SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

Oswald Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty published their seminal paper in 1944. Their experiment, which built upon Frederick Griffith's 1928 discovery of the transforming principle in Streptococcus pneumoniae, chemically characterized the transforming substance. By isolating and treating the transforming principle with various digestive enzymes, they demonstrated that only deoxyribonuclease, which degrades DNA, destroyed the transforming activity. This provided the first definitive evidence that DNA is the hereditary material responsible for genetic transformation in living organisms.

Explanation

El Nino is a climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Under normal conditions, trade winds blow from east to west along the equator, pushing warm water toward the western Pacific. During an El Nino event, these trade winds weaken or reverse, allowing the warm water to slide back eastward toward the coast of South America, which significantly alters global weather patterns and atmospheric circulation.

Explanation

In Microsoft Excel, every formula must begin with an equal sign (=). The equal sign serves as an indicator to the spreadsheet application that the succeeding characters represent a mathematical formula or function to be calculated, rather than a standard text string or constant number. Upon detecting the equal sign, Excel activates its evaluation engine to process the operators, cell references, and functions that follow, computing and displaying the resulting value in the cell.

Explanation

The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India, from March 4 to March 11, 1951. Officially known as the I Asiad, this inaugural multi-sport event was opened by the first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, at the National Stadium. A total of 11 nations participated in the games, competing in 57 events across six sports, establishing New Delhi as the historic birthplace of the Asian Games.

Explanation

In August 2021, the administration of Lakshadweep announced plans to develop Maldives-style water villas in the Union Territory to boost tourism. This ₹800 crore eco-tourism project, a first-of-its-kind in India, involves constructing premium overwater villas in Minicoy, Kadmat, and Suheli islands under a public-private partnership model to replicate the famous coastal tourism experience of the Maldives.

Explanation

Tanjore Balasaraswati was a legendary dancer who played a pivotal role in reviving and popularizing Bharatanatyam, the classical dance form of Tamil Nadu. Born into a traditional family of temple musicians and dancers, she was hailed as a child prodigy by eminent scholars and musicians after her debut at Kanchipuram at the young age of seven. Her extraordinary mastery of Abhinaya and adherence to traditional music and rhythm helped elevate Bharatanatyam from a marginalized temple art to a globally respected classical dance form.

Explanation

According to the Economic Survey 2022-23, which utilizes data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office, the Labour Force Participation Rate for males of all ages under the usual status (principal status and subsidiary status combined) showed a rising trend, reaching 57.5% in 2020-21. This represented an increase from the 56.8% recorded in 2019-20 and 55.6% in 2018-19.

Explanation

Radio broadcasting in India began in June 1923 when the Radio Club of Bombay made the first broadcast in the country. Following this, the Indian State Broadcasting Service was renamed All India Radio on June 8, 1936. Television services, which had been operating under All India Radio since their inception in 1959, were officially separated from the radio network on April 1, 1976, to form a separate department named Doordarshan. Consequently, all three statements accurately represent the history of broadcasting in India.

Explanation

The statement in option C is incorrect because the period spanning the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s represents the first phase of the Green Revolution in India. During this initial phase, the introduction of high-yielding variety seeds and modern agricultural practices was highly concentrated in select regions with assured irrigation, such as Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, focusing primarily on wheat cultivation. The second phase of the Green Revolution did not begin until the mid-1970s and extended into the 1980s.

Explanation

The Narmada and Tapi are the two major rivers of peninsular India that flow in the westward direction into the Arabian Sea. Both of these rivers flow through rift valleys created by tectonic activity, which directs their course westward against the general eastward tilt of the Deccan Plateau. The Narmada originates from the Amarkantak Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, while the Tapi originates near Multai in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. Both rivers drain into the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea.

Explanation

The Chethiaigiri Vihar festival is an annual Buddhist festival celebrated in Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh, during the month of November. The festival marks the viewing of the sacred relics of Sariputta and Maha Moggallana, the two chief disciples of Lord Buddha. These relics, discovered by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1851, are housed in the Chethiaigiri Vihar temple and are brought out for public viewing and worship only during this event, attracting Buddhist pilgrims and visitors from across the world.

Explanation

The Durand Cup was first held in Shimla in 1888. Founded by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, the then Foreign Secretary of British India, the inaugural tournament was played at Annadale in Shimla. Originally started as a recreation for British troops stationed in India, it has since become the oldest football tournament in India and Asia, as well as the third oldest existing football tournament in the world.

