General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is 1849.

Key Points

• The second Anglo-Sikh war was fought between 1848 and 1849.
• Battles were fought in Ramnagar and Chilianwala.
• This war led to the complete control of Punjab by the British.
• Punjab was annexed by the British in March 1849 (under Lord Dalhousie) as per the Treaty of Lahore.
• The eleven-year-old Maharaja, Duleep Singh was pensioned off to England.
• Dalhousie was recommended for his role in the annexation of Punjab to the British and was made a Marquis.
• The famous Koh-i-Noor diamond went into British hands.

The correct answer is Videsh.

• ONGC Videsh Limited, a Miniratna Schedule “A” Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) of the Government of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.
• It is the wholly-owned subsidiary and overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), the flagship national oil company (NOC) of India.
• It owns Participating Interests in 37 oil and gas assets in 17 countries.

Additional Information

• The headquarters of ONGC is Vasant Kunj, Delhi.
• CEO of ONGC is Shashi Shanker.
• Oil discovered for the first time in India was Digboi.
• ONGC operates a refinery in Tatipaka which is located in Andhra Pradesh.
• Mangalore Refineries and Petrochemicals Ltd is a subsidiary of ONGC.
• Mumbai high oil field is run by ONGC.

The correct answer is active.

• Vaccination is another way to become immune to a disease. These ways of gaining immunity, either from having an illness or from vaccination, are examples of active immunity.
• Active immunity results when a person’s immune system works to produce antibodies and activate other immune cells to certain pathogens.
• If the person encounters that pathogen again, long-lasting immune cells specific to it will already be primed to fight it.

Important Points

• A different type of immunity, called passive immunity, results when a person is given someone else’s antibodies.
• Passive immunity is "borrowed" from another source and it lasts for a short time.
• For example, antibodies in a mother's breast milk give a baby temporary immunity to diseases the mother has been exposed to.
• When these antibodies are introduced into the person’s body, the “loaned” antibodies help prevent or fight certain infectious diseases.
• The protection offered by passive immunization is short-lived, usually lasting only a few weeks or months.
• Adaptive (acquired) immunity: This protects from pathogens that develop as we go through life.
• As we are exposed to diseases or get vaccinated, we build up a library of antibodies to different pathogens. This is sometimes referred to as immunological memory because our immune system remembers previous enemies.

Additional Information

• White blood cells also called leukocytes (LOO-Kuh-sites), play an important role in the immune system.
• There are two main types of leukocyte:
• Phagocytes: These cells surround and absorb pathogens and break them down, effectively eating them.
• Lymphocytes: Lymphocytes help the body to remember previous invaders and recognize them if they come back to attack again.

The correct answer is Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

Important Points

The correct answer is Arunachal Pradesh.

• Languages like Nyishi, Apatani, Bokar, Galo, Tagin, Adi are widely spoken in Arunachal Pradesh.
• It falls under the Tani dialect (a type of Tibeto-Burman language).
• However, in the eastern part of the state, it is the Mishmi language which is widely spoken.
• In the west and the north, people speak the Bodic language.

Key Points

• Most of the Mizo are Tibeto-Burman peoples, speaking Mizo or a closely related Tibeto-Burman language or the dialect.
• Mizo and English are the principal and official languages in Mizoram.
• Other languages dialects of Mizoram are - Aso, Chho, Halam, Lai, Lusei, Mara, Miu - Khumi, Paite, Thado - Kuki, etc.
• Konyak is the most spoken language in Nagaland.
• Angami, Gnamei, Ngami, Tsoghami, Tsugumi, Monr, Tsanglo, Tenyidie is a Naga native language spoken in the Naga Hills in the northeastern part of India.
• The Assamese language is the official language of the Assam state of India.

The correct answer is decreases with increase in temperature.

Key Points

• With metals, there are plenty of mobile carriers, and the motion of the lattice atoms due to thermal energy causes them to interfere with the transport of mobile carriers through the lattice.
• With semiconductors, there are insufficient mobile carriers at low temperatures and resistance is high.
• But as one heats the material, more and more of the lightly bound carriers escape and become free to conduct. It should be noted that once all the soon-to-be-mobile carriers in a semiconductor are fully activated, it then behaves like a 'metal' and further temperature increases will cause it to reduce conductivity.

Additional Information

• The resistivity of metals typically increases as the temperature is increased, while the resistivity of semiconductors typically decreases as the temperature is increased.

The correct answer is Vijaybhai Rupani.

• He is the 16^th Chief Minister of Gujarat from 7 August 2016.

Important Points

The correct answer is Monera.

• A prokaryote is a relatively simple single-celled organism.
• Only one kingdom of prokaryotes, known as Monera.

Important Points

• Whittaker proposed an elaborate five-kingdom classification – Monera, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
• Carl Woese proposed six-kingdom classification - Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria/Eubacteria.
• In the six-kingdom classification, Monera was divided into two parts Archaea and Eubacteria.

