SSC CHSL Tier 1 2023 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

In the Union Budget 2023-24, the term Amrit Peedhi refers to the youth power of India. Youth Power is designated as one of the seven priorities, or Saptarishi, guiding the country through the Amrit Kaal. The budget emphasizes empowering the youth and helping the Amrit Peedhi realize their dreams through various skill development, technology, and entrepreneurship initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 4.0.

Explanation

Correct Answer: A

Balaghat district is the leading producer of copper in Madhya Pradesh and India. It houses the Malanjkhand copper deposit, which is the largest contiguous copper ore body in India. This open-cast mine, operated by Hindustan Copper Limited, contains the country's single largest copper reserve and contributes a major portion of India's total copper production.

Explanation

Anahat Singh won the girls under-15 squash title at the prestigious British Junior Open in January 2023 by defeating Sohaila Hazem of Egypt in the final match held in Birmingham. This victory marked her second title at the British Junior Open, having previously won the girls under-11 title in 2019.

Explanation

Kajari festival is predominantly celebrated in Chhattisgarh, along with some other parts of Central India, on the Shravan Purnima day by women praying for the well-being of their family and children.

Explanation

The Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992 to 1997) initiated indicative planning in India following the implementation of the historic economic reforms of 1991. With the onset of liberalization, privatization, and globalization, the government transitioned from its traditional role of direct control and command over the economy to that of a facilitator. Under indicative planning, the state provides broad guidelines, policy frameworks, and developmental targets, while relying primarily on private enterprise and market forces to drive industrial growth and allocate resources, allowing public sector investment to focus on social infrastructure and human resource development.

Explanation

The Westminster model is a democratic system of government modeled after the parliament of the United Kingdom, which is located at the Palace of Westminster in London. India adopted this system, where the executive branch of government is drawn from and held accountable to the legislature. Key features of this model in India include a bicameral parliament, a cabinet led by a Prime Minister who serves as the head of government, and a constitutional head of state.

Explanation

Bhushan Lakandri was conferred with the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2020 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of contemporary and creative dance. As an acclaimed choreographer and dancer, he has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of contemporary dance in India by blending traditional Indian dance vocabularies with modern choreographic techniques.

Explanation

For p-block elements, the group number in the periodic table is determined by the formula:

Group number = 10 + number of valence electrons

The given electronic configuration is [He]2s²2p⁶. The outermost shell is the second shell (n = 2), which contains 2 electrons in the 2s subshell and 6 electrons in the 2p subshell.

The total number of valence electrons is 2 + 6 = 8.

Applying the formula:

Group number = 10 + 8 = 18

This electronic configuration represents Neon (atomic number 10), which is a noble gas belonging to Group 18 of the periodic table.

Explanation

Primary prevention aims to prevent the onset of disease or injury before it occurs by reducing exposure to hazards and promoting overall health. Water defluoridation is a community-level intervention that reduces excessive fluoride levels in drinking water to safe, optimal limits. By lowering fluoride exposure before any physiological damage manifests, this measure directly prevents the development of dental and skeletal fluorosis in the population, making it a classic example of primary prevention.

Explanation

The Java Trench, also known as the Sunda Trench, is the deepest part of the Indian Ocean. It is located in the eastern Indian Ocean, stretching about 3200 kilometers along the southern coast of the Indonesian archipelago. The trench has a maximum depth of approximately 7187 meters, which is equivalent to 23560 feet. This deep-sea depression is formed by the subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate, making it a highly active tectonic and seismic zone.

Explanation

Part IXB of the Indian Constitution, which contains Articles 243ZH to 243ZT, specifically deals with the provisions of Co-operative Societies. This Part was incorporated into the Constitution of India through the 97th Amendment Act of 2011 to provide constitutional status and protection to co-operative societies. It covers aspects such as the incorporation, number and term of members of the board, election of board members, and auditing of accounts of co-operative societies.

Explanation

According to the Microfinance Institutions Network Micrometer Q4 FY21-22 report, Tamil Nadu emerged as the leading state in India in terms of the outstanding portfolio of microfinance loans. By the end of March 2022, Tamil Nadu's active microfinance loan portfolio reached approximately ₹36,806 crore, representing the largest share of the country's total microfinance loan portfolio.

