General Awareness PYQs

The correct answer is Kerala.

Key Points

• Kudumbashree is poverty elimination and women empowerment programme implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) by Government of Kerala.
• Kudumbashree was set up in 1997.
• Kudumbashree has a three-tier structure for its women community network, with Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs) at the lowest level, Area Development Societies (ADS) at the middle level, and Community Development Societies (CDS) at the local government level.

The correct answer is C-12.

Key Points

• An Atomic Mass Unit is defined as accurately 1/12 the mass of a carbon-12 atom.
• Atomic mass is calculated by the sum of no. of Protons and Neutrons in the nucleus.
• The carbon-12 atom has six Neutrons and six Protons in its nucleus and thus represented as C^12.
• The atomic unit mass is denoted as 'amu' and 1 amu = 1.67377 x 10^-24 gram.
• Atomic no. of C¹² atom is 6 and it belongs to the 2^nd Period and 14^th Group in the periodic table.

Additional Information

• Hydrogen:
• It is the first element in the periodic table having atomic no. = 1 and mass no. = 1 amu.
• Hydrogen has three naturally occurring isotopes: H¹ (Protium), H² (Deuterium), and H³ (Tritium).
• It is the most abundant element in the universe.
• It is placed in 1^st Period and1^st Group.
• Nitrogen:
• It is the seventh element in the periodic table having atomic no. = 7 and mass no. = 14 amu.
• Nitrogen is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere, nearly 78%.
• It is placed in 2^nd Period 15^thGroup.
• Oxygen:
• It is the eighth element in the periodic table having atomic no. = 8 and mass no. = 16 amu.
• Oxygen is the second most abundant gas in the atmosphere, nearly 21%.
• It is placed in 2^nd Period 16^thGroup.

The correct answer is Nagarjuna Sagar.

Key Points

• Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is considered one of the largest dams built in recent times in Asia. As the tallest masonry dam, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam is also the pride of India. The project has a catchment area of roughly 215000 sq. km.
• World’s largest masonry dam protected with 26 gates measuring 124.663m in height, Nagarjunasagar Dam located in Nalgonda District is built across River Krishna.
• Krishna River, a river of south-central India. One of India’s longest rivers, it has a total course of about 800 miles (1,290 km).
• The Krishna has a large and highly fertile delta continuous with that of the Godavari River to the northeast. The two largest tributaries are the Bhima (north) and the Tungabhadra (south).

Important Points

• The Tehri Dam on the Bhagirathi River, conceived in the mid-20^th century and begun in the 1970s, is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in Asia.
• One of the first river valley projects in India, the Hirakud is among the longest dams in the world. It is located in the Sambalpur district of Odisha, about 290 km from the city of Bhubaneswar.
• Bhakra Nangal Dam, Built over the Sutlej river, the Bhakra Nangal Dam is the second-highest dam in Asia. This is the source of water for all the farms in Punjab and Haryana, which are two of the most important agricultural states in the country.

The correct answer is Volleyball.

Key Points

• Mohan Ukkrapandian is the captain of India’s national volleyball team.
• He is also the captain of Kochi Blue Spikers in the Pro Volleyball League.

Additional Information

• Ajay Thakur is the captain of India’s national men'sKabaddi team.
• He is also the captain of Tamil Thalaivas of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) 2019.
• Manpreet Singh Pawar is the captain of India men's national field hockey.
• He represented India at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was named Asia's Junior Player of the Year in 2014.
• Vishesh Bhriguvanshi is the captain of India’s national Basketball team.

The correct answer is 4.2.

Key Points

• The ability to do work is called energy.
• Calorie and Joule both are units of energy.
• Joule is a derived unit of energy or amount of heat in the International System of Units and Calorie is a unit of energy.
• 1 Calorie = 4.184 Joules, which is approximately equal to 4.2 Joules.

Additional Information

• Other important units:

The correct answer is Leh.