The correct answer is Karambir Singh.

• As of 30 June 2020, the Chief of the Naval Staff of India was Admiral Karambir Singh.

Additional Information

• General Manoj Pande is the current Chief of Army Staff.
• Vivek Ram Chaudhari  is the current Chief of Air Staff.
• General Bipin Rawat was the first Chief of Defence Staff.
• Current Chief of Defence Staff: Lt General Anil Chauhan (retired)

Key Points

• Navy Day in India is celebrated on 4 December.

• The theme of Navy Day 2020 is "Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible & Cohesive".

• The Navy has three Commands, each under the control of a Flag officer Commanding-in-Chief:

• The Western Naval Command (Headquarters at Mumbai)

• The Eastern Naval Command (Headquarters at Visakhapatnam)

• The Southern Naval Command (Headquarters at Kochi)

The correct answer is equestrian rider.

• Fouaad Mirza is an Indian equestrian rider.
• He is the first Indian equestrian rider to win silver in individual eventing at the Asian Games in 2018.
• In 2019, Mirza received the Arjuna Award.
• In 2019, he secured Gold in the CCI3*S, in Strzegom, Poland with his new horse “Dajara”.

Additional Information

• Some winners of Arjuna Awards 2019: Ravindra Jadeja (cricket), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (football), Sonia Lather (boxing), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (hockey), Anjum Moudgil (shooting), Pooja Dhanda (wrestling).
• Some winners of Arjuna Awards 2020: Atanu Das (Archery), Ishant Sharma (cricket), Deepti Sharma (cricket), Sawant Ajay Anant (Equestrian), Sandesh Jhingan (Football), Akashdeep Singh (Hockey), Manu Bhaker (Shooting), Aditi Ashok (Golf).

The correct answer is Art-Vocals-Folk.

• Teejan Bai is an exponent of Pandvani, a traditional performing art form, from Chhattisgarh.
• She has been awarded the Padma Shri in 1987, and Padma Vibhushan in 2019, and also Sangeet Natak Academy award in 1995.

Additional Information

• List of Padma Vibhushan award recipients 2019:

• List of Padma Vibhushan award recipients 2020:

The correct answer is Culturable wasteland.

• Culturable Waste-Land: Any land which is left fallow (uncultivated) for more than five years is included in this category.
• It can be brought under cultivation after improving it through reclamation practices.
• If the land is left uncultivated for more than five years, it would be categorized as culturable wasteland.

Additional Information

• Permanent Pastures and Grazing Lands: Most of this type of land is owned by the village ‘Panchayat’ or the Government. Only a small proportion of this land is privately owned.
• The land owned by the village panchayat comes under ‘Common Property Resources’.
• Current Fallow: This is the land that is left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year.
• Fallowing is a cultural practice adopted for giving the land rest. The land recoups lost fertility through natural processes.

The correct answer is 530.

• The legislature of the Union (Parliament), consists of the President and two Houses, known as Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and House of the People (Lok Sabha).
• Each House has to meet within 6 months of its previous sitting.
• The Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of people chosen by direct election based on adult suffrage.
• The maximum strength of the House envisaged by the Constitution is now 552.
• 530 members to represent States.
• 20 to represent Union Territories.
• The Rajya Sabha shall consist of 250 members.
• 12 members shall be nominated by the President from amongst persons having special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art, and social service.
• 238 representatives of the States and the Union Territories.

Additional Information

• To be chosen a member of Parliament, a person must be a citizen of India and not less than 30 years of age in the case of Rajya Sabha and not less than 25 years of age in the case of Lok Sabha.

The correct answer is Food Processing Industries.

• As of 30 June 2020, Harsimrat Kaur Badal was the Indian Cabinet Minister for the Ministry of food processing industries.
• Her tenure was from 26 May 2014 to 17 September 2020.
• This ministry is currently headed by Narendra Singh Tomar, a Cabinet Minister who is also the Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Minister of Rural Development.

Additional Information

• List of Current Union Council of Ministers:

2. Department of Space.
3. Department of Atomic Energy.
4. All important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister. | Shri Narendra Modi | | Ministry of Home Affairs | Shri Amit Shah | | Ministry of Defence | Shri Raj Nath Singh | | 1. Ministry of Finance.
5. Ministry of Corporate Affairs | Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman | | 1. Ministry of Women and Child Development.
6. Ministry of Textiles. | Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani | | Ministry of External Affairs | Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar | | Ministry of Education (formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development) | Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal | | Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Shri Arjun Munda | | 1. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
7. Ministry of Science and Technology.
8. Ministry of Earth Sciences | Dr. Harsh Vardhan | | 1. Ministry of Railways.
9. Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
10. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution. | Shri Piyush Goyal | | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Shri Kiren Rijiju |

The correct answer is Nirmala Sitharaman.