Explanation

Sakina Khatun became the first female powerlifter from India to qualify for and compete in the Paralympic Games. She represented India at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020, competing in the women's 50 kg weight category where she achieved a fifth-place finish by successfully lifting 93 kg.

Explanation

Hockey India appointed Craig Fulton of South Africa as the head coach of the Indian men's hockey team in March 2023. Fulton brought nearly twenty-five years of coaching experience to the role, having previously served as the assistant coach for the Belgium national team during their gold-medal run at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and their World Cup victory in 2018. He also successfully coached Ireland's men's team, guiding them to qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Explanation

Under the Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana launched by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, one of the key exclusion criteria is that the combined annual income of the applicant's family must not exceed ₹2.5 Lakh. Therefore, the threshold of ₹4.50 Lakh is incorrect.

Explanation

The demand for money is inversely related to the rate of interest, primarily due to the speculative demand for money. When the interest rate is high, the opportunity cost of holding liquid cash is high because individuals can earn a higher return by investing in bonds or other interest-bearing financial assets. Consequently, people prefer to hold less cash, making the demand for money low. Conversely, when the interest rate is low, the opportunity cost of holding cash is low, and there is an expectation that interest rates will rise in the future, which would cause bond prices to fall. To avoid capital losses on bonds, individuals prefer to hold liquid cash, resulting in a high demand for money. This inverse relationship validates statements i and iv.

Explanation

Ustad Zakir Hussain is a world-renowned Indian tabla virtuoso, composer, and percussionist who has made immense contributions to Hindustani classical music and global music collaborations. He is the son of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. In recognition of his extraordinary mastery and contribution to the arts, he has been honored with several prestigious awards, including the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

Explanation

The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 AD by the brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty. During this period, Muhammad bin Tughlaq was ruling the Delhi Sultanate, with his reign spanning from 1325 to 1351 AD. The empire was established as a response to the political instability and rebellions in the Deccan during his chaotic rule.

Explanation

Dharavi, located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, is widely recognized and traditionally designated as Asia's largest slum in general knowledge and geographical contexts. It spans an area of just over 2.1 square kilometers and is home to an exceptionally dense population estimated between 700,000 and 1 million people. Beyond being a residential area, Dharavi is a major hub for informal economic activities, housing thousands of single-room factories that produce clay pots, leather goods, textiles, and recycled materials, contributing significantly to Mumbai's economy.

Explanation

Revenue receipts are the sum of tax revenue and non-tax revenue. The correct formulation is Revenue receipts = Tax revenue (net of State's share) + Non-tax revenue. The equation in option A incorrectly subtracts non-tax revenue from tax revenue instead of adding it.

Explanation

The Grand Trunk Road is one of Asia's oldest and longest major carriage roads, historically linking South Asia with Central Asia. Within the territory of modern India, this historic route connects the eastern metropolis of Kolkata in West Bengal to the northwestern city of Amritsar in Punjab near the international border. This major transport corridor spans across the Indo-Gangetic plain, passing through major states including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab.

Explanation

Lord Cornwallis introduced the Permanent Settlement System in Bengal in 1793 to secure a stable and fixed land revenue income for the East India Company. Under this policy, zamindars were recognized as the absolute owners of the land, and the revenue demand of the state was fixed permanently, where the zamindars paid 10/11th of the collected revenue to the Company and retained 1/11th as their share.

Explanation

Louis Pasteur discovered molecular chirality in 1848 while investigating the crystalline properties of sodium ammonium tartrate. He observed that the compound formed two distinct types of crystals that were non-superimposable mirror images of each other. By manually separating these hemihedral crystals using a microscope and tweezers, he demonstrated that each type rotated plane-polarized light in opposite directions. This discovery of optical isomerism established that the optical activity of a substance is linked to the asymmetric three-dimensional arrangement of its molecules, founding the field of stereochemistry.

Explanation

Ghurehi is a traditional folk dance native to the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. It is predominantly performed by women during auspicious occasions, festivals, and local fairs. The dance is characterized by graceful synchronized movements and is accompanied by traditional folk songs that reflect the rich cultural heritage, rituals, and daily lifestyle of the people living in the hilly regions of the state.

