SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The Northern Railway zone is headquartered in New Delhi. Established in 1952, it is one of the nine original zones of the Indian Railways and remains one of the largest in terms of route kilometers and passenger volume, serving the northern states of India, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the Union Territories of Delhi and Chandigarh.

Explanation

The glide technique is a fundamental method used in the shot put to generate linear momentum before releasing the implement. Popularized by the American athlete Parry O'Brien in the 1950s, this technique involves the thrower starting at the rear of the circle facing away from the throwing direction. The athlete crouches on one leg, executes a powerful backward drive or glide across the circle, and then rapidly pivots and extends the body to push the shot put forward. This movement efficiently transfers horizontal velocity into powerful thrust, maximizing the throwing distance.

Explanation

Cytokinesis is the physical process of cell division that divides the cytoplasm of a parental cell into two daughter cells. This process typically occurs in the final stages of mitosis or meiosis, ensuring that each new cell receives a complete set of organelles and cytoplasmic components along with one of the newly formed nuclei. In animal cells, cytokinesis involves the formation of a contractile ring that pinches the cell membrane inward, creating a cleavage furrow. In plant cells, it occurs through the construction of a cell plate along the middle of the cell.

Explanation

Nitu Ghanghas won India's first gold medal at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships held in New Delhi. She achieved this feat by defeating Mongolia's Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg in the finals of the minimumweight (48 kg) category on March 25, 2023.

Explanation

During the presentation of the Union Budget 2023-24, the government announced the establishment of 500 new waste-to-wealth plants under the GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) scheme to promote a circular economy. This initiative includes 200 compressed biogas plants, of which 75 will be in urban areas, and 300 community or cluster-based plants, representing a total investment of ₹10,000 crore. The scheme focuses on managing organic waste, reducing pollution, and producing biogas and organic manure.

Explanation

Article 1 of the Indian Constitution declares India, that is Bharat, as a Union of States. This expression emphasizes the federal nature of the Indian polity, where the Union and the States coexist and collaborate. The term Union of States signifies that the federation is not the result of an agreement by the states, and no state has the right to secede from it. This foundational structure establishes a system of cooperative federalism, where both levels of government work in harmony and cooperation to ensure the governance, unity, and development of the nation.

Explanation

A budget deficit is a flow variable because it is measured over a specific period of time, typically a fiscal year. When a government runs a deficit, it must borrow to finance the shortfall, which directly increases the total outstanding public debt, which is a stock variable measured at a specific point in time. Thus, the deficit acts as a flow that adds to the stock of debt.

Additionally, accumulating debt to finance current deficits imposes a burden on future generations. Future citizens will bear the responsibility of servicing and repaying this debt, which often translates into higher tax rates, reduced public spending on essential services, or inflationary pressures in the future.

Explanation

Sarhul is the most popular tribal festival celebrated in Jharkhand, marking the beginning of the tribal New Year. Celebrated primarily by the Oraon, Munda, and Santhal tribes, this festival takes place during the spring season in the Hindu month of Chaitra when the Sal trees get new flowers and leaves. It is essentially a worship of nature, where the Sal tree is revered as the abode of Goddess Sarna, and is accompanied by traditional singing, dancing, and prayers for a prosperous agricultural year and protection from natural calamities.

Explanation

Isaac Newton invented the reflecting telescope in 1668 to overcome the problem of chromatic aberration, which occurred in refracting telescopes of his time. Refracting telescopes used glass lenses that dispersed white light into its constituent colors, producing blurry images with false color halos around objects. Newton solved this issue by using a highly polished, concave primary mirror made of speculum metal to collect and focus light. Since light of all wavelengths reflects off a mirror at the exact same angle, the reflecting telescope eliminated chromatic dispersion entirely, providing a much clearer and sharper image.

Explanation

Net Domestic Product (NDP) is defined as the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a nation minus the depreciation on its capital goods.

NDP = GDP - Depreciation

Depreciation represents the value of wear and tear of capital assets, also known as the consumption of fixed capital, during the production process. Subtracting this capital consumption from the gross value provides the net value of goods and services produced within the domestic boundary of a country.

Explanation

The Government of India Act 1935 established a federal system in India by dividing legislative powers between the Centre and the provinces. This division was organized into three lists: the Federal List for the central legislature, the Provincial List for the provincial legislatures, and the Concurrent List for areas of shared jurisdiction. Residual powers under this scheme were vested in the Governor-General. This three-fold distribution of legislative subjects served as the structural predecessor to the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Explanation

According to the Census of India 2011, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India with a population of approximately 19.98 crore, representing about 16.5% of the total national population. Maharashtra is the second most populous state with a population of around 11.23 crore (9.28%), followed by Bihar in third place with a population of approximately 10.40 crore (8.6%). These three states represent the highest population counts in the country.

