General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is Mount Everest.

Key Points

• Mount Everest is the Great Himalayas of southern Asia that lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E.
• Reaching an elevation of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) is the highest mountain in the world.
• Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.”
• The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Everest is shaped like a three-sided pyramid.

Important Points

• Lhotse, (Tibetan: “South Peak”) also called E1, a mountain massif in the Himalayas on the border of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
• It consists of three summits, the highest of which—Lhotse I at 27,940 feet (8,516 meters)—is the world’s fourth-tallest peak.  It is sometimes considered part of the Everest massif.
• Makālu, one of the world’s highest mountains (27,766 feet [8,463 m]), in the Himalayas on the Nepalese-Tibetan (Chinese) border. 
• It lies 14 miles (23 km) east-southeast of Mount Everest.
• Kanchenjunga is the World’s third-highest mountain, with an elevation of 28,169 feet (8,586 meters).
• It is situated in the eastern Himalayas on the border between Sikkim state, northeastern India, and eastern Nepal, 46 miles (74 km) north-northwest of Darjiling, Sikkim.
• Kanchenjunga is composed of rocks of Neoproterozoic (late Precambrian) to the Ordovician age.

The correct answer is Bhutan.

Key Points

• The phrase ‘gross national happiness was first coined by the 4^th King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in 1972 when he declared, “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product.”
• The concept implies that sustainable development should take a holistic approach towards notions of progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects of wellbeing.
• The Gross National Happiness Index, Bhutan sought to create a measurement tool that would be useful for policymaking and create policy incentives for the government, NGOs, and businesses of Bhutan to increase GNH.

Important Points

• The GNH measure has been designed to include nine core domains that are regarded as components of happiness in Bhutan and are constructed of indicators that are robust and informative with respect to each of the domains.
• The nine domains are:
• Psychological wellbeing.
• Health.
• Time use.
• Education.
• Cultural diversity and resilience.
• Good Governance.
• Community vitality.
• Ecological diversity and resilience.
• Living standard.

The correct answer is Article 17.

Key Points

• Article 17- Untouchability is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden The enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offense punishable in accordance with.
• The Untouchability (Offences) Act, which commands punishments for the practice of untouchability and abolishes this disgraceful practice, came into force on 1^st June 1955.

Additional Information

The correct answer is 2008.

Important Points

• It is performed across northern India during the festival of Dussehra, held each year according to the ritual calendar in autumn.

Key Points

• Ramlila, literally “Rama’s play”, is a performance of the Ramayana epic in a series of scenes that include song, narration, recital, and dialogue.
• The most representative Ramlilas are those of Ayodhya, Ramnagar and Benares, Vrindavan, Almora, Sattna and Madhubani.

Additional Information

• A total of 13 Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) elements from India have been inscribed to date on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The correct answer is Electronics and Information Technology.

Key Points

• The UIDAI was established under the provisions of the Aadhaar act 2016 by the Govt. of India under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
• Vision - To empower residents of India with a unique identity and a digital platform to authenticate anytime, anywhere.

Additional Information

• Statutory Bodies - These are non-constitutional bodies as they are not mentioned in the Constitution.
• Since these bodies derive their power from statutes or laws made by the Parliament, they are known as statutory bodies.
• ​Other important statutory bodies are:- 
• ​National Human Rights Commission.
• National Commission for Minorities.
• Armed Forces Tribunal.

The correct answer is Vandana Shiva.

Important Points

• Navdanya is an Indian-based non-governmental organization that promotes biodiversity conservation, biodiversity, organic farming, the rights of farmers, and the process of seed saving.
• Vandana Shiva, an environmental activist, physicist, and author from Delhi, India.

 

Key Points

• "Navdanya" means "nine crops" that represent India's collective source of food security.
• Navdanya’s mission focuses on improving the well being of small and marginalized rural producers through non-violent biodiverse organic farming and fair trade.
• Navdanya’s mission is to promote peace and harmony, justice, and sustainability. We strive to achieve these goals through the conservation, renewal, and rejuvenation of the gifts of biodiversity we have received from nature and our ancestors, and to defend these gifts as commons.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Nanded.

Key Points

• Nanded, in Maharashtra, is the perfect example of spiritual and philosophical antiquity blending seamlessly with the progressive present.
• Guru Gobind Singh should have chosen this historic place for his last congregation, standing by the banks of River Godavari.
• Nanded also houses various Sufi shrines and, historically, the banks of the sacred Godavari river have been the site of many Vedic rituals.
• Some of the important ghats include the Urvashi Ghat, Ram Ghat and the Govardhan Ghat.