Key Points

• List of Current Union Council of Ministers:

2. Department of Space.
3. Department of Atomic Energy.
4. All important policy issues and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister. | Shri Narendra Modi | | Ministry of Home Affairs | Shri Amit Shah | | Ministry of Defence | Shri Raj Nath Singh | | 1. Ministry of Finance.
5. Ministry of Corporate Affairs | Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman | | 1. Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
6. Minister for Road Transport & Highways. | Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari | | Minister of Law and Justice | Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad | | 1. Ministry of Women and Child Development.
7. Ministry of Textiles. | Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani | | Ministry of External Affairs | Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar | | Ministry of Education (formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development) | Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal | | Ministry of Tribal Affairs | Shri Arjun Munda | | 1. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
8. Ministry of Science and Technology.
9. Ministry of Earth Sciences | Dr. Harsh Vardhan | | 1. Ministry of Railways.
10. Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
11. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution. | Shri Piyush Goyal | | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | Shri Kiren Rijiju |

The correct answer is churning poor.

• The churning poor are the ones who regularly move in and out of poverty (example: small farmers and seasonal workers).

Important Points

• The occasionally poor are the ones who are rich most of the time but may sometimes have a patch of bad luck.
• Those who are usually poor but who may sometimes have a little more money (example: casual workers) are grouped together as the chronic poor.
• Chronically poor people experience deprivation over many years, often over their entire lives, and frequently pass poverty on to their children.
• When the number of poor is estimated as the proportion of people below the poverty line, it is known as ‘Head Count Ratio’.

Additional Information

• As per the report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (released on 7 January 2020), the state per capita income of Goa is highest in the country followed by Delhi and Sikkim.
• Bihar has the lowest NSDP per capita (INR at Current prices) Rs. 43,822 in FY 2018-19.
• Per capita income of Goa is 3.01 times more than India's average and 7.18 times more than the poorest state Bihar.

The correct answer is Sikkim.

• Sakewa is a religious festival celebrated by the Kirat Khambu Rai community of Sikkim.
• It is also known as the Bhoomi puja or Chandi puja (worship of mother earth).
• The festival begins on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Baisakh, which usually falls in April/May.
• Other festivals celebrated in Sikkim: Maghe Sankranti, Sonam Lochar, Losar, Ramnawami (Chaite Dasain), Sakewa, Saga Dawa, Pang Lhabsol, Tamu Lochar.

Important Points

• List of a religious festival in a different state in India:

The correct answer is crystalline or amorphous.

• Solids can be classified as crystalline or amorphous based on the nature of order present in the arrangement of their constituent particles.
• A crystalline solid usually consists of a large number of small crystals, each of them having a definite characteristic geometrical shape.
• In a crystal, the arrangement of constituent particles (atoms, molecules, or ions) is ordered.
• It has long-range order which means that there is a regular pattern of arrangement of particles that repeats itself periodically over the entire crystal.
• Sodium chloride and quartz are typical examples of crystalline solids.
• An amorphous solid consists of particles of irregular shape.
• The arrangement of constituent particles (atoms, molecules, or ions) in such a solid has only short-range order.
• Such portions are scattered and in between the arrangement is disordered.
• Quartz is a form of SiO₂  (silica). It has tetrahedral SiO₄  (silicate) units which are orderly arranged in crystalline quartz. When SiO2  is melted and the melt is cooled, it forms amorphous quartz glass.

Important Points

• The distinction between Crystalline and Amorphous Solids:

The correct answer is Kumbhalgarh.

Key Points

• The Largest Wall after The Great Wall of China is in India.
• The Second Largest Wall (Over 38 Kilometers) is in Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan. It's the Wall around the Kumbhalgarh Fort.
• Kumbhalgarh Fort (or Kumbhal fort) is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range of Aravalli Hills, near Udaipur of Rajasthan state.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan, built during the course of the 15^th century by Rana Kumbha.
• There are over 360 temples within the fort, 300 ancient Jain, and the rest are Hindu temples.

Important Points

The correct answer is Policy of ‘Paramountcy’.

Important Points

• Lord Hastings, who was the Governor-General of India from 1813 to 1823, introduced a new policy of 'paramountcy'.
• By this policy, the Company claimed that its authority was paramount or supreme, hence its power was greater than that of Indian states.
• The chief instrument through which Lord Dalhousie implemented his policy of annexation was the ‘Doctrine of Lapse’.
• Under the Doctrine of Lapse, when the ruler of a protected state died without a natural heir, his/her state was not to pass to an adopted heir as sanctioned by the age-old tradition of the country.
• Lord Dalhousie came to India as the Governor-General in 1848.
• During Lord Canning's tenure “Doctrine of Lapse” was withdrawn.
• British Imperial policies between 1763 and 1776 were focused on using the colonies to raise revenue in ways that the colonists saw as unconstitutional.
• The majority of the colonists were extremely loyal to the crown and only became “reluctant revolutionists” when there was no other choice.

Thus the correct answer is Policy of ‘Paramountcy’.