SSC CHSL Tier 1 2024 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

After gaining independence, the leaders of India, including Jawaharlal Nehru, sought to establish a socio-economic system that would foster development while ensuring social justice. Guided by the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution of India, the nation adopted a democratic socialist framework and a mixed economy. This system was designed to promote the welfare of the entire society, ensuring that the fruits of growth and development were distributed equitably among all citizens, thereby prioritizing the collective well-being of all people over the interests of a privileged few.

Explanation

Sattriya dance was introduced in the 15th century CE by the great Vaishnava saint, reformer, and playwright of Assam, Mahapurusha Sankaradeva. He created this dance form as a medium for the propagation of the Vaishnava faith during the Bhakti movement. The dance was traditionally performed by male monks, known as Bhokots, in the Sattras, which are the Vaishnava monasteries of Assam. Over the centuries, this art form preserved its devotional character and evolved into a highly stylized classical dance, ultimately receiving recognition as one of the classical dances of India.

Explanation

The Swaran Singh Committee, appointed by the Indian National Congress in 1976, recommended the inclusion of a chapter on fundamental duties in the Constitution. The committee specifically recommended the insertion of 8 fundamental duties. While the Parliament accepted the recommendation to add fundamental duties, it ultimately included 10 fundamental duties through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976.

Explanation

Parkash Singh Badal was a prominent Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of Punjab for five terms. His tenures as Chief Minister spanned across several decades, specifically from 1970 to 1971, 1977 to 1980, 1997 to 2002, 2007 to 2012, and 2012 to 2017. He was a patron of the Shiromani Akali Dal party and remains one of the longest-serving chief ministers in Indian history. He passed away on 25 April 2023.

Explanation

Danish botanist, plant physiologist, and geneticist Wilhelm Johannsen coined the term gene in 1909. He derived it from the Greek word genos, meaning birth, to represent the physical and functional units of heredity, which Gregor Mendel had previously referred to as factors or elements. Johannsen introduced the term in his influential German textbook Elemente der exakten Erblichkeitslehre, published in 1909, alongside the related terms genotype and phenotype.

Explanation

The 9th edition of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, held in June 2024, was co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States. This tournament marked the first time that matches of a major ICC World Cup tournament were played in the United States, with games hosted across various venues in both regions.

Explanation

Chinlone, also known as Caneball, is the traditional and national sport of Myanmar. It is a non-competitive, artistic sport that combines dance and athletic skill, typically played by a team of six players who use their feet, knees, and heads to keep a hand-woven rattan ball in the air while moving in a circle. The game emphasizes grace, dexterity, and team coordination rather than competition, and it has been an integral part of Myanmar's cultural heritage for over 1500 years.

Explanation

The 15th edition of the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup was held in the state of Odisha, India, from 13 to 29 January 2023. The tournament was jointly hosted by two cities in Odisha: the capital city Bhubaneswar, at the Kalinga Stadium, and Rourkela, at the newly constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, which is one of the largest hockey stadiums in the world. This event marked the second consecutive time Odisha hosted the tournament, following the 2018 edition.

Explanation

Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) were established under the provisions of the Regional Rural Banks Act of 1976, following the recommendations of the Narasimham Working Group in 1975. The primary mandate of these state-sponsored, regionally focused, and rural-oriented commercial banks is to develop the rural economy. They achieve this by providing credit and other financial facilities, particularly to small and marginal farmers, agricultural laborers, artisans, and small entrepreneurs, thereby bridging the credit gap in rural areas and promoting financial inclusion.

Explanation

Print Preview is a feature in MS Word that displays on the screen exactly how the document will look on paper when printed. It shows all layout and formatting elements, including margins, page breaks, headers, footers, and images, allowing users to review and adjust the document's appearance before printing.

Explanation

The Constitution (One Hundredth Amendment) Act, 2015 came into force in the year 2015. This constitutional amendment facilitated the acquisition of certain territories by India and the transfer of other territories to Bangladesh in pursuance of the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 and its Protocol of 2011. It received the assent of the President of India on May 28, 2015, and entered into force on August 1, 2015, resolving a decades-old border enclave dispute between the two nations.

Explanation

PARAKH is India's first national assessment regulator, established under the National Education Policy 2020 as a standard-setting body under the National Council of Educational Research and Training. The acronym PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development. Within this full form, the letter R represents Review.

Explanation

The Atal Tunnel, constructed by the Border Roads Organisation at an altitude of 3000 metres above sea level, is built under the Rohtang Pass in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas. This 9.02 km long highway tunnel connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. It provides all-weather, year-round connectivity to the Lahaul and Spiti district, which was previously cut off for nearly six months every year due to heavy snowfall at the Rohtang Pass.