Important Points

• Kodaikanal is a city in Tamil Nadu state, southern India. It is situated at an elevation of 2,225 meters in the Palni Hills, about 35 miles (55 km) west-southwest of Dindigul. The town is now a popular resort is known for its scenery, 75-acre artificial lake, and recreational facilities.
• Warangal is a city in Telangana state and Warangal was ruled by the Kakatiya dynasty. It is believed that the entire town was carved out on a single rock. Among the most famous monuments of Telangana, the Thousand Pillar Temple in Hanamkonda was built by the Kakatiya King Rudra Deva in 1163 AD in Chalukyan style of temple architecture.
• Bengaluru city is the capital (since 1830) of Karnataka state, southern India. Bengaluru is one of India’s largest cities.
• The city’s nucleus was a settlement around a mud fort, built-in 1537 by a local chief, Kempe Gowda. The fort was reconstructed of stone in 1761. Bangalore was the headquarters of the British administration from 1831 to 1881.

The correct answer is Loknayak.

Key Points

• Jayaprakash Narayan, Indian freedom fighter, activist, and political leader popularly know as "J.P" or "Loknayak"
• He is well known for his mid 1970 peaceful "Total revolution" against the government of India for the cause of high inflation, unemployment and lack of supplies and essential commodities. This movement finally culminated in the proclamation of Emergency.
• Although Jayaprakash Narayan is known for his Gandhian Ideology, he actively worked underground for Indian Freedom Movement for fighting the tyranny of British rule, he organised an “Azaad Dasta” (freedom brigade) in Nepal.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Francisco de Almeida.

Key Points

• The Portuguese king Manuel I made him viceroy of the newly conquered territories of India in March 1505.
• Almeida was made Viceroy because of his achievement in the wars against the Moors.
• Vasco de Gama was to first Portuguese to arrive in India, on May 20, 1498.

Additional Information

• Vasco De Gama landed at Calicut, Kerela.
• The First Viceroy of British India was Lord Canning.
• Governor-General of India was renamed Viceroy in Government of India Act 1858.
• Lopo Soares de Albergaria - 3^rd Portuguese Governor in India.
• Alfonso de Albuquerque - Governor of India from 1509 to 1515, expanded Portuguese administration in India.

The correct answer is Sri Aurobindo.

Key Points

• Sri Aurobindo's original name was Aurobindo Ghose born on August 15, 1872 at Calcutta.
• This book was written by him in 1939.
• The Life Divine is Sri Aurobindo's principal philosophical work in which he presents a theory of spiritual evolution.
• The book is based on the 'advent of a divine life on the earth'.
• Other important books include:
• Powers Within.
• The Synthesis of Yoga.
• Rebirth and Karma.
• Essays on the Gita.

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Additional Information

• Books of Amrita Pritam - Pinjar, Raseedi Ticket,  The Shadows of Words, In the Times of Love and Longing, etc.
• Books by Swami Vivekanand - Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Knowledge, Bhakti Yoga: The Yoga of Love and Devotion, My Master, etc.
• Books of Dayanand Saraswati - Kenopanisad, Mundakopanisad, The Value of Values, etc.

The correct answer is bats.

Key Points

• Euderma maculatum is the scientific name of Spotted Bats.
• The spotted bat is a species of vesper bat and the only species of the genus Euderma.
• There are approximately 1,200 species of bats.
• Unlike birds, bats are exclusively mammals. They exhibit almost all the defining characteristics of mammals.
• Bats are the only mammals with true flight.
• The mammary glands in bats are not fixed in a particular place. The glands are located on the flank, along the thoracic walls.

The correct answer is Ernst Mayr.

Key Points

• Ernst Mayr established evolutionary biology as a separate field of research in the United States which earned him the name “Darwin of the 20^th century.”
• Ernst Mayr from Germany helped to define the modern synthesis of evolutionary theory.

Additional Information

• Har Gobind Khorana and Marshall Warren Nirenberg were Biochemists who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1968 for decoding the genetic material of DNA.
• Katherine Esau was a German-American botanist who received the National Medal of Science for her work on plant anatomy.

The correct answer is Stilt Root.

Key Points

• Roots are underground parts of plants and serve the important function of providing water and minerals from the soil to other parts of plants.
• Stilt roots are adventitious aerial roots that grow obliquely downward from the main stem's basal nodes and attach firmly to the soil.

Additional Information

• Primary Root - The root that develops directly from a plant embryo.
• Tertiary Root - Tertiary roots are considered the branches of the secondary roots.
• Prop Root - Any of the modified roots that arise from the stem of certain plants and provide extra support.

The correct answer is Indian National Congress.

Key Points

• Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was instituted in 1985 by the Indian National Congress in its Centenary year.
• The Award is given on her Martyrdom Day on 31^st October. The award carries a citation and cash amount of Rs. 10.00 lakh to be given either to a person or an institution for the outstanding contribution made to promote National Integration.

