. Belonging to the fig family Moraceae, this massive evergreen tree is native to the Indian subcontinent and is famous for its unique growth habit. It produces adventitious aerial roots from its branches, which grow downwards to the ground, take root in the soil, and become thick wooden trunks called prop roots that support the heavy, expansive canopy.

Explanation

Extensive cultivation is an agricultural system characterized by low inputs of labor, capital, and fertilizers relative to the total area of land being farmed. This method is typically practiced on large landholdings where the pressure of population on the land is relatively low, making it more efficient to increase overall production by expanding the cultivated area rather than increasing inputs per unit of land. Consequently, the yield per unit of land is generally low, but the total output and productivity per worker can be high due to the vast scale of operations and the use of machinery.

Explanation

According to the National Sample Survey Office 68th round survey on Employment and Unemployment in India (2011-2012), the distribution of usually employed women across different sectors of the economy showed that 62.8% of female workers were employed in the primary sector, which predominantly consists of agriculture and allied activities. The remaining female workforce was distributed between the secondary sector at 20.0% and the tertiary sector at 17.2%.

Explanation

Kanaka Raju, often spelled as Kaukka Raju, is a legendary exponent of the Gussadi dance, a traditional folk art form of the Raj Gond tribal community in the Adilabad district of Telangana. He was honored with the Padma Shri award in 2021 in the field of Art for his lifelong dedication to preserving, performing, and teaching this ancient dance form to younger generations. The Gussadi dance is performed by Gond men during the harvest season festival of Dandari, characterized by dancers wearing elaborate headgears made of peacock feathers, known as Malpu, and traditional deer skin clothing.

Explanation

Hardness of water is a measure of the concentration of dissolved calcium and magnesium ions. It is conventionally expressed in terms of the equivalent concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). The standard unit for expressing water hardness is parts per million (ppm), where 1 ppm is equal to 1 milligram of calcium carbonate equivalent per liter of water (1 mg/L). This unit measures extremely dilute concentrations of minerals in water bodies, making it the most suitable and widely accepted scale for water quality standards.

Explanation

Credit cards require a formal credit history, high credit scores, and a structured steady income verification process, which are typically absent among the low-income and unbanked rural or semi-urban population served by microfinance institutions in India. Additionally, the high operational costs and complex credit line management associated with credit cards make them unsuitable for the microfinance business model, which focuses on small-ticket, collateral-free group or individual loans and basic financial services rather than revolving consumer credit lines.

Explanation

According to standard competitive swimming pool guidelines, such as those established by USA Swimming, the minimum required lane width for competition is 7 feet, which is equivalent to approximately 2.13 metres. This standard width ensures that swimmers have sufficient space to perform their strokes without interference and helps reduce the impact of waves generated by competitors in adjacent lanes.

Explanation

Under IUPAC nomenclature rules, when an acyl halide functional group represented by -COX (where X is a halogen atom) is present as a substituent rather than the principal functional group, it is designated by the prefix halocarbonyl. For specific halogens, this prefix becomes chlorocarbonyl for -COCl, bromocarbonyl for -COBr, and fluorocarbonyl for -COF.

Explanation

The Vernacular Press Act was enacted in 1878 during the viceroyalty of Lord Lytton, who served as the Viceroy of India from 1876 to 1880. This legislation was introduced to restrict the freedom of the Indian-language press and prevent the expression of criticism against British imperial policies, particularly concerning the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the government's handling of the Great Famine of 1876–1878. Under this act, the provincial governments were empowered to confiscate the printing presses and property of any newspaper publishing material deemed seditious.

Explanation

Tusu Parab is a prominent harvest festival celebrated in Jharkhand during the winter season, coinciding with Makar Sankranti in the Hindu month of Pausha. It is primarily observed by the agrarian and tribal communities of the region, including the Kurmi, Santhal, and Bhumij people. The festival is dedicated to the folk deity Tusu Devi, symbolizing youth and the bountiful harvest. Celebrations involve young girls decorating beautiful bamboo and paper structures called chaudals, singing traditional Tusu folk songs, and performing community dances, culminating in the ritual immersion of the deities in local rivers.

Explanation

The photoelectric effect refers to the emission of electrons from a metal surface when light of a sufficiently high frequency shines on it. This phenomenon cannot be explained by the wave theory of light, which predicts that energy would be absorbed continuously over time. Instead, Albert Einstein explained this effect by proposing that light behaves as a stream of localized packets of energy called photons. Each photon carries a discrete quantum of energy given by the formula E = hν, where h is Planck's constant and ν is the frequency of the light. When a photon collides with an electron, it transfers its energy entirely and instantaneously in a one-to-one interaction, much like the collision between two particles. This localized, packet-like behavior of light during its interaction with matter provides direct and definitive evidence for the particle nature of light.

Explanation

The Revolt of 1857 officially began on May 10, 1857, in the garrison town of Meerut. The rebellion was initiated by sepoys of the British East India Company's army after a group of soldiers refused to use the new Enfield rifle cartridges, which were rumoured to be greased with cow and pig fat. This act of defiance led to their court-martial and imprisonment, sparking a massive mutiny among the remaining sepoys. The mutineers attacked British officers, broke open the jail to release their comrades, and set off towards Delhi, marking the start of the widespread uprising against British rule in India.

Explanation

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an internationally acclaimed classical flautist who plays the bansuri, an Indian bamboo flute, in the Hindustani classical music tradition. He has been awarded prestigious civilian honors, including the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan, for his outstanding contributions to Indian classical music.

Explanation

According to the final data of the Census of India 2011, the total population of the country was 121.06 crore, out of which 37.71 crore resided in urban areas. This urban population constitutes approximately 31.16% of the total population, while the remaining 68.84% lived in rural areas. This represents an increase in the level of urbanization in the country, which was recorded at 27.81% in the previous 2001 census.

Explanation

The Smart Cities Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 25, 2015. Administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, this urban renewal and retrofitting program aimed to develop 100 sustainable, citizen-friendly cities across India to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life through local area development and technology.

Explanation

Article 44 of the Constitution of India, which is part of the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV, explicitly directs the State to endeavor to secure for the citizens a Uniform Civil Code throughout the territory of India. This directive aims to replace personal laws based on the scriptures and customs of each major religious community in the country with a common set of governing laws for every citizen, covering areas such as marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance, and adoption to promote national unity and gender equality.

Explanation

The Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, established in the year 1980. It is conferred in four distinct categories of creative arts, one of which is Classical Dance, alongside Classical Music, Theatre, and Plastic Arts. Renowned exponents of various Indian classical dance forms have been honored with this award over the years for their outstanding contributions to the field.