Explanation

Mandamus is a Latin term that translates literally to "we command". In constitutional law, it is a judicial remedy in the form of a writ issued by a superior court commanding a public authority, lower court, or public official to perform a specific legal duty that they are obligated by law to do.

Explanation

Kalpana-1, originally launched as METSAT-1, was the first exclusive meteorological satellite built by ISRO. The satellite was designed to provide meteorological services, which directly support climate monitoring and environmental communication. It carried a Very High Resolution Radiometer to obtain regular earth images for weather forecasting and a Data Collection Platform transponder to transmit meteorological, hydrological, and oceanographic data from ground-based platforms to processing centres, facilitating environmental and climate communication.

Explanation

According to the official rules of World Athletics, the international governing body for track and field athletics, the standard weight of the hammer used in the women's hammer throw event for senior competitions is 4 kg (approximately 8.82 pounds). This weight specification has been the standard for all major international athletics competitions, including the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, since the women's hammer throw was officially introduced.

Explanation

SAARC stands for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. It is an intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia, established on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The association comprises eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Its primary objective is to promote economic development, social progress, cultural development, and regional integration among its member nations, with its secretariat based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Explanation

The Indian Arms Act of 1878 was enacted during the viceroyalty of Lord Lytton to regulate the manufacture, sale, possession, and transport of arms and ammunition in India. Under this Act, it was made a criminal offense for Indians to carry weapons without obtaining a license, while Europeans and Anglo-Indians were exempted from these strict licensing requirements. This measure was introduced to prevent any potential armed uprising against the British colonial administration, particularly in the aftermath of the Revolt of 1857.

Explanation

The Brihadiswara Temple, also known as Rajarajeswaram, is a magnificent Shiva temple located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. It was commissioned by the Chola emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD. This monumental structure is a prime example of Dravidian architecture, renowned for its massive vimana (temple tower) and exquisite stone carvings. It has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Great Living Chola Temples.

Explanation

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is celebrated on the tenth day of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu calendar month of Ashwin. This festival marks the culmination of the nine-day Navratri festival and commemorates the victory of good over evil, specifically celebrating Lord Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana and Goddess Durga's triumph over the buffalo demon Mahishasura. The month of Ashwin typically corresponds to the Gregorian months of September and October.

Explanation

In February 1968, the Beatles travelled to Rishikesh, India, to attend a Transcendental Meditation training seminar at the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. During their stay, they wrote dozens of songs, many of which were later included in their self-titled double album, popularly known as the White Album. The spiritual environment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram, combined with the integration of Indian classical music structures and philosophy, profoundly influenced their songwriting and composition style during this period.

Explanation

In an electrochemical cell, chemical energy is converted into electrical energy through an indirect redox reaction. In this setup, the oxidation and reduction half-reactions are physically separated and take place in two different compartments or half-cells. Because the reactants do not come into direct contact with each other, the transfer of electrons cannot occur directly. Instead, the electrons released during oxidation at the anode are forced to travel through an external conducting wire to reach the cathode where reduction occurs, thereby generating an electric current.

Explanation

The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is located in the northern state of Uttarakhand, situated in the transition zone between the eastern and western Himalayan biogeographical provinces. Established in 1982, the reserve encompasses the Nanda Devi National Park, which surrounds the peak of Nanda Devi, the second-highest mountain peak in India. The biosphere reserve was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, and was later expanded in 2005 to include the adjacent Valley of Flowers National Park, together forming the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks. It is renowned for its high-altitude wilderness, rich biodiversity, and habitats of rare and endangered animals such as the snow leopard, Himalayan musk deer, and bharal (blue sheep).

Explanation

In classical Carnatic music, laya refers to the tempo, speed, or rhythmic pace of a composition or performance. It represents the regular, uniform interval of time between successive beats in a tala cycle. Laya is generally classified into three speeds: vilambita laya (slow tempo), madhya laya (medium tempo), and druta laya (fast tempo). It forms the foundational temporal framework that maintains the structural consistency of the musical rendering.

Explanation

Jamnagar is historically celebrated as the oldest and most prominent center for traditional lace work, particularly crochet lace work, in Gujarat. This exquisite craft, which involves intricate hand-weaving and needlework to create delicate patterns, has been preserved and practiced by local artisans in Jamnagar for generations. The region is highly regarded for its unique craftsmanship, where traditional techniques have been meticulously passed down through families, establishing Jamnagar as the premier historical hub for lace-making in the state.