Explanation

Bodhidharma was a legendary Indian Buddhist monk who traveled to China in the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally regarded as the founder of Chan Buddhism in China, which later became Zen Buddhism in Japan. After establishing himself at the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, he observed that the monks were physically weak and unable to withstand long hours of meditation. To improve their physical health, stamina, and self-defense capabilities, he introduced a series of exercises that combined physical movements with deep breathing and meditation. These exercises laid the foundation for Shaolin Kung Fu, making him the seminal figure associated with the development of ancient East Asian martial arts.

Explanation

High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of crops introduced during the Green Revolution have a significantly shorter maturity period compared to traditional seeds. This shorter life cycle allows farmers to harvest crops quickly and prepare the land for subsequent plantings within the same agricultural year. Consequently, the adoption of HYV seeds led to a substantial increase in cropping intensity, enabling double or triple cropping on the same piece of land, rather than causing a decrease.

Explanation

Annie Besant was a prominent British social reformer, theosophist, and supporter of Indian self-rule. After arriving in India in 1893, she became deeply involved in the Indian nationalist movement. In September 1916, she founded the All India Home Rule League to advocate for self-government for India within the British Empire. The movement gained widespread popularity, leading to her election as the first woman president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.

Explanation

In Microsoft PowerPoint, the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + M is specifically designed to insert a new blank slide into the active presentation. When this shortcut is pressed, a new slide with the default layout is immediately added directly after the currently selected slide, allowing for an efficient and uninterrupted workflow during presentation creation.

Explanation

Section 375 of the Indian Penal Code defines the offense of rape. It details the specific acts, circumstances, and conditions—such as the absence of consent, consent obtained through coercion, or acts committed against a person under the legal age of consent—that constitute the crime of rape.

Explanation

The writ of Quo-Warranto literally translates from Latin as "by what authority?" or "what is your authority?". It is issued by the High Courts under Article 226 or the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India to inquire into the legality of a person's claim to a public office. The primary purpose of this writ is to prevent the illegal usurpation of a public office by an individual who is not legally qualified or entitled to hold it.

Explanation

Sri Lanka has two official languages, Sinhala and Tamil, which makes Tamil the correct match for Sri Lanka.

China designates Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese, as its official language.

Myanmar has Burmese as its sole official language, which is spoken by the majority of its population.

Bhutan's official and national language is Dzongkha, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family.

Explanation

Pandit Thakur Prasad was a renowned Kathak dancer who served as the court dancer and guru in the court of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. Under his tutelage and creative guidance, the Lucknow Gharana of Kathak was systematically developed and refined. Nawab Wajid Ali Shah himself learned the nuances of Kathak from Pandit Thakur Prasad, which provided the art form with immense royal patronage and helped shape its distinct style characterized by grace, elegance, and expressive hand gestures.

Explanation

The Vibrant Villages Programme was launched by the Union Home Minister on April 10, 2023, in Kibithoo, a border village located in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. This centrally sponsored scheme focuses on the comprehensive development of villages along India's northern border to improve the quality of life for local residents, enhance infrastructure, and mitigate migration from these strategic frontier regions.

Explanation

The Tehri Hydroelectric Power Plant is situated on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand. It is anchored by the Tehri Dam, which reaches a height of 260.5 meters, making it the tallest dam in India and one of the tallest in the world. This multi-purpose project has a major power generation component, with the Tehri Hydro Power Plant itself contributing 1000 MW of capacity to the overall Tehri Hydro Power Complex.

Explanation

Khubakeshei, also known as Khubak Eshei, is a traditional folk music and dance performance native to the state of Manipur. The name literally translates to clapping song, where khubak refers to the clapping of hands and eshei means song. This devotional folk art form is traditionally performed by both men and women during the Kang Chingba (Rath Yatra) festival to express devotion and depict the pastimes of Lord Krishna.

Explanation

Georg Simon Ohm formulated his famous law, known as Ohm's law, in his 1827 book Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch bearbeitet. This fundamental law of electromagnetism establishes the mathematical relationship between electrical current (I), voltage (V), and resistance (R), stated as V = IR. It proves that the current flowing through a conductor is directly proportional to the voltage across it and inversely proportional to its resistance, which became a foundational cornerstone for electrical circuit design and analysis.

Explanation

In Microsoft Word, the Mail Merge Wizard is accessed by navigating to the Mailings tab. Within the Start Mail Merge group, clicking on the Start Mail Merge option reveals a drop-down menu where the Step-by-Step Mail Merge Wizard is located. This wizard guides the user through the process of creating letters, emails, envelopes, labels, or directories by merging a main document with a data source.