Key Points

• Hemis has situated around 45 km to the south of Leh on the Indus River's western banks.
• The Hemis Monastery is the biggest and very richly endowed monastery of Ladakh.
• It was built in 1630. Impressive and intriguing, Hemis is different from the other important monasteries of Ladakh.
• The monastery is decorated on all four sides by colorful prayer flags that flutter in the breeze and send prayers to Lord Buddha.
• The Hemis Monastery also has an important library of Tibetan books and an imposing and valuable collection of Thangkas, gold statues, and Stupas embedded with precious stones.

Important Points

• One of the largest Thangkas is displayed every 12 years during the Hemis Festival, held for two days in June-July.
• The annual festival commemorating the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava brings alive the courtyard of the monastery.
• Darjeeling is a picturesque town in the Indian state of West Bengal.
• Darjeeling as the queen of hill stations.

The correct answer is Lord William Bentinck.

Key Points

• The Sati Pratha was abolished under the Governor Generalship of Lord William Bentinck.
• The Sati Pratha was abolished in 1829.
• Ram Mohan Roy was known as the 'Father of the Bengal Renaissance'
• He had worked for the upliftment of women's position in society.
• He had worked against polygamy, child marriage, Purdah, and Sati Pratha.
• It is his work that led to the abolition of Sati Pratha in India.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Bihar.

Key Points

• Odisha shares a border with Jharkhand and West Bengal in the north, Chhattisgarh in the west, and Andhra Pradesh in the south.
• In the east of Odisha lies, Bay of Bengal.
• Paradip Port is the major port of Odisha. It is a natural port with the artificial harbour.
• Capital:- Bhubaneswar.
• Chief Minister:- Naveen Patnaik.
• Governor:- Ganeshi Lal.

Additional Information

• Bihar shares a border with Jharkhand in the south, West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh in the west, and Nepal in the north.
• Capital:- Patna.
• Chief Minister:- Nitish Kumar.
• Governor:- Phagu Chauhan.
• Uttar Pradesh shares a border with Chhattishgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan in the south, Bihar in the east, Haryana, and Delhi in the west, and Uttarakhand and Nepal in the east.
• Capital:- Lucknow.
• Chief Minister:- Yogi Adityanath.
• Governor:- Anandiben Patel.
• West Bengal shares a border with Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Assam, and shares an international boundary with Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
• Haldia port is one of the important port of West Bengal. 
• Capital:- Kolkata.
• Chief Minister:- Mamta Banerjee.
• Governor:- Jagdeep Dhankhar.
• Chhattisgarh shares borders with Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Capital:- Raipur.
• Chief Minister:- Bhupesh Baghel.
• Governor:- Anusuiya Uikey.

Image of Odisha State:

The correct answer is Nagaland.

Key Points

• Sekrenyi is the major festival of the Angami. It is a 10-day celebration that signifies purification and sanctification (before going to war).
• Two days before the main festival firewood is collected. On the next day, animals are hunted in preparation for the meal. The next day the main celebration starts.
• The males clean the wells outside the village at night in preparation for the first day, Zukhophe.

Only young and pure bachelor boys are allowed to do this work.

• The most interesting part of the festival is thekra hie. The thekra is a part of the festival when the village's young people sit together and sing traditional songs throughout the day.

