SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Correct Answer: C

Bastar Dussehra is a prominent festival celebrated in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. It is renowned as the longest festival in the world, spanning over a period of 75 days. Unlike the traditional Dussehra which marks the victory of Rama over Ravana, Bastar Dussehra is dedicated to the worship of Devi Danteshwari, the presiding deity of the Bastar region and the royal family of Jagdalpur. The festival involves a series of unique rituals, including the construction of a massive wooden chariot by local artisans, and witnesses the enthusiastic participation of numerous tribal communities from across the region.

Explanation

Koustav Chatterjee, a chess player from Kolkata, became India's 78th Grandmaster during the MPL 59th Senior National Chess Championship held in New Delhi. He secured his final Grandmaster norm and surpassed the Elo rating of 2500 during the tournament to achieve this title.

Explanation

Article 20 (2) of the Constitution of India contains the provision against double jeopardy, safeguarding an individual from being prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once. This fundamental right is based on the common law maxim "nemo debet bis vexari", meaning no person should be twice vexed for the same cause. This protection is available only in proceedings before a court of law or a judicial tribunal, ensuring that no person undergoes multiple trials or punishments for a single criminal act.

Explanation

A neutral point in the magnetic field of a bar magnet is a location where the magnetic field produced by the magnet is exactly equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the horizontal component of the Earth's magnetic field. Because these two magnetic fields cancel each other out, the resultant net magnetic field at this point is zero. A compass needle placed at a neutral point experiences no magnetic torque and can point in any direction.

Explanation

Pellagra is a nutritional disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B3, also known as niacin, or its precursor amino acid, tryptophan. It is classically characterized by the triad of dermatitis, diarrhea, and dementia, which directly impact the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system respectively. The skin manifestations typically present as a symmetrical, sunburn-like rash on areas exposed to sunlight. Gastrointestinal symptoms include inflammation of the digestive tract, leading to vomiting, abdominal pain, and chronic diarrhea. Neurological effects begin with fatigue, insomnia, and depression, eventually progressing to confusion, memory loss, and dementia.

Explanation

Lord Rayleigh, also known as John William Strutt, collaborated with William Ramsay to discover argon in 1894. Rayleigh had observed that nitrogen extracted from the atmosphere was consistently heavier than nitrogen produced from chemical compounds. This discrepancy led the two scientists to investigate atmospheric gases further. By removing oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water from a sample of air, they isolated a remaining unreactive gas. They named this new element argon, which means inactive in Greek, identifying it as the first of the noble gases. For this discovery, Rayleigh received the Nobel Prize in Physics and Ramsay received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904.

Explanation

The Nilgiri Hills, located at the tri-junction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka in southern India, serve as the geographic junction where the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats meet. This mountainous range forms a crucial ecological bridge and a majestic knot connecting the two major hill systems of the Indian peninsula. The region is known for its unique montane wet temperate forests, commonly referred to as Sholas, and its highest peak is Doddabetta, which stands at an elevation of 2637 meters.

Explanation

Monetary policy is the policy formulated by the central bank to control the money supply and interest rates in an economy. Its primary and general target is to ensure price stability, which means controlling inflation and preventing extreme fluctuations in the price level. Price stability is crucial because it preserves the purchasing power of the currency, reduces economic uncertainty for consumers and investors, and creates a stable financial environment necessary for sustainable long-term economic growth.

Explanation

George Palade used pulse-chase labeling experiments with radioactive amino acids and electron microscopy in the 1960s to map the pathway of secretory proteins. His research established that proteins synthesized on ribosomes attached to the rough endoplasmic reticulum are transported into the lumen of the ER for initial processing and subsequently sorted and transported to the Golgi complex and beyond. This landmark discovery of the secretory pathway and the functional role of the endoplasmic reticulum in protein processing and sorting earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974.

Explanation

Under Section 9 of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the state governments and Union Territory administrations are specifically responsible for identifying the eligible households, which includes families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana and other priority households. This identification process is carried out by the respective state or UT authorities in accordance with the guidelines formulated by them, within the overall coverage and ceilings determined for each state by the Central Government.

Explanation

Indian wrestler Antim Panghal won the silver medal in the women's 53 kg weight category at the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships held in Astana, Kazakhstan. She reached the gold medal match after strong performances in the earlier rounds, ultimately finishing as the runner-up after a loss to Japan's Akari Fujinami in the final.