Explanation

Jallikattu is a traditional bull-taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as an integral part of the Pongal harvest festival celebrations, specifically on Mattu Pongal day. The practice dates back thousands of years and is deeply intertwined with the cultural identity, agricultural heritage, and preservation of native cattle breeds in the region.

Explanation

Correct Answer: A

The Tapi River, along with the Narmada River, is one of the major rivers in India that flows through a rift valley. This rift valley was formed due to faulting caused by the tectonic activity associated with the rise of the Himalayas. The Tapi River flows westwards in a trough or graben between the Satpura Range to its north and the Ajanta Hills and Satmala Hills to its south before emptying into the Arabian Sea.

Explanation

The Beas River originates at Beas Kund near the Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas, at an altitude of approximately 4,062 metres above mean sea level. Located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, this glacier-fed source feeds the river as it flows through the Kullu and Kangra valleys before entering the plains of Punjab, where it eventually merges with the Sutlej River at Harike.

Explanation

Virat Kohli was the leading run-scorer in the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup held in Australia. He scored a total of 296 runs in six innings at an exceptional average of 98.66 and a strike rate of 136.40. His stellar performance during the tournament included four half-centuries, with a highest score of 82 not out in a memorable match against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Explanation

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs is the apex national body in India responsible for administering Customs, Goods and Services Tax, Central Excise, and Narcotics. It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Originally known as the Central Board of Excise and Customs, its name was officially changed in 2018 to reflect the implementation of the indirect tax reform, the Goods and Services Tax.

Explanation

The redistribution of income and wealth is a primary objective of government fiscal policy achieved through the state budget. To reduce economic inequalities, the government employs a combination of progressive taxation and targeted public expenditure. High-income earners are taxed at higher rates, and the collected revenue is transferred to lower-income groups through social welfare schemes, subsidies, free education, and healthcare services, thereby redistributing resources more equitably across society.

Explanation

The First Battle of Panipat was fought on 21 April 1526 between the invading Mughal forces of Babur and the ruling Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi. Babur secured a decisive victory over the numerically superior army of the Delhi Sultanate by employing innovative military tactics, such as the Tulughma system and the effective use of field artillery. Ibrahim Lodi was killed on the battlefield, which brought an end to the Lodi dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate, paving the way for the establishment of the Mughal Empire in India.

Explanation

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) was established in 1958. It was formed by merging the Technical Development Establishment of the Indian Army and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production with the Defence Science Organisation. It functions under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, with the mandate of designing and developing state-of-the-art weapon systems and technologies for the Indian Armed Forces.

Explanation

Lord Cornwallis is regarded as the Father of Civil Services in India due to his significant reforms in reorganizing and systematizing the civil administration of the East India Company during his tenure as Governor-General from 1786 to 1793. He introduced strict rules to curb corruption, prohibited private trade by company servants, and substantially raised their salaries to ensure integrity. He also established a clear separation between the commercial and administrative branches of the company, laying the foundation for the structured Covenanted Civil Services in India.

Explanation

Kottakkal Nandakumaran Nair is a highly accomplished Kathakali artist who has dedicated decades to the preservation and performance of this classical dance-drama of Kerala. Having trained at the prestigious PSV Natyasangham in Kottakkal, he is widely recognized for his mastery over both the acting (Abhinaya) and dance (Nritya) aspects of the art form. In recognition of his lifetime contribution and excellence in Kathakali, he was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2019.

Explanation

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India, was a deeply spiritual person who had a great passion for Indian classical music and was a proficient player of the Veena. He learned to play this traditional Indian stringed instrument during his early career in Trivandrum and continued to practice it throughout his life, including during his presidency at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, often using it as a source of relaxation and contemplation.

Explanation

Subsistence agriculture refers to a farming system where the main focus of the farmers is to produce enough food to feed themselves and their families. In this practice, almost the entire agricultural output is consumed directly by the farming household, leaving little to no surplus for commercial sale or trade. This type of farming relies heavily on family labor, simple tools, and traditional techniques, prioritising immediate survival and self-sufficiency over market-oriented profit.