Explanation

Federalism refers to a system of government in which power is constitutionally divided between a central authority and its constituent units. In the Indian context, this is characterized by a multi-tier governance structure consisting of the Union government at the national level, State governments at the regional level, and local bodies such as Panchayats and Municipalities at the local level. Each of these tiers of government governs the same citizens but has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation, and administration, as clearly demarcated by the Constitution of India.

Explanation

The Southwest Monsoon, which brings the majority of rainfall to India, first strikes the Indian mainland at the coast of Kerala. This onset usually occurs in the first week of June, typically around June 1st, marking the official arrival of the monsoon season in the country. The moisture-laden winds originating over the Indian Ocean hit the Western Ghats in Kerala, causing heavy orographic precipitation in this region before advancing further northwards and eastwards across the rest of the Indian subcontinent.

Explanation

Saturn is classified as a gas giant because its composition consists almost entirely of hydrogen and helium. The planet has an average density of approximately 0.687 g/cm³, which is lower than the density of water (1.0 g/cm³), making it the least dense planet in the Solar System.

Explanation

In spreadsheet applications, the Page Setup dialog box is the dedicated interface used to configure page layouts and printing properties. It provides options to change the page orientation between Portrait and Landscape, adjust margins, select paper size, scale the sheet to fit, and set up gridlines or headers and footers before printing.

Explanation

An all-rounder is a term primarily associated with cricket, referring to a player who excels at both batting and bowling. In basketball, the standard team positions are strictly defined as point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center, with no official position designated as an all-rounder.

Explanation

Part IV A of the Indian Constitution contains Article 51A, which details the Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens. This part was inserted into the Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, following the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee. Originally, ten duties were incorporated, and an eleventh duty was later added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act in 2002. These duties are non-justiciable in nature but serve as crucial moral obligations for citizens to promote patriotism and uphold the unity and integrity of India.

Explanation

To format a cell in an MS Excel Spreadsheet, the standard and most direct method is to first select the cell you want to format, right-click on it to open the context menu, and then select the Format Cells option from that menu. This action opens the Format Cells dialog box, which provides various tabs for configuring number formatting, text alignment, fonts, borders, background fills, and cell protection.

Explanation

Manipuri classical dance is characterized by two distinct styles of movement: Jagoi and Cholom. Jagoi represents the Lasya element, which is gentle, lyrical, and feminine, characterized by fluid, graceful movements of the body. Cholom represents the Tandava element, which is vigorous, athletic, and masculine. Cholom dancers perform energetic jumps, fast footwork, and often play musical instruments like the Pung (drum) or Kartal (cymbals) while dancing.

Explanation

Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande reorganized Hindustani classical music by introducing a systematic classification system based on parent scales called Thaats. In this system, he identified exactly 10 basic Thaats from which all Hindustani ragas originate. These ten thaats are Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Bhairavi, Asavari, Todi, Poorvi, Marwa, and Kafi. Each raga is classified under one of these ten parent scales based on the notes it utilizes.

Explanation

The Government of India launched the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana in 2020 as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 stimulus package. Introduced on 12 November 2020, the scheme was designed to incentivize employers for creating new employment opportunities and to restore employment lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was implemented through the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation to reduce the financial burden on employers and encourage the hiring of more workers in the formal sector.

Explanation

Kaka Hathrasi, whose real name was Prabhu Lal Garg, established Sangeet Karyalaya in Hathras in 1932. This institution was founded with the aim of promoting, systematically documenting, and simplifying Indian classical music and dance. Sangeet Karyalaya became highly influential through its publication of authoritative books, music theory literature, and the renowned monthly journal Sangeet, which greatly aided students and practitioners of Indian classical music.

Explanation

The PM-PRANAM (PM Programme for Restoration, Awareness, Nourishment and Amelioration of Mother Earth) scheme was announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 with the primary objective of promoting alternative fertilizers and the balanced use of chemical fertilizers. The initiative aims to reduce the subsidy burden on chemical fertilizers by encouraging states and union territories to adopt organic and bio-fertilizers. Under the scheme, fifty percent of the subsidy savings achieved by a state through the reduction in chemical fertilizer consumption is passed back to that state as a grant to support sustainable agriculture, technology adoption, and awareness generation at the grassroots level.

Explanation

The 36th edition of the Asian Wrestling Championships was held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from April 9 to April 14, 2023. The event was originally scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, but was relocated to Astana by United World Wrestling. Astana successfully hosted the prestigious continental tournament, which featured men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman, and women's freestyle disciplines.