Explanation

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award was officially renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on 6 August 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made this announcement following nationwide requests to name India's highest sporting honor after the legendary hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, who won three Olympic gold medals for India in 1928, 1932, and 1936.

Explanation

The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act was enacted by the Parliament of India in August 2003 to institutionalize financial discipline, reduce the fiscal deficit, improve macroeconomic management, and ensure long-term macro-economic stability. The Act, along with its rules, was officially brought into effect by the Government of India on July 5, 2004, which falls within the financial year 2004-05.

Explanation

Public goods are characterized by non-excludability, which means that once the good is provided, it is impossible or highly impractical to prevent individuals from using or benefiting from it, regardless of whether they have paid for it. This inherent feature gives rise to the free-rider problem, where consumers have a strong incentive to utilize the good without contributing to its cost. Since people can enjoy the benefits of the good for free, private markets often fail to provide public goods efficiently, necessitating government intervention or public financing to ensure their supply.

Explanation

The Pushkar Mela, also known as the Pushkar Camel Fair, is an annual multi-day livestock and cultural fair held in the town of Pushkar, located in the Ajmer district of Rajasthan. It is one of the largest camel, horse, and cattle fairs in the world, attracting thousands of domestic and international tourists. The festival takes place during the Hindu month of Kartik, typically falling in October or November, and concludes on Kartik Poornima, coinciding with a sacred pilgrimage where devotees bathe in the holy waters of Pushkar Lake.

Explanation

The number of significant figures is determined by standard measurement rules. Leading zeros, which are the zeros to the left of the first non-zero digit (the zeros in 0.0 before the 5), serve only as placeholders to indicate the position of the decimal point and are not significant. All non-zero digits (5 and 8) are significant. Trailing zeros in a decimal number (the two zeros after the 8) are also significant because they indicate the precision of the measurement. Therefore, the digits 5, 8, 0, and 0 are significant, yielding a total of four significant figures.

Explanation

Durable goods are consumer goods that do not wear out quickly and yield utility over a long period of time, typically three years or more. Because of their long lifespan and high durability, these goods are purchased infrequently. Repetitive or frequent purchases are characteristic of non-durable goods, which are consumed rapidly in one or a few uses and require constant replacement, whereas durable goods are designed to last and do not require continuous or repetitive purchasing.

Explanation

Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi is the busiest airport in India in terms of both passenger traffic and aircraft movements. In the calendar year 2022, it handled the highest volume of passengers, recording over 59 million travelers, and managed the maximum number of commercial aircraft takeoffs and landings in the country, supported by its three active runways and extensive domestic and international network connections.

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2023-24, the Government of India adopted seven priority areas to guide the nation through the Amrit Kaal, collective termed as the Saptarishi. These seven interconnected priorities are inclusive development, reaching the last mile, infrastructure and investment, unleashing the potential, green growth, youth power, and the financial sector. They are designed to act as guiding stars, working in tandem to foster holistic, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth across the country.

Explanation

According to the Census of India 2011, the states and union territories with the highest literacy rates in descending order are Kerala with 94.00%, followed by the Union Territory of Lakshadweep with 91.85%, and Mizoram with 91.33%. These three regions hold the top three positions in literacy rates across the country, making this sequence the correct representation of descending literacy levels.

Explanation

Abhinaya Darpana, written by Nandikeshvara, is one of the most authoritative ancient treatises on gesture and expression (abhinaya), serving as a primary source for the study and practice of Bharatanatyam. The other texts listed deal with drama, Sanskrit grammar, and statecraft.

Explanation

Central assistance for states and union territories is classified under plan expenditure as it is used to fund development programs and schemes of the plans. On the other hand, interest payments, defense services, subsidies, and salaries and pensions of government employees are classic examples of non-plan revenue expenditure.

Explanation

During the medieval period, the term bhoga referred to revenue assignments or the right to the usufruct and enjoyment of land revenue. In the administrative and land grant systems of medieval India, kings often distributed land or the right to collect revenue from specific territories to officers, feudatories, or religious institutions instead of paying cash salaries. This practice of assigning the rights to enjoy the revenue and resources of a region was known as bhoga, which literally translates to enjoyment or possession.

Explanation

The Koya rebellion of 1879 to 1880 in the Malkangiri region of Odisha was led by the tribal leader Tama Dora. The rebellion broke out as a protest against the oppressive British colonial forest laws, high taxes on toddy tapping, and the exploitation of the indigenous Koya population by local police and traders. Tama Dora organized the tribal people and challenged the British authority, even establishing a temporary parallel administration, before being defeated and killed by British forces in 1880.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

According to the Laws of the Game established by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the penalty mark is positioned at a distance of 12 yards (equivalent to 11 meters) from the midpoint between the goalposts and directly opposite to it, measured from the inner edge of the goal line to the center of the penalty mark.