Explanation

George Gabriel Stokes formulated the law of viscosity, known as Stokes' law, in 1851. This physical law determines the drag force exerted on spherical objects moving through a viscous fluid at low Reynolds numbers. The formula for the frictional force F acting on the interface of a sphere of radius r traveling at velocity v through a fluid of dynamic viscosity μ is F = 6πμrv. This contribution significantly advanced the science of hydrodynamics by mathematically describing how particles settle through viscous media.

Explanation

Repo Rate, or Repurchase Rate, is the key policy interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends short-term money to commercial banks against the collateral of government securities. When commercial banks face a shortage of funds, they borrow from the central bank using this facility. A reduction in this rate makes borrowing cheaper for commercial banks, which in turn helps in injecting liquidity into the banking system and encouraging economic growth.

Explanation

According to the 2011 Census of India, the Muslim population in the country was 172.2 million, which constituted 14.2% of the total population of 1.21 billion.

Explanation

Onam is the official state harvest festival of Kerala, celebrated with immense joy and cultural fervor. Falling in the Malayalam month of Chingam, which corresponds to August-September, the festival commemorates the legendary homecoming of King Mahabali. The celebrations last for ten days and are characterized by vibrant floral carpets called Pookalam, grand traditional feasts known as Onasadya, boat races like Vallam Kali, and various folk dances including Pulikali.

Explanation

Kumudini Lakhia, a legendary Kathak dancer and choreographer from Gujarat, was honoured with the Guru Gopinath National Award 2021. This prestigious award, instituted by the Government of Kerala through the Guru Gopinath National Dance Museum, recognized her pioneering and lifelong contributions to the field of Kathak, particularly her innovative group choreographies and the establishment of her dance academy, Kadamb Centre for Dance, in Ahmedabad.

Explanation

In competitive asset markets, the law of one price and the absence of arbitrage opportunities ensure that financial assets are priced efficiently. The equilibrium price of a bond is determined by discounting its expected future cash flows, such as periodic coupon payments and the principal repayment at maturity, back to the present using the market-clearing interest rate. If the market price of the bond deviated from this present value, market participants would immediately buy or sell the asset to exploit the price discrepancy for risk-free profits. This trading activity rapidly adjusts the market price until all arbitrage opportunities are eliminated, meaning the price of the bond must always equal its present value in equilibrium.

Explanation

The Green Revolution did not cause migration from urban to rural areas. Instead, it accelerated rural-to-urban migration. The introduction of farm machinery and capital-intensive cultivation techniques reduced the overall demand for agricultural labor in rural sectors. This displacement of labor, combined with regional disparities in agricultural growth, compelled landless laborers and marginalized farmers to migrate from villages to urban centers in search of employment and better livelihood opportunities.

Explanation

The M1 measure of money supply, often referred to as narrow money, represents the most liquid assets in the economy. Under the framework of monetary aggregates, it is calculated as:

M1 = C + DD + OD

Where C is currency with the public, consisting of all notes and coins in circulation outside the banking system. DD is demand deposits with the banking system, representing deposits in savings and current accounts that depositors can withdraw at any time. OD represents other deposits with the Reserve Bank of India, which includes demand deposits of public financial institutions, foreign central banks, and multilateral institutions.

Explanation

The Indian Academy of Sciences was founded by the Nobel laureate Sir C. V. Raman in 1934 and was formally inaugurated on 31 July 1934 in Bangalore, Karnataka. It was established with the objective of promoting the progress and upholding the cause of science, and it began functioning with 65 founding fellows.

Explanation

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, originally known as Ghazi Malik, was the governor of Dipalpur and warden of the western marches during the late Khalji period. When Nasiruddin Khusrau Shah assassinated Qutbuddin Mubarak Khalji and usurped the throne of Delhi in 1320, Ghazi Malik refused to acknowledge his authority. He mobilized a coalition of Turkish nobles, marched towards Delhi, and defeated Khusrau Shah in battle. After capturing Delhi, Ghazi Malik ascended the throne under the title of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, thereby founding the Tughlaq dynasty.

Explanation

The conversion of milk into curd is a chemical change because it results in the formation of a new chemical substance with entirely different properties. During this process, Lactobacillus bacteria ferment the lactose sugar present in milk into lactic acid. This lactic acid coagulates the milk proteins (casein), changing the texture, taste, and chemical composition permanently. Since a new substance is formed and the process cannot be reversed to regain the original milk, it is classified as a chemical change.

Explanation

Sanjay Kumar Mishra, a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, had his tenure as the Director of the Enforcement Directorate extended by one year in November 2021. This extension was granted by the Central Government following the promulgation of an ordinance that amended the Central Vigilance Commission Act, allowing the tenure of the Enforcement Directorate chief to be extended up to a maximum of five years, with one-year extensions at a time.