Explanation

Under Article 359 of the Indian Constitution, as amended by the 44th Amendment Act of 1978, the rights guaranteed by Article 20 (protection in respect of conviction for offenses) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) cannot be suspended even during a National Emergency. Therefore, the assertion that only Article 20 and Article 21 can be suspended is false, as these are the precise rights that are explicitly safeguarded from suspension.

Explanation

The Golden Quadrilateral is a major highway network in India that connects the four major metropolitan cities of the country. These four key cities located at the vertices of the quadrilateral are Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai.

Explanation

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is a food security welfare scheme aimed at providing free or subsidized food grains to the poorest households in India. The other options refer to schemes for skill development, health insurance, and pensions, respectively.

Explanation

Nitu Ghanghas won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, demonstrating exceptional skill and dominance in her weight category. In recognition of her outstanding performances and rapid rise in international boxing, which also included winning a gold medal at the 2023 IBA Women's World Boxing Championships, she was honored with the prestigious BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Emerging Player of the Year Award in March 2023.

Explanation

Uday Shankar is widely revered as the father of modern Indian dance. He pioneered the adaptation of Western theatrical techniques to traditional Indian dance forms, creating a unique fusion style known as creative dance. In the 1920s and 1930s, he popularized Indian dance globally through his international tours and collaborations. By blending classical temple dance postures with contemporary choreography, stage lighting, and storytelling, he revolutionized the Indian performing arts scene and laid the foundation for modern choreography in India.

Explanation

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in Part IV of the Indian Constitution are positive in nature because they require the State to take active measures and frame policies to establish social and economic democracy. They act as positive directives for governance, unlike Fundamental Rights which operate as negative restrictions on State action. Additionally, DPSPs carry moral and political sanctions. Although they are non-justiciable and cannot be legally enforced by a court of law, they are fundamental in the governance of the country, and any government is politically accountable to the electorate for their implementation.

Explanation

Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu, is the harvest festival celebrated in Assam that marks the end of the harvesting season in the Hindu calendar month of Magh. It directly coincides with Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated across various parts of India to mark the transition of the Sun into the Capricorn zodiac sign. During this festival, people in Assam build temporary night shelters called Bhelaghar and ceremonial structures called Meji from bamboo and thatch, which are set on fire the following morning as a prayer to the fire god Agni.

Explanation

The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance achieved a Guinness World Record under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) for opening 18,096,130 bank accounts in a single week. This major milestone in financial inclusion was accomplished during the inaugural week of the scheme from 23 August to 29 August 2014.

Explanation

Vinai Kumar Saxena was appointed as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi by President Ram Nath Kovind on 23 May 2022. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission from October 2015. He succeeded Anil Baijal, who had resigned from the post.

Explanation

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, a coastal town in present-day Gujarat. He went on to become the preeminent leader of the Indian nationalist movement against British rule, employing non-violent resistance to lead India to independence. His birth anniversary is celebrated globally as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Explanation

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was a legendary Indian classical musician who is globally renowned for elevating the santoor from a folk instrument of Jammu and Kashmir to a classical instrument of international repute. He redesigned the traditional santoor to make it more versatile for classical ragas by changing the string arrangements and tuning, thereby establishing it as a prominent solo instrument in Hindustani classical music.

Explanation

Chlamydomonas is a genus of unicellular, haploid green algae that typically measures about 10 μm in diameter. Each cell is characterized by possessing a single, prominent, cup-shaped chloroplast that occupies approximately half of the cellular volume. This large chloroplast contains a pyrenoid involved in starch synthesis and is a key diagnostic feature of this eukaryotic microalga.

Explanation

Orthoclase, a potassium feldspar, undergoes chemical weathering through the process of hydrolysis. When orthoclase reacts with water and hydrogen ions, it decomposes to form kaolinite (a clay mineral), while releasing potassium ions and silicic acid into solution. The chemical reaction representing this hydrolysis process is:

2KAlSi₃O₈ + 2H⁺ + 9H₂O → Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄ + 4H₄SiO₄ + 2K⁺

In this reaction, orthoclase (KAlSi₃O₈) is converted into kaolinite (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄), which is highly stable under surface conditions.