Explanation

The period from 1966 to 1969 is designated as the Plan Holidays in India's economic history. Due to the failure of the Third Five-Year Plan, which was severely impacted by the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, and two consecutive years of severe drought, the government was unable to implement the Fourth Five-Year Plan on time. To stabilize the economy, the government replaced the five-year planning cycle with three successive annual plans from 1966 to 1967, 1967 to 1968, and 1968 to 1969. These annual plans focused on agricultural growth, the implementation of the Green Revolution, and economic stabilization before formal five-year planning resumed.

Explanation

The First Battle of Tarain was fought in 1191 near Tarain (modern-day Taraori in Haryana, India) between the Rajput ruler Prithviraj Chauhan and the Ghurid sultan Mohammad Ghori. In this encounter, the Rajput forces led by Prithviraj Chauhan decisively defeated the Ghurid army, wounding Mohammad Ghori, who was forced to flee the battlefield.

Explanation

The resistance R of a conductor is directly proportional to its length L, as expressed by the formula R = ρL/A, where ρ is the electrical resistivity and A is the cross-sectional area of the wire. When the length of the wire is doubled (L' = 2L), the resistance of the wire also doubles (R' = 2R).

According to Ohm's law, the current I flowing through the circuit is inversely proportional to the resistance R for a constant voltage V, represented by the formula I = V/R. When the resistance is doubled, the new current becomes I' = V/(2R) = ½I. Since the ammeter measures the electric current in the circuit, its reading decreases to one-half of the original value.

Explanation

The Chau-Jhumur Utsav is an annual cultural festival celebrated in the Purulia district of West Bengal. This festival is organized to promote and preserve the rich heritage of Purulia Chau dance and Jhumur folk music. It features an open-stage setting where various local Chau groups and traditional artists perform, showcasing the vibrant masked dance drama and accompanying music of the region to tourists and art enthusiasts.

Explanation

The Prarthana Samaj was founded on 31 March 1867 in Bombay by Dr. Atmaram Pandurang. It was a movement for religious and social reform in Maharashtra, heavily inspired by the Brahmo Samaj and the visit of Keshub Chandra Sen to Bombay. The society focused on monotheism, social reforms such as inter-caste dining, widow remarriage, and the upliftment of women and depressed classes.

Explanation

Correct Answer: B

Fiscal deficit represents the difference between the total expenditure of the government and its total receipts, excluding borrowings, in a given financial year. This metric indicates the total borrowing requirements of the government from all sources to bridge the gap between its spending and non-debt revenues. It is mathematically represented as:

Fiscal Deficit = Total Expenditure - Total Receipts excluding Borrowings

Explanation

Thaawar Chand Gehlot was appointed as the Governor of Karnataka by the President of India in July 2021. He took the oath of office on 11 July 2021, succeeding Vajubhai Vala. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment and was also the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha.

Explanation

The root apical meristem is a region of actively dividing cells located at the growing tip of a root. This meristematic region differentiates into three primary meristems: the protoderm, the ground meristem, and the procambium. The protoderm is the outermost layer of the root apical meristem, which subsequently develops into the epidermis, the protective outer tissue layer of the root.

Explanation

Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh became the first fully functionally literate district in India in August 2022. The district administration achieved this milestone by launching the Niraksharta Se Azadi Abhiyan (Freedom from Illiteracy Campaign) on Independence Day in 2020 to address the high illiteracy rate among the tribal population in the region. Through systematic surveys, training local volunteers, and conducting regular classes, the campaign enabled residents to write their names, count, and read and write in Hindi, making the entire district functionally literate.

Explanation

The 5th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games was hosted by Madhya Pradesh from January 30 to February 11, 2023. The multi-sport event was held across eight different cities in Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Maheshwar, Mandla, and Balaghat. Only the track cycling event was held outside the state, in New Delhi. This edition featured 27 sports disciplines and witnessed the participation of thousands of athletes from across the country.

Explanation

Mormugao port is a major natural harbor situated at the mouth of the Zuari river in Goa. Paradip port is a deep-water, natural port located at the confluence of the Mahanadi river and the Bay of Bengal in Odisha. Haldia Port is a major riverine port situated near the Hooghly river in West Bengal, functioning as a modern port complex for Kolkata. Tuticorin port, officially renamed as V. O. Chidambaranar Port, is an all-weather port located in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.

Explanation

Justified alignment, which stretches text so that it aligns flush with both the left and right margins, is a feature characteristic of word processing software rather than standard cell alignment in spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel. Spreadsheet programs typically restrict horizontal cell alignment to positioning text relative to a single boundary or the middle of the cell, making justification unavailable as a standard quick-alignment option for cell contents.