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Important Points

• The Indira Gandhi Prize for the popularization of science for 2020 has been awarded to Prof. R Ramanujam of IMSc.
• The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development for 2019 will be conferred on renowned naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough.

The correct answer is Sachchidananda Sinha.

Key Points

• The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly was held on December 9, 1946.
• Sachchidananda Sinha, being the oldest member, selected as the interim president of the Constituent Assembly.
• This is the French mechanism of electing heads.
• Later, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the President of the Assembly.

Additional Information

• Sachindranath Sanyal was the founder of the Hindustan Republican Association and was a revolutionary.
• Sarojini Naidu:
• She was a member of the fundamental rights sub-committee, the advisory committee, and the provincial constitutional committee.
• In the 1925 Kanpur session of INC, Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President.
• S Subramaniya Iyer:
• He was the first Indian to be appointed as Government Pleader and Public Prosecutor.
• He acted as Chief Justice thrice – in1903, 1905, and 1907, the first Indian to do so.

The correct answer is Samhita.

Key Points

• Vedas are supposed to be the first religious text of Hindu religion.
• Veda means knowledge.
• There are four Vedas namely,
• Rig Veda - Oldest and most important Veda, contains the knowledge of chemistry and medical science.
• Yajur Veda - Only Veda divided into two parts (i.e. Krishna Yajur Veda and Shukla Yajur Veda), contains the knowledge of all sacrificial formula and weapons.
• Sam Veda - It is the Origin of Indian classical music.
• Atharva Veda - It contains the knowledge of Ayurveda, also charms and spells hence it is known as black Veda.
• Every Veda has four parts,
• Samhita -  collections of Vedic hymns or mantras
• Brahmana - Explanatory textbook to original Veda
• Aranayak - Conclusion based on Veda
• Upanishad - Moral teaching based on Vedas.

Additional Information

• During the early Vedic period there were four types of village assemblies prevailed namely Sabha, Samiti, Vidatha and Gana.
• Bali and Bhaga are the two type of taxes prevailed during Mauryan period.

The correct answer is Velocity.

Key Points

• In the straightforward cases where a constant force moves an object at a constant velocity, the power is just P = Fv.
• The velocity of an object is the rate of change of its position with respect to a frame of reference and is a function of time.

Additional Information

• Displacement is defined to be the change in the motion of an object.
• Acceleration is the rate of change of the velocity of an object with respect to time.
• Work the energy transferred to or from an object via the application of force along with the displacement.

The correct answer is Assam.

Key Points

• Ambubachi Mela is one of the biggest congregations in eastern India. It is the most important festival of the Kamakhya temple and is celebrated in the month of June every year.
• It is more of a ritual of austerities, a festival celebrated with Shakti rites. The belief is that Kamakhya embodies the mother cult, the Shakti.

Important Points

• Kumbh Mela is a very big fair and the largest gathering of Hindu pilgrims, celebrated every twelve years at four holy places Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain, and Nashik.
• The Sonepur Cattle Fair held (November) on full moon day in Bihar, on the confluence of river Ganges and Gandak. Sonepur Fair is also known as the Harihar Chhetra Mela.
• Pushkar Fair is one of the world’s largest camel fairs, held (October-November) in the oldest city of Rajasthan “Pushkar”. The Pushkar camel fair attracts a large number of visitors from all around the world, especially from Israel.
• Hemis Gompa festival is a religious fair and one of the most auspicious Occasions for the Buddhist community in India.

The correct answer is potassium nitrate.

Key Points

• Potassium nitrate(KNO₃) is also called Saltpetre or Nitre.
• It is widely used in Fertilizers, Gunpowder, Rocket Propellants, Firecrackers, food processing, etc. It has also certain pharmacological uses.

Additional Information

• Sodium chloride(NaCl) is also known as common salt.
• Sodium hydroxide(NaOH) is also known as caustic soda.
• Potassium chloride(KCl) is also known as Potassium muriate.

The correct answer is Lucknow.

Key Points

• Lucknow is situated on the bank of Gomati River.
• Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.
• Gomati River is the tributary of the river Ganga, originates from Gomat Taal in the Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh.
• It is the only tributary of Ganga which originates from land.

Important Points

• Ganga is longest river of India, about 2500 km long.
• River Ganga is declared as Nation River of India by Government of India in 2008.
• The confluence of Bhagirathi and Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarkhand is said to be the upper phase of Ganga.
• Bhagirathi originates from Gangotri glacier at Gomukh and Alaknanda originates from Santopath glacier.
• Although Alaknanda is longer than Bhagirathi, instead of that Gangotri is considered to be the origin of River Ganga.
• Ganga is considered to be the most sacred river by Hindus.
• The self purification property of river Ganga is due to the presence of a virus know as Bacteriophage.

Additional Information

• Patna, Prayagraj, and Kanpur is situated on the bank of river Ganga.