Explanation

Post-independence economic planning in India adopted a mixed economy model where both the public and private sectors coexisted. The dominant role of the public sector was intended to spearhead development in strategic, heavy, and basic industries where private capital was deficient or hesitant to invest due to high risks and long gestation periods. The objective of state intervention was to promote equitable growth, prevent private monopolies, and ensure social welfare, rather than to completely eliminate or avoid the generation of private profit itself. Private enterprises were permitted to operate and generate profits within the regulatory framework of the industrial policies, showing that preventing private profit was not a driver of public sector dominance.

Explanation

Saurashtra won the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2022-23 by defeating Maharashtra by five wickets in the final match played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing Maharashtra's total of 248/9, Saurashtra reached the target in 46.3 overs, propelled by an unbeaten century from Sheldon Jackson, who scored 133 runs. This victory marked Saurashtra's second Vijay Hazare Trophy title.

Explanation

The Deccan Sabha was founded in Pune in 1896 by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, under the guidance of his mentor Mahadev Govind Ranade. The organization was established as a moderate nationalist forum after extremist elements led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak gained control of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha. Gokhale served as the first secretary of the Deccan Sabha, which aimed to promote moderate political activism and advocate for constitutional reforms through peaceful and legitimate methods.

Explanation

Sher Shah Suri is highly renowned for his administrative and infrastructure reforms, particularly the construction of around 1700 sarais (rest houses) along major highways, such as the Grand Trunk Road, to provide safety and convenience to travelers and merchants.

Explanation

A diagonal relationship exists between certain elements of the second and third periods of the periodic table that lie diagonally adjacent to each other. Lithium (Li) and Magnesium (Mg) exhibit this relationship due to their similar ionic sizes (Li⁺ is 76 pm and Mg²⁺ is 72 pm) and comparable electronegativities (Li is 1.0 and Mg is 1.2). This similarity in ionic potential (charge/size ratio) leads to very resembling chemical properties, such as both reacting directly with nitrogen to form nitrides, and both their carbonates decomposing easily on heating to yield oxides and carbon dioxide.

Explanation

Operating Surplus is a component of national income calculated via the income method and is defined as the sum of rent, interest, and profit. Wages in cash are part of the Compensation of Employees, which is a separate category and is therefore not included in Operating Surplus.

Explanation

The 2028 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, California, United States. The International Olympic Committee formally awarded the Games to Los Angeles during its 131st Session in Lima, Peru, on September 13, 2017. This event will mark the third time that the city hosts the Summer Olympics, having previously hosted the Games in 1932 and 1984.

Explanation

Bhuvan Kumar was conferred the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for the year 2021 in recognition of his significant contribution to Chhau, a traditional semi-classical Indian dance with martial, tribal, and folk origins. His dedicated work as a performer and guru has been instrumental in preserving, practicing, and promoting the Chhau dance form, particularly maintaining its rich stylistic nuances and performance traditions for the next generation of artists.

Explanation

Government spending is a key instrument of fiscal policy, which is formulated and managed by the Government of India to influence economic activity through taxation, public borrowing, and expenditure. It does not fall under the monetary policy tools used by the Reserve Bank of India to regulate money supply and credit in the economy.

Explanation

In macroeconomics, investment refers specifically to the creation of new physical capital assets that contribute to the productive capacity of the economy. Money spent on purchasing shares of a company is classified as a financial investment, which represents a mere transfer of ownership of existing financial assets from one entity to another. Since this transaction does not directly result in the creation of new physical capital, machinery, or productive infrastructure, it is excluded from the macroeconomic definition of real investment.

Explanation

Leh is located in the high-altitude cold desert region of Ladakh, situated at an elevation of approximately 3,500 meters above sea level. Due to its extreme altitude and geographical position in the rain shadow zone of the Himalayas, it experiences a cold arid climate with long, freezing winters where temperatures regularly plunge well below -15°C.

Explanation

Francium is the alkali metal with the atomic number 87. Its most stable isotope, francium-223, has a very short half-life of approximately 22 minutes, making it highly radioactive and unstable. Because of this extreme instability and rarity in nature, francium has no biological role and does not occur in living organisms.

Explanation

The Arab merchant and traveler Sulaiman al-Tajir visited India in the middle of the 9th century, around 851 AD. He recorded his observations in Silsilat al-Tawarikh, offering detailed accounts of the political, social, and economic conditions under major Indian dynasties of that era, specifically the Rashtrakutas and the Gurjara-Pratiharas.