Explanation

In racquet sports like badminton and tennis, the term love is used to denote a score of zero. When a match starts and both players have zero points, the score is announced as love-all. The term is widely believed to derive from the French word l'oeuf, meaning the egg, which visually resembles the digit zero. Alternatively, it represents the idea of playing a game solely for the love of the sport rather than for stakes or score.

Explanation

President Sukarno of Indonesia was the chief guest at India's first Republic Day parade held on January 26, 1950. As the first President of independent Indonesia, his invitation reflected the close historical, cultural, and anti-colonial ties between India and Indonesia, as well as the strong personal and diplomatic relationship between Indonesian leadership and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. This historic visit marked the beginning of India's tradition of hosting foreign heads of state for the Republic Day celebrations.

Explanation

Revenue deficit is the excess of the government's revenue expenditure over its revenue receipts. The formula is:

Revenue Deficit = Revenue Expenditure - Revenue Receipts

Revenue expenditure covers the day-to-day operational expenses of the government that do not lead to the creation of assets, such as salaries, subsidies, pensions, and interest payments on accumulated debt. Since interest payments on public debt are classified under revenue expenditure, they are included in the calculation of the revenue deficit. This deficit indicates that the government's current revenue is insufficient to cover its regular, non-investment expenses.

Explanation

Thumri is a prominent semi-classical vocal genre that belongs exclusively to the Hindustani classical music tradition of North India. Characterized by its romantic-devotional lyrics, expressive delivery, and focus on Shringara rasa, it originated and developed in the royal courts of Uttar Pradesh, particularly Lucknow and Varanasi, and is not a component or musical form of the classical Carnatic music tradition of South India.

Explanation

The Sun Temple at Konark, located in Odisha, was constructed in the mid-thirteenth century, around 1250 CE. It was built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty to commemorate his military victories over the forces of the Bengal Sultanate. Designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with intricately carved stone wheels and horses dedicated to the Sun God Surya, the temple represents the pinnacle of Kalinga architectural style and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Explanation

Article 11 of the Constitution of India explicitly grants Parliament the plenary power to regulate the right of citizenship by law. This article specifies that nothing in the preceding provisions of Part II shall derogate from the power of Parliament to make any provision concerning the acquisition and termination of citizenship, as well as all other matters relating to it. This overriding constitutional authority enabled Parliament to enact the Citizenship Act, 1955, and its subsequent amendments, to comprehensively govern all aspects of Indian citizenship.

Explanation

A parry is a defensive fencing action used to block or deflect an opponent's offensive attack with the blade of one's own weapon. By executing a parry, a fencer prevents the opponent's touch from landing on their target area, which also grants them the right-of-way in foil and sabre to immediately launch a counter-offensive strike known as a riposte.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

Tatipaka Refinery is located in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, rather than in Telangana. It is a mini-refinery owned and operated by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) to process crude oil extracted from the Krishna-Godavari basin.

Explanation

The demographic dividend is the economic growth potential that can result from shifts in a population's age structure, specifically when the share of the working-age population is larger than the non-working-age share. This transition occurs due to a decline in fertility and mortality rates, which leads to a temporary bulge in the productive cohort (typically aged 15 to 64) relative to dependents (children and the elderly). With a higher proportion of workers contributing to the economy and fewer dependents to support, a country can experience increased savings, higher productivity, and accelerated economic growth.

Explanation

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 was amended in 2021. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act, 2021 was passed to strengthen child protection mechanisms at the district level. A major reform introduced by this amendment was empowering District Magistrates and Additional District Magistrates to issue adoption orders, aiming to expedite the adoption process and ensure better accountability in child care institutions.

Explanation

Albinism is a rare, non-contagious, genetically inherited group of disorders characterized by a deficit in the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for the coloration of the skin, hair, and eyes. This condition occurs due to mutations in specific genes that provide instructions for producing one of several proteins involved in melanin synthesis. As a result, individuals with albinism have little to no melanin pigment in their eyes, skin, and hair, which often leads to significant vision problems and increased susceptibility to damage from ultraviolet radiation.

Explanation

Venus is a terrestrial planet located in the inner solar system and does not possess a ring system. Ring systems in our solar system are exclusively found around the four giant gas and ice planets located in the outer solar system, whereas the inner rocky planets, including Venus, lack these structures entirely due to their proximity to the Sun and different gravitational and evolutionary histories.

Explanation

Anthracene is a non-polar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of three fused benzene rings. According to the fundamental chemical rule of solubility, "like dissolves like," non-polar solutes dissolve readily in non-polar solvents. Benzene, being a non-polar aromatic organic solvent with a highly compatible molecular structure and similar intermolecular dispersion forces, easily dissolves anthracene.