Explanation

The North Indian Plains, also known as the Indo-Gangetic Plains, are formed by the alluvial deposits of the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems. This region features highly fertile soil, a flat terrain, and an abundant water supply, which together facilitate intensive agriculture and support diverse livelihood opportunities. The ease of construction for transport networks and urban infrastructure in these flat plains has historically attracted large-scale human settlement, making it one of the most densely populated geographic regions in India and the world.

Explanation

Article 44 of the Constitution of India directs the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. This article is categorized under the Liberal-Intellectual principles of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which represent the ideology of liberalism and aim to establish a modern, progressive, and unified legal framework for all citizens irrespective of their religion.

Explanation

Gurcharan Singh is a legendary Indian cricket coach who was honored with the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2023 for his immense contributions to the sport of cricket. Over a career spanning several decades, he has trained and mentored numerous national and international cricketers, including players like Kirti Azad and Maninder Singh, making him one of the most respected figures in Indian cricket coaching.

Explanation

Salaries and old-age pensions are classified as revenue expenditure because they are routine, recurring operational expenses of the government that do not lead to the creation of any physical or financial assets, nor do they result in the reduction of any government liability.

Explanation

Olivine is a magnesium iron silicate mineral with the chemical formula (Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄. It typically exhibits a characteristic olive-green, yellowish-green, or green color. This mineral is a major constituent of the Earth's mantle and is highly abundant in silica-poor mafic and ultramafic igneous rocks such as basalt, gabbro, dunite, diabase, and peridotite. Gem-quality olivine is valued as a gemstone and is commonly referred to as peridot.

Explanation

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) is a prominent public sector undertaking owned by the Government of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Heavy Industries. Established in 1956, BHEL is India's largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in the energy and infrastructure sectors, operating as a Maharatna central public sector enterprise.

Explanation

Romesh Chunder Dutt wrote the landmark publication The Economic History of India, which was released in two volumes in 1902 and 1904. As an eminent administrator and economic nationalist, Dutt provided a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the economic policies of the British Raj. His work detailed how colonial policies, specifically heavy land revenue demands, the decline of traditional domestic industries, and the continuous drain of wealth, led to the impoverishment of the Indian peasantry and recurring famines during the nineteenth century.

Explanation

Jagoi is the traditional term for dance in the Manipuri language, forming the core of the state's classical and ritualistic dance traditions such as Lai Haraoba. Thabal Chongba, which translates to dancing by moonlight, is a popular traditional folk dance of Manipur performed by youth during the annual Yaoshang festival to celebrate the onset of spring.

Explanation

In March 2023, Rohan Bopanna made history by becoming the oldest tennis player to win an ATP Masters 1000 title at the age of 43. He achieved this milestone by winning the men's doubles title at the Indian Wells Masters in California, partnering with Australian Matthew Ebden. This victory broke the previous record held by Canadian tennis player Daniel Nestor, who had won a Masters 1000 title at the age of 42.

Explanation

In 1830, Joseph Henry, an American scientist, developed the world's most powerful electromagnet, known as the Albany magnet, while working at the Albany Academy. By insulating copper wire with silk thread and winding multiple layers of wire around an iron core, he successfully created an electromagnet that could support up to 750 pounds of iron. This breakthrough demonstrated the power of using parallel windings to increase current flow, which greatly improved electromagnetic strength and subsequently paved the way for the invention of the electric telegraph.

Explanation

Thomas Hicks was the first American athlete to win the Olympic marathon gold medal, achieving this feat at the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis.

Explanation

Article 51A (a) of the Constitution of India prescribes that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag, and the National Anthem. This fundamental duty was incorporated into Part IVA of the Constitution under Article 51A by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976, following the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Begum Akhtar, born as Akhtari Bai Faizabadi, was an iconic Indian singer widely known as Mallika-e-Ghazal (Queen of Ghazals). She was a legendary exponent of the ghazal, dadra, and thumri genres of Hindustani classical music. Her soulful voice and unique style of rendering Urdu poetry brought her immense acclaim, and she was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1975 for her extraordinary contribution to classical music and the art of ghazal singing.

Explanation

The Indian National Science Academy is headquartered in New Delhi. It was established in January 1935 in Calcutta under the name National Institute of Sciences of India and was later shifted to New Delhi in May 1946. The academy was renamed the Indian National Science Academy in 1970. It serves as the apex body of Indian scientists, representing all branches of science and technology to promote scientific knowledge in India and its practical application to national welfare.