Important Points

• Rajasthan FAIRS & FESTIVALS
• Nagaur Fair
• The Nagaur Fair is the second biggest fair in India. Held every year between January and February.
• It is popularly known as the Cattle Fair of Nagaur as this is where owners gather to trade animals.
• Baneshwar Fair
• It is a popular tribal festival held in the Baneshwar Temple of Dungarpur. This festival, held on the full moon day of February or Magh Shukla Purnima, attracts many tourists.
• On this pious occasion, Bhils travel all the way from Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh to take a dip at the confluence of the rivers, Mahi and Som.
• Gangaur Festival
• Gangaur is one of the most important festivals in Rajasthan. In some form or the other, it is celebrated all over Rajasthan. “Gan” is a synonym for Lord Shiva & “Gauri” or “Gaur” stands for Goddess Parvati, the heavenly consort of Lord Shiva. Gangaur celebrates the union of the two and is a symbol of conjugal & marital happiness.
• Gangaur is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March-April), the Hindu calendar's first month. This month marks the end of winter & the onset of spring. This festival is celebrated by women, who worship clay idols of “Gan” & “Gauri” in their houses.
• Chhattisgarh
• ​Charta Festival
• Charta Festival is the harvest festival of Chhattisgarh. The festival is celebrated in the Koriya district of the state.
• Charta festival falls on the Poornima or full moon day of the Hindu month of Paush in December end or beginning of January.
• Maharashtra
• Ganesh Festival
• Ganesh Festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the fourth day of the waxing moon.
• The date usually falls between 20^th August and 15^th September. The festival lasts for about ten days ending on Anant Chaturdashi (the fourteenth day of the waxing moon).

The correct answer is A Passage to India.

Key Points

• Nirad Chandra Chaudhuri, born in Kishorganj, East Bengal, British India (now in Bangladesh), Bengali author and scholar who was opposed to the withdrawal of British colonial rule from the Indian subcontinent and the subsequent rejection of Western culture in independent India.
• He was an erudite and complex individual who seemed to have been born at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
• He dedicated his first book, The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian (1951), to the memory of the British Empire.​
• The essays in his last book, Three Horsemen of the New Apocalypse (1997).

Important Points

• A Passage to India, a novel by E.M. Forster published in 1924 and considered one of the author’s finest works.
• The novel examines racism and colonialism, as well as a theme Forster, developed in many earlier works, namely, the need to maintain both ties to the earth and a cerebral life of the imagination.

The correct answer is Indus.

Key Points

• Indus river is the great trans-Himalayan river of South Asia. It is one of the longest rivers globally, with 2,000 miles (3,200 km).
• The river’s conventional name derives from the Tibetan and Sanskrit name Sindhu.
• The Indus receives its most-notable tributaries from the eastern Punjab Plain.
• These five rivers—the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej—give the name Punjab (“Five Rivers”) to the region divided between Pakistan and India.

Important Points

• Krishna River
• ​Krishna River, formerly a river of south-central India. One of India’s longest rivers has a total course of about 800 miles (1,290 km).
• The river rises in western Maharashtra state in the Western Ghats range near Mahabaleshwar, not far from the Arabian Sea coast.
• The Krishna has a large and highly fertile delta continuous with that of the Godavari River to the northeast.
• The two largest tributaries are the Bhima (north) and the Tungabhadra (south).​
• Mahanadi River
• ​Mahanadi River, river in central India, rising in the hills of southeastern Chhattisgarh state.
• It is (“Great River”) follows a total course of 560 miles (900 km).
• It is one of the most-active silt-depositing streams in the Indian subcontinent.
• Godavari River
• ​Godavari River, the sacred river of central and southeastern India.
• One of India's longest rivers, its total length is about 910 miles (1,465 km).
• The Godavari River rises in northwestern Maharashtra state in the Western Ghats range.

The correct answer is 303.

Shortcut Trick

• K = C + 273 (K is the temperature in Kelvin and C is the temperature in Celsius)
• T(K) = 30 + 273
• T(K) = 303K

Key Points

• Celsius, also called centigrade is based on 0° for the freezing point of water and 100° for the boiling point of water.
• It was invented in 1742 by the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius.
• Kelvin scale is a temperature scale that has no negative values. Its lower fixed point is absolute zero.
• It was invented by Lord Kelvin in 1848.
• Kelvin scale is also called the SI scale of temperature.

Additional Information

• Fahrenheit scale is a temperature scale that is based on the freezing point of water at 32°F and the boiling point of water at 212°F.
• It was invented by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit in 1720.
• Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit and vice-versa:
• C = (F - 32) x 5/9
• F = (9/5 x C) + 32

The correct answer is Majjhima Nikaya.

