SSC CHSL Tier 1 2025 General Awareness Questions with Solutions

Explanation

The Rabari, also known as Raika or Rewari, are an indigenous pastoralist community of nomadic cattle, sheep, and camel herders. They are primarily found in the arid and semi-arid regions of Western India, especially across the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and the adjoining areas of Gujarat. Their traditional livelihood and cultural identity are deeply centered around seasonal migration and livestock rearing in these dry desert landscapes.

Explanation

The BRICS grouping was originally formed as BRIC in 2006, representing the major emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010. While the alliance expanded further in 2024 to include several new nations, Mexico has never been a member of the BRICS bloc.

Explanation

The pentathlon is a multi-event athletic competition consisting of five distinct track and field events. In modern athletics, participants compete in five scheduled disciplines, such as the indoor pentathlon which includes the 60-meter hurdles, high jump, shot put, long jump, and 800-meter run. Athletes earn points in each event based on their performance, and the competitor with the highest total score at the end of all five events wins, making it a classic representation of multi-event athletics.

Explanation

Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites in India, boasting a total of 16 designated wetlands of international importance. This is the highest number of Ramsar sites for any single state in the country, reflecting its diverse wetland ecosystems and dedicated conservation efforts.

Explanation

The Hornbill Festival is celebrated annually in Nagaland, usually from 1 December to 10 December. Organized by the State Tourism and Art | Culture Departments of Nagaland, this event is often referred to as the Festival of Festivals. It aims to encourage inter-tribal interaction and showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state's diverse indigenous tribes. The festival is named after the Indian hornbill, a bird that holds a significant place in the folklore, traditional songs, and cultural life of the Naga people. The main festivities are held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama, located near the state capital of Kohima, featuring traditional dances, music, indigenous sports, crafts, and food.

Explanation

The 28th National Youth Festival 2025, also known as the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, was held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on January 11 and 12, 2025. This annual event is organized to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, observed as National Youth Day on January 12. The 2025 festival focused on engaging and empowering the youth of the nation to contribute ideas and strategies toward achieving the goal of a developed India by 2047.

Explanation

Women's boxing made its official Olympic debut at the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games. It was the final sport on the Olympic program to introduce events for female competitors, featuring competition across three weight classes: flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight. This inclusion ensured that female athletes competed in every single sport on the Olympic program.

Explanation

Maharaja Ranjit Singh, popularly known as the Lion of Punjab, unified the fractured Sikh misls to establish the sovereign Sikh Empire in 1799. Under his leadership, the empire expanded to its maximum territorial extent, stretching from the Khyber Pass in the west to the Sutlej River in the east, and from Kashmir and Ladakh in the north to the deserts of Sindh in the south. His strategic military conquests included the crucial provinces of Lahore, Amritsar, Multan, Kashmir, and Peshawar, making the Sikh Empire a formidable power in the subcontinent during the early nineteenth century.

Explanation

Devika Rani was the first recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, presented to her in 1969. This award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate the birth centenary of Dadasaheb Phalke, widely regarded as the father of Indian cinema. Devika Rani, often hailed as the first lady of Indian cinema, was honored for her immense, pioneering contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema, which included co-founding the legendary movie studio Bombay Talkies.

Explanation

Mitra Shakti is an annual bilateral joint military exercise conducted between the armies of India and Sri Lanka. Designed to foster close relations and enhance interoperability between the two military forces, the exercise focuses on tactical-level operations, counter-insurgency, and counter-terrorism maneuvers in semi-urban environments under the United Nations mandate. The venue for the exercise alternates between India and Sri Lanka.

Explanation

Dadabhai Naoroji is widely revered as the Grand Old Man of India due to his pioneering role in the Indian national movement and his profound intellectual contributions. He was one of the key founding members of the Indian National Congress and presided over its sessions in 1886, 1893, and 1906. He is best known for formulating the Drain of Wealth theory in his seminal book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, which systematically exposed how British colonial administration drained India's economic wealth. Additionally, he became the first Indian to be elected to the British House of Commons as a Liberal Party member in 1892.

Explanation

The earliest rock-cut caves in India date back to the Mauryan period during the 3rd century BCE. These caves, primarily located in the Barabar and Nagarjuni hills in Bihar, were excavated during the reigns of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka and his grandson Dasharatha for the Ajivika sect. Key examples include the Lomas Rishi Cave and the Sudama Cave, which showcase the characteristic high-gloss mirror-like polish on their interior walls, known as Mauryan polish. These structures represent the inception of rock-cut architecture in India, providing the architectural prototype for later Buddhist chaityas and viharas.