Explanation

Guru Bipin Singh, a legendary exponent, choreographer, and scholar of Manipuri dance, was honored with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1966 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama. Often regarded as the father of modern Manipuri dance, he made significant contributions to refining and popularizing this classical dance form globally.

Explanation

Ustad Zakir Hussain is a world-renowned Indian tabla virtuoso, composer, and music producer. He is widely recognized for his extraordinary skill and contributions to Indian classical music and global percussion, carrying forward the legacy of his father, the legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

Explanation

The radius of curvature r of a charged particle moving perpendicular to a homogeneous magnetic field is determined by the balance between the centripetal force and the magnetic Lorentz force:

mv² / r = qvB

Solving for r gives:

r = mv / qB

Since momentum p is defined as the product of mass and velocity (p = mv), the formula becomes:

r = p / qB

This relation shows that the radius of curvature r is directly proportional to the momentum of the particle.

Explanation

At the fifth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games held in Madhya Pradesh in January-February 2023, Maharashtra topped the overall medal tally. The state won a total of 161 medals, which included 56 gold medals, 55 silver medals, and 50 bronze medals to secure the first position in the tournament.

Explanation

The formation of a Rent Authority Department is not an agricultural reform under the five-year plans. Rent Authorities are regulatory bodies established under urban rent control and tenancy laws, such as the Model Tenancy Act, to oversee residential and commercial leasing, register tenancy agreements, and resolve landlord-tenant disputes in urban municipal areas. They function under urban development and housing departments rather than agricultural or agrarian land reform frameworks.

Explanation

The primary reason for the drying up of old wells is the widespread installation and usage of boring pumps in surrounding areas. Boring pumps extract groundwater from deeper aquifers at a very high rate. When numerous pumps are operated continuously, the rate of water extraction far exceeds the natural rate of groundwater recharge. This intensive depletion lowers the overall water table in the region, leaving shallower water sources like traditional open wells without any water supply.

Explanation

Article 19 of the Constitution of India is the primary article dealing with the Right to Freedom, which is one of the six fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution. This article specifically guarantees six democratic freedoms to all citizens of India, which include the freedom of speech and expression, the freedom to assemble peacefully and without arms, the freedom to form associations or unions or co-operative societies, the freedom to move freely throughout the territory of India, the freedom to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India, and the freedom to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade, or business.

Explanation

During the summer months, a strong low-pressure center develops over northwestern India. This intense low pressure draws the moisture-laden southeast trade winds from the high-pressure area over the Southern Indian Ocean. As these trade winds cross the equator, the Coriolis force deflects them to the right in the Northern Hemisphere. This deflection changes their direction, causing them to enter the Indian subcontinent as south-westerly winds, which bring the southwest monsoon rains.

Explanation

Article 12 of the Indian Constitution defines the term State for the purpose of Part III, which deals with Fundamental Rights. According to this article, the State includes the Government and Parliament of India, the Government and Legislature of each State, and all local or other authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India. Through various landmark judgments, the judiciary has significantly expanded the interpretation of other authorities under this definition to encompass statutory corporations, government companies, and other bodies acting as instrumentalities or agencies of the State, thereby ensuring broader protection of fundamental rights against arbitrary actions.

Explanation

Shreya Ghoshal is a highly acclaimed Indian playback singer and music composer who has won multiple National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for her vocal contributions to Indian cinema across various regional languages, rather than being a professional classical dancer.

Explanation

Article 47 of the Constitution of India, which is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy, explicitly directs the State to regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana, as a flagship health insurance scheme designed to provide affordable and quality healthcare access to vulnerable sections of society, directly aligns with the constitutional directive to improve public health under Article 47.

Explanation

Radio broadcasting in India commenced in June 1923 during the British Raj, when the Radio Club of Bombay made the first-ever broadcast in the country. This pioneering event marked the beginning of amateur radio transmission in India, which was followed by the establishment of other radio clubs, such as the Calcutta Radio Club in November 1923.