Explanation

In the early years, the cotton textile industry was highly concentrated in the cotton-growing belt of Maharashtra and Gujarat. This localization was favored by several key geographical and economic factors, including the abundant availability of raw cotton from the fertile black soil (regur soil) region of the Deccan Plateau, proximity to major market centers, and excellent port facilities in Mumbai for importing machinery and exporting finished goods. Additionally, the region provided a well-developed transport network, abundant cheap labor, and a humid climate that naturally prevented yarn from breaking during spinning, which led to Mumbai and Ahmedabad emerging as the premier hubs of India's early textile industry.

Explanation

The Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi approved a salary hike for its MLAs, which officially came into effect on 14 February 2023. This increase raised the total monthly salary and allowances of Delhi MLAs from ₹54,000 to ₹90,000, registering an increase of approximately 66.7%. The hike followed the approval of bills by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which updated the salaries, allowances, and pensions of Delhi MLAs, Ministers, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chief Whip, and Leader of Opposition.

Explanation

Patkai Bum Hills are located in the easternmost part of India, running along the international border between India and Myanmar. These hills span across the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur, positioning them geographically further east than the hill ranges of Meghalaya.

Explanation

In Microsoft Office applications, including Microsoft Word, the F1 function key is the dedicated, universal keyboard shortcut designed to instantly open the Help window or Help pane. Pressing this single key provides the fastest and most direct access to user support, search help, and documentation without requiring any navigation through menus, ribbons, or mouse inputs.

Explanation

Saila dance is a famous folk dance originating from the state of Chhattisgarh and parts of Madhya Pradesh, primarily performed by communities like the Gond and Baiga.

The dance is performed exclusively by a group of male dancers who form a circle and move in synchronized patterns. Each performer carries a small bamboo stick, which is struck against the stick of the adjacent dancer to create a rhythmic sound accompanying the beats of the mandar and dhol. This celebration takes place during the post-harvest season, specifically after the cutting of crops in the winter months, as a way to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest and secure prosperity for the community.

Explanation

Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer was the British military officer who ordered troops to open fire on a large, unarmed gathering of civilians at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919. The crowd had assembled peacefully to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi and to protest the arrest of national leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew under the Rowlatt Act. Dyer blocked the only narrow entrance to the walled garden and directed his soldiers to fire continuously into the crowd until their ammunition was exhausted, resulting in hundreds of deaths and over a thousand casualties. This brutal action led to his widespread condemnation and earned him the infamous moniker of the Butcher of Amritsar.

Explanation

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, often referred to as the Mini-Constitution, was enacted by the Indian Parliament in 1976 during the national emergency. This comprehensive amendment introduced major changes to the Constitution, including the addition of the words Socialist, Secular, and Integrity to the Preamble, and the insertion of Part IV-A which established the Fundamental Duties of citizens.

Explanation

Correct Answer: D

The Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act was enacted in 1867 during the British colonial administration in India. It was introduced to regulate printing presses and newspapers, preserve copies of books and newspapers printed in India, and maintain a register of all publications. The act made it mandatory for every printed book or newspaper to contain the name of the printer, publisher, and place of printing to help the government keep track of all printed material and monitor vernacular publications.

Explanation

P Chidambaram is a prominent Indian politician and lawyer who served as the Union Minister of Finance and the Union Minister of Home Affairs. His public career and ministerial roles have been centered around economic policy, finance, and internal security, primarily from the late 1980s onward, with no involvement or association with the agricultural initiatives, research, or policy decisions of the Green Revolution that took place during the 1960s.

Explanation

According to the 2011 Census of India, Maharashtra has the largest Buddhist population in the country. Out of the total Buddhist population of approximately 8.4 million in India, Maharashtra alone accounts for over 6.5 million Buddhists, representing about 77.36% of the nation's total Buddhist population. This high concentration is historically linked to the Dalit Buddhist movement initiated by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar in Nagpur in 1956.

Explanation

The Uttarakhand state cabinet approved a proposal to grant 10% horizontal reservation in state government jobs for statehood activists and their dependents. This decision, aimed at honoring those who campaigned for the creation of Uttarakhand, applies to state government services under the direct recruitment category.

Explanation

Alauddin Khilji, the second ruler of the Khilji dynasty, appointed Malik Kafur as his military commander and sent him on several expeditions to the Deccan and southern parts of the Indian subcontinent. Between 1309 and 1311, Malik Kafur led successful campaigns against major southern kingdoms, including the Yadavas of Devagiri, the Kakatiyas of Warangal, the Hoysalas of Dwarasamudra, and the Pandyas of Madurai, bringing back immense wealth and establishing the nominal suzerainty of the Delhi Sultanate over these regions.