Explanation

Sanjay Verma, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer, was appointed as India's Ambassador to Japan on October 23, 2024, succeeding Sibi George.

Explanation

Curling is a winter sport played on a specially prepared rectangular sheet of ice known as a curling rink or sheet. In this game, players slide heavy, polished granite stones across the ice toward a circular target marked on the sheet, known as the house. Team members use specialized brooms to sweep the ice surface ahead of the sliding stone, which momentarily melts the ice and reduces friction, thereby influencing the speed and direction of the stone.

Explanation

The economic reforms of 1991 introduced industrial de-licensing (referred to as industrial declining) as a major policy shift to abolish the system of industrial licensing for almost all industries. By dismantling the restrictive License Raj, this reform eliminated bureaucratic hurdles, simplified the entry of private players, and opened up key sectors to foreign direct investment. This dramatic simplification of regulatory processes was crucial in attracting foreign capital, boosting industrial growth, and integrating the Indian economy with global markets.

Explanation

Under the Union Budget 2025-26, the Defence sector received the highest capital outlay to support the modernization of the armed forces, procure advanced military hardware, and strengthen national security infrastructure. This substantial capital allocation emphasizes the government's focus on achieving self-reliance in defense manufacturing, bolstering border security, and upgrading technological capabilities across the army, navy, and air force.

Explanation

The Annual Financial Statement, presented under Article 112 of the Constitution of India, is the principal budget document that details the estimated receipts and expenditures of the government for the upcoming financial year. It is divided into three parts: the Consolidated Fund of India, the Contingency Fund of India, and the Public Account of India. Within the Consolidated Fund, the statement of capital receipts explicitly details the market loans, treasury bills, and other debt-generating receipts that the government intends to raise, thereby formally presenting the overall borrowing requirements of the government to bridge the fiscal deficit.

Explanation

Polar satellites orbit the Earth from north to south, passing over or near both poles. As the satellite moves in this polar orbit, the Earth rotates beneath it from west to east. This orbital geometry allows the satellite to scan consecutive longitudinal strips of the Earth on each successive pass. Over a period of several days or weeks, the satellite's sensors scan and image every part of the globe, providing comprehensive, high-resolution global coverage that is essential for environmental monitoring, meteorology, and mapping.

Explanation

The PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme is a centrally sponsored initiative launched by the Ministry of Education to upgrade and develop more than 14,500 schools across the country. These schools serve as exemplar institutions showcasing the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020. The scheme focuses on providing high-quality cognitive development, modern infrastructure, smart classrooms, and a diverse curriculum to foster 21st-century skills among students.

Explanation

The acceleration due to gravity on the Moon is approximately one-sixth of the acceleration due to gravity on Earth. Since weight is the force of gravity acting on an object, the weight of an object on the Moon is related to its weight on Earth by the formula:

Weight on Moon = Weight on Earth / 6

Substituting the given weight of 24 N into the formula:

Weight on Moon = 24 N / 6 = 4 N

Explanation

Pataliputra became the capital of the Magadha Empire during the reign of King Udayin of the Haryanka dynasty, who shifted the capital from Rajgir due to its strategic location at the confluence of the Ganga and Son rivers. It continued to serve as the imperial capital under the subsequent Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties. During the Nanda period, Pataliputra was a highly prosperous, fortified, and politically dominant city, serving as the administrative center from which the Nanda rulers controlled their vast empire.

Explanation

A living person can donate one kidney because humans are born with two kidneys, and a single healthy kidney is fully capable of filtering waste and maintaining normal bodily functions. After donation, the remaining kidney undergoes compensatory hypertrophy, increasing in size and functional capacity to meet the body's metabolic needs, allowing the donor to lead a normal, healthy life with no significant reduction in life expectancy.

Explanation

The Bihu dance is a traditional folk dance from the Indian state of Assam, performed during the Bihu festival, which marks the arrival of spring and the Assamese New Year. This energetic dance is characterized by rapid hand movements, brisk steps, and rhythmic swaying of the hips, typically accompanied by traditional musical instruments such as the dhol (drum), pepa (horn), and gogona (jaw harp). Performers wear traditional Assamese attire made of golden Muga silk, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Explanation

Kharaj was the primary land revenue tax charged on agricultural produce during the Mughal period. It was levied on agricultural land and calculated as a share of the crop yield, typically ranging from one-third to one-half of the total produce depending on soil fertility, cultivation methods, and irrigation facilities. Under the Mughals, this system of agricultural taxation was highly structured and formed the financial backbone of the empire, particularly after the land revenue reforms implemented by Raja Todar Mal under Emperor Akbar.