Explanation

Ustad Ali Akbar Khan was an illustrious Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana and one of the most celebrated master performers of the sarod. Trained by his father, Acharya Allauddin Khan, he played a pioneering role in introducing and popularizing Indian classical music in the West. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 1989 and became the first Indian musician to receive a MacArthur Fellowship in 1991. His virtuosity, soulful renditions, and numerous compositions significantly elevated the global profile of the sarod.

Explanation

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won the silver medal in the women's 49 kg category at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships held in Bogota, Colombia. She achieved this by lifting a total weight of 200 kg, which comprised 87 kg in the snatch and 113 kg in the clean and jerk.

Explanation

Rajasthan became the first state in India to pass the Right to Health Act. The legislation guarantees free OPD and IPD services, consultations, medicines, and diagnostics at all public health institutions for every resident of the state. Additionally, it mandates that both public and designated private healthcare providers must provide emergency treatment and care without demanding any advance payment or delay.

Explanation

The Karve Committee, also known as the Village and Small Scale Industries Committee, was established by the Planning Commission of India in 1955. Named after its chairman Dattatraya Gopal Karve, the committee was tasked with identifying the potential of village and small-scale industries to promote rural development and generate employment, particularly during the formulation of the Second Five-Year Plan. It emphasized the promotion of these industries to encourage decentralized economic development and to ensure the effective utilization of local resources and labor.

Explanation

Moral suasion is a qualitative or selective method of credit control used by the Reserve Bank of India. It involves the central bank using informal persuasion, advice, appeals, and discussions to influence commercial banks to align their lending policies with the central bank's monetary objectives. Qualitative measures focus on regulating the allocation and direction of credit to specific sectors of the economy, rather than controlling the overall volume of money supply in the financial system. Through moral suasion, the RBI secures the cooperation of commercial banks to restrict credit during inflationary periods or expand credit to priority sectors during stagnation, without resorting to mandatory directives or penal actions.

Explanation

The Indian Navy Sailing Championship 2022 was conducted under the aegis of the Indian Naval Sailing Association at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, located in the Kannur district of Kerala, from 18 to 21 October 2022. This competitive event witnessed participation from yachtsmen and women representing all three commands of the Indian Navy.

Explanation

Ramesh Bais served as the 10th Governor of Jharkhand from July 2021 to February 2023. He was subsequently appointed as the 22nd Governor of Maharashtra in February 2023 by the President of India, succeeding Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Explanation

Niels Bohr proposed his revolutionary model of the hydrogen atom in 1913. His theory successfully adapted Max Planck's quantum concept to the Rutherford nuclear atom, postulating that electrons revolve around the nucleus only in certain stable, non-radiating circular orbits called stationary states. In these orbits, the angular momentum of the electron is quantized, meaning it can only take values that are integral multiples of h/2π, where h is Planck's constant. Bohr published this work in 1913 as a series of papers in the Philosophical Magazine, which fundamentally transformed the understanding of atomic structure and quantum mechanics.

Explanation

Actinium is a d-block element belonging to Group 3 of the periodic table. Its name originates from the ancient Greek word aktis (genitive aktinos), which means ray or beam, representing its highly radioactive nature and the emission of radiation. The chemical symbol for Actinium is Ac, where the first letter corresponds to the Greek letter alpha (α).

Explanation

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, popularly known as Lokmanya Tilak, initiated the public celebration of the Ganesh Festival (Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav) in Maharashtra in 1893. He transformed the traditional private household festival into a large-scale public event to bypass the British colonial government's ban on public political gatherings. By bringing people together through a shared cultural and religious platform, Tilak successfully fostered a sense of unity, national consciousness, and patriotic sentiment among the masses, which helped mobilize them against British rule.

Explanation

Lord's Cricket Ground in London was chosen as the venue to host the archery competition during the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. The archery events, which included both individual and team competitions for men and women, took place on the main outfield in front of the historic Pavilion from July 27 to August 3, 2012.

Explanation

According to the Sample Registration System report of 2011, the Crude Birth Rate of India was 21.8 per 1000 population. The Crude Birth Rate is a vital statistic that measures the frequency of live births in a population during a given year, calculated as the number of live births per 1000 of the estimated mid-year population.

Explanation

The microfinance model pioneered by Dr. Muhammad Yunus through the Grameen Bank relies on joint liability group lending. Under this system, loans are extended to individuals within a self-formed group of poor women. Since the group shares collective responsibility, a default by one member restricts credit access for all other members. This joint liability creates strong social pressure and peer monitoring within the community, motivating members to support one another and ensure timely repayment, which ultimately resulted in an exceptionally high repayment rate of 98%.