Key Points

• Majjhima Nikaya is the second of five Nikayas mentioned in Sutta Pitaka.
• The main teaching or Dhamma of Buddha is mentioned in Sutta Pitaka which is divided into five Nikayas or collections:
• Digha Nikaya
• Majjhima Nikaya
• Samyutta Nikaya
• Anguttara Nikaya
• Khuddaka Nikaya

Additional Information 

• Tripitaka is a Sanskrit word meaning 'Three Basket'.
• The most important lessons of Buddhism are mentioned in Tripitakas written in the Pali language. They are:
• Sutta Pitaka
• Vinaya Pitaka
• Abhidhamma Pitaka
• Dipavamsa - It contains the history of the Island when Buddhism was expanded in Sri Lanka.
• Dhammasangani - It contains the summary of Buddhism.
• Manu Smriti - It means 'Laws of Manu' and contains the religious instructions for the Hindus.

The correct answer is Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

Key Points

• The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana aims to enable the following financial companies and banks to provide Low Rate Loans to eligible entities.
• Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs)
• Non-Banking financial institutions/Companies (NBFCs)
• Small Finance Banks and RBIs
• Commercial Banks, Cooperative Banks, etc.
• The interventions have been named 'Shishu', 'Kishore' and 'Tarun'.
• Shishu: covering loans up to Rs 50,000.
• Kishor: covering loans above RS 50,000/- and up to Rs 5 lakh.
• Tarun: covering loans above Rs 5 lakh and up to RS10 lakh.

Additional Information

• Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojna (PMRPY)
• This scheme was launched in August 2016.
• Under the scheme, the employers would be paid the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) contribution of 8.33% for every new employment created, by the government.
• Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) 
• It was launched by PM Narendra Modi on 9^th May 2015 and comes under the Ministry of Finance.
• The Scheme is available to people in the age group 18 to 70 years with a bank account.
• Provide risk coverage of Rs.2 lakh for accidental death and full disability and Rs. 1 lakh for partial disability.
• The premium of Rs. 12 per annum is to be deducted from the account holder’s bank account
• Atal Pension Yojna
• The scheme was launched on 9^th May 2015.
• The objective of creating a universal social security system for all Indians, especially the poor, the underprivileged, and the workers in the unorganized sector.
• It provides a minimum guaranteed pension ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 on attaining 60 years of age.

The correct answer is electrons.

Key Points

• Cathode rays are beams of electrons generated in a vacuum tube.
• The beam of electrons travels from the negatively charged electrode at one end to the positively charged electrode at the other, across a voltage difference between the electrodes.
• The positively charged electrode is known as anode.
• The negatively charged electrode is known as cathode.

Important Points

• The Vacuum tube is a device consist of electrodes sealed in a glass or metal-ceramic enclosure used in an electronic circuit to control a flow of electrons.
• The Vacuum tube is also known as Electron tube.
• Cathode-ray tubes, Phototubes, Magnetrons, Klystrons, Gyrotrons, and Fluorescent lamps are some examples of Vacuum tube.

Additional Information

The correct answer is Shuja Nawaz.

Key Points

• ‘Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army and the War Within’ - Written by Shuja Nawaz, published in 2008.
• Shuja Nawaz is a political and strategic analyst from Pakistan.
• The second edition of the book named ‘The Battle for Pakistan – The Bitter US Friendship and a Tough Neighbourhood’ published in 2019.

Additional Information

• Important books of various authors:
• ​Jyotindra Nath Dixit - Bharatiya Videsh Neeti, India-Pakistan in War and Peace, Bharat-Pak Sambandh etc.
• Shashi Tharoor - India: From Midnight to the Millennium, Inglorious Empire.
• SD Muni - Foreign policy of Nepal, India’s Eastward Engagement: From Antiquity to Act East Policy, India And China: The Next Decade.

Important Points

• S.D. Muni is member of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) Executive Council.
• He was the founding executive member of the Regional Centre of Strategic Studies.

The correct answer is Puri.