Explanation

Aditya-L1 is India's first dedicated space-based observatory to study the Sun, designed and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was successfully launched by ISRO on September 2, 2023, using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The spacecraft was placed in a halo orbit around the first Lagrangian point (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, to continuously observe the solar atmosphere, coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, and coronal mass ejections without any occultation or eclipses.

Explanation

In Hindu temple architecture, a Mandapa is a pillared hall or pavilion designed for public assemblies, rituals, and congregations. It typically precedes the main sanctum, serving as a transitional space or assembly area where devotees gather for prayers, music, dance, and other religious ceremonies.

Explanation

The Gwalior Gharana is one of the oldest vocal gharanas of Hindustani classical music, often regarded as the mother of all gharanas. It evolved during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Akbar and became highly prominent in the 19th century under the patronage of the Maratha rulers of Gwalior. The pioneers of this gharana, such as Ustad Hassu Khan, Ustad Haddu Khan, and Ustad Nathu Khan, shaped its distinctive style, which is characterized by its emphasis on simplicity, raga purity, and a robust Khayal singing technique deeply influenced by Dhrupad.

Explanation

Pax Indica: India and the World of the 21st Century is a prominent book written by Shashi Tharoor, published in 2012. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of India's foreign policy, examining its diplomatic relations, global standing, and the strategic challenges and opportunities the country faces in the contemporary world. Tharoor discusses the concept of soft power and advocates for a proactive, engagement-driven approach to international relations to establish India's position as a key global player.

Explanation

Losar is the traditional New Year festival celebrated by the Buddhist community in Ladakh. It marks the beginning of the Tibetan lunar calendar and typically falls in December or January. The celebration is characterized by vibrant cultural performances, traditional music, mask dances, decoration of homes with lights, and special prayers offered in monasteries to invite prosperity and ward off evil in the coming year.

Explanation

Annihilation of Caste is an undelivered speech written in 1936 by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He prepared this address for the annual conference of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal, a reformist Hindu group based in Lahore. After the organizers of the conference found his criticisms of Hindu religious texts to be too radical and requested revisions, Ambedkar refused to alter his text. Consequently, the invitation was withdrawn, and he self-published the essay as a book later that year. The work remains one of the most influential critiques of the caste system in India, arguing that the social evil of caste is deeply rooted in religious scriptures and can only be eradicated by dismantling those religious foundations.

Explanation

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, passed in 1992, came into force on April 24, 1993, and accorded constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj institutions in India. This landmark legislation inserted Part IX to the Constitution of India, titled The Panchayats, and added the Eleventh Schedule, which lists 29 functional items under the purview of these local bodies. It established a uniform three-tier structure of local self-government at the village, intermediate, and district levels across the country to strengthen rural democracy.

Explanation

According to Article 66(1) of the Constitution of India, the Vice-President is elected by the members of an electoral college consisting of the members of both Houses of Parliament. This electoral college includes both the elected and nominated members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, participating in a secret ballot through the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote.

Explanation

The Indian Olympic Association was established in 1927. Sir Dorabji Tata served as its founding President, and Dr. A.G. Noehren was its first Secretary General. In the same year of its formation, the association was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee as the National Olympic Committee for India, responsible for selecting athletes to represent India at the Olympic Games and other international athletic meets.

Explanation

The Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana is a flagship social welfare scheme launched by the Government of Madhya Pradesh in March 2023. Under this initiative, the state government provides direct financial assistance of ₹1250 per month to eligible women aged between 21 and 60 years. The scheme aims to enhance the economic independence of women in the state, improve their health and nutrition indicators, and strengthen their role in household decision-making.

Explanation

Justice Surya Kant is scheduled to be appointed as the 53rd Chief Justice of India on 24 November 2025, succeeding Justice B.R. Gavai. According to the established convention of seniority in the Supreme Court of India, the senior-most puisne judge of the Supreme Court is appointed to the office of the Chief Justice of India. Justice Surya Kant was elevated to the Supreme Court on 24 May 2019 and is slated to serve as the Chief Justice of India until his retirement on 9 January 2027.

Explanation

Bihar is the host state for the 2025 edition of the Khelo India Youth Games. This marks the first time Bihar has been selected to host this prestigious national multi-sport event, which is designed to promote sports culture and identify young athletic talent at the grassroots level across India. The state government has undertaken major initiatives to upgrade sports infrastructure and facilities to support various athletic disciplines during the games.

Explanation

Pankaj Advani is a highly distinguished Indian cueist who has achieved immense international success in billiards. He has won numerous IBSF World Billiards Championship titles across various formats, including the time and points formats, making him one of the most successful cue sports players globally. For his outstanding achievements, the Government of India has honored him with prestigious awards such as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the Padma Shri, and the Padma Bhushan.

Explanation

Mary Kom won the bronze medal in the flyweight (51 kg) category at the 2012 London Olympics, which was the inaugural edition for women's boxing at the Olympic Games. This landmark achievement made her the first Indian woman boxer to win an Olympic medal.

Explanation

The Swachh Bharat Mission was officially launched on October 2, 2014, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajghat, New Delhi. This national campaign aimed to eliminate open defecation and improve solid waste management across India, with its launch date specifically chosen to honor the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Explanation

The Santoor is a traditional stringed instrument, classified as a chordophone, which originated in the Jammu and Kashmir region. It consists of a trapezoidal wooden box with numerous taut metal strings stretched across its surface, supported by bridges. Music is produced on this instrument by striking the strings with a pair of delicate, curved wooden mallets called kalam.

Explanation

Article 17 of the Constitution of India abolishes untouchability and forbids its practice in any form. The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability is an offense punishable in accordance with the law. To give effect to this constitutional provision, the Parliament enacted the Untouchability Offences Act in 1955, which was later amended and renamed as the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955. This article is a vital fundamental right under the Right to Equality, aimed at ending historical caste-based discrimination and ensuring social justice, equality, and dignity for every citizen.

Explanation

The iris is a colored, ring-shaped membrane behind the cornea of the eye, with an adjustable circular opening called the pupil in the center. It regulates the amount of light entering the eye by adjusting the size of the pupil. In bright light, the circular muscles of the iris contract, causing the pupil to constrict and let less light in. In dim light, the radial muscles contract, dilating the pupil to allow more light to enter, thereby optimizing vision in different lighting conditions.

Explanation

Chandragupta Maurya, with the assistance of his advisor Chanakya, overthrew the last ruler of the Nanda dynasty, Dhanananda, in 322 BCE. This victory led to the conquest of the capital city of Pataliputra and established the Mauryan Empire, which went on to unify most of the Indian subcontinent under a centralized administration.

Explanation

The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is a crucial connectivity project designed to link Moreh in Manipur, India, with Mae Sot in Thailand through Myanmar. This initiative is a core physical infrastructure project under India's Act East Policy, which seeks to promote economic cooperation, cultural ties, and strategic relationships with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The highway aims to facilitate trade, business, and tourism by establishing direct land connectivity between India and Southeast Asia.

Explanation

The BRICS member association, consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents a major share of the global demographic landscape. The combined population of these five nations is approximately 3.2 billion people. Given that the total world population is around 8 billion, the BRICS countries account for about 40% of the global population. Representing 40% in fractional terms yields exactly two-fifths, which is the proportion of the world population residing in these nations.

Explanation

The electricity sector was opened up to private sector participation in 1991 as part of the landmark economic liberalization reforms. To address acute power shortages and capital constraints, the Government of India amended the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, in clean alignment with the New Industrial Policy of July 1991. This amendment permitted 100% private sector ownership in power generation entities and allowed foreign direct investment in the power sector, marking the beginning of private sector entry into India's utility and infrastructure domain.

Explanation

The kidneys are the primary organs of the excretory system in humans, responsible for filtering and purifying blood. Each kidney contains millions of tiny functional units called nephrons, which filter out metabolic waste products, toxins, excess water, urea, and salts from the bloodstream. This filtered waste is subsequently excreted from the body as urine, while the purified blood is returned to the circulatory system, maintaining the body's internal chemical and fluid balance.

Explanation

The National Logistics Policy was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, 2022, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This comprehensive policy aims to reduce logistics costs in India from 13-14% of GDP to a single-digit level, bringing it at par with other developed economies. It focuses on driving economic growth, improving competitiveness, and creating a single-window digital logistics portal to facilitate the seamless movement of goods across the country.

Explanation

Cheraw dance is a traditional and highly popular folk dance of Mizoram, widely known as the bamboo dance. It is performed by men who sit on the ground and rhythmically beat long bamboo staves against each other, while women step in and out of the moving bamboo squares with great precision and grace. This ancient dance form is usually performed during festive occasions and to celebrate a bountiful harvest.