Key Points

• Kumbh Mela is Festival of Hindus.
• It is a religious gathering of millions of people at the bank of 
• Godavari River in Trimbakeshwar, Nashik, Maharashtra.
• Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati rivers confluence known as Parayag, in Parayagraj, U.P.
• Ganga River in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.
• Shipra River in in Ujjain, M.P.
• The Kumbh Mela is held cyclically in about every three years at these palces.

The correct answer is PSLV-C25.

Important Points

• Mangalyaan was India's first interplanetary mission.
• It was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organization.
• ISRO became the fourth space agency to reach Mars.
• India became the first country in the world to reach Mars orbit maiden attempt.
• It is also known as Mars Orbiter Mission.

Key Points 

• The total cost of the mission was approximately ₹450 Crore (US$73 million), making it the least-expensive Mars mission to date.
• Mangalyaan mission was led by then ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan.
• Mangalyaan mission was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

Additional Information

• The designed mission life of Mangalyaan was six months. The satellite has continued to beam back science data from Mars for the past six years.
• The Mangalyaan is built with full autonomy to take care of itself for long periods without any ground intervention.
• Mangalyaan frequently goes into hibernation to conserve power but comes back online to send images whenever it finds something interesting report.
• Mangalyaan is the only Martian satellite that could image the full disc of Mars in one view frame$.

The correct answer is Hyderabad.

Key Points

• India has hosted the eleventh Conference of the Parties (CoP-11) to the CBD in Hyderabad on 1-19 October 2012.
• These meetings were to be held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).
• India is a Party to the CBD. The three objectives of the Convention are the conservation of biodiversity.
• sustainable use of its components.
• the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
• CBD is the first comprehensive global agreement addressing all aspects relating to biodiversity.
• It is a framework agreement that provides for a flexible country-driven approach to its implementation.
• The Convention has near-universal membership with 193 Parties. USA is the only major country which is not a Party to the CBD.

Important Points

• Two Protocols have so far been adopted under the aegis of CBD-
• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) adopted in 2000.
• The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing adopted in 2010.
• Despite intense biotic pressure, India has been able to harbour 7-8% of the world’s biodiversity.
• While most developing countries have lost forest cover, India has added around 3 million hectares of forests and tree cover in the last three decades.
• Globally, India is recognized as a pioneer and trendsetter on biodiversity issues.

The correct answer is Stuart Broad.

Key Points

• Yuvraj Singh had hit a 12-ball 50 against England in the ICC World T20 2007 when he had smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over.
• He made his ODI career debut for India in October 2000 and played his first Test match in October 2003. He was the vice-captain of the Indian ODI team between 2007–2008.
• Yuvraj was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and one of the top performers at the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, both of which India won.
• In 2012, Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second-highest sporting award. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour.

Important Points

• Ben Stokes-
• ​He is an English all-rounder who bowls right-arm medium pace and bats left-handed. He made his first-class debut for Durham against Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
• He made his one-day debut against Surrey in 2009 and marked the occasion by dismissing Mark Ramprakash on his third delivery in first-class cricket.
• He made his maiden first-class century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on May 13, 2010.
• Moin Ali-
• Moeen Ali has represented England in all forms of cricket.
• A versatile left-handed batsman and an aggressive off-break bowler, Ali won Warwickshire’s NBC Denis Compton Award in both 2004 and 2005.
• This all-rounder was also part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
• ​James Anderson-
• Anderson made his England debut in Melbourne in December 2002, taking a modest 1-46 in six overs but he improved on the tour and won himself a place in England's squad for the 2003 World Cup.
• He made his Test debut at Lord's later that year, taking 26 wickets in seven Tests against Zimbabwe and South Africa.
• Stuart Broad-
• Stuart Christopher John Broad is an English Cricketer, who plays in the Tests and ODIs for England. He was born on 24 June 1986 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England.
• Stuart plays the role of a right-arm fast bowler for the team and is known for his ability to create bounce on the most benign surfaces.
• One of the toughest times of his career came in the initial days in the 2007 World T20 when he got hit by Yuvraj Singh for six sixes in the 19^th over of the match.