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Past Questions — 2021
Which of the following computer language is used for artificial intelligence?
A)
FORTRAN
B)
COBOL
C)
INDEXING
D)
PROLOG
PROLOG is a logic programming language widely used in artificial intelligence, especially in expert systems, natural language processing, and problem-solving applications. FORTRAN is mainly used for scientific and engineering computations, COBOL is used for business data processing, and INDEXING is not a programming language. Therefore, the correct answer is PROLOG.
What is the full form of the term GIF?
A)
Graphics Interchange Format
B)
Graphs in the Format
C)
Group Interchange Forum
D)
Graphics Intercom Format
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format, a widely used image file format especially for simple animations and web graphics. The other options are incorrect because they are not the recognized expansion of GIF.
The ‘Pamirs’ are popularly known as -
A)
Pillars of the Earth
B)
Playground of Europe
C)
Roof of the World
D)
Pearl of the Antilles
The Pamirs are a high mountain region in Central Asia and are famously called the 'Roof of the World' because of their great elevation and plateau-like mountainous expanse.
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) Pillars of the Earth: not the popular name of the Pamirs.
- (b) Playground of Europe: this refers to Switzerland.
- (d) Pearl of the Antilles: this is associated with Cuba.
As per National Education Policy 2020, by which year, the minimum degree qualification for teaching is going to be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree?
A)
2030
B)
2028
C)
2026
D)
2024
According to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, by 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be a 4-year integrated B.Ed. degree. Therefore, option (a) is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- (b) 2028: Not the year specified in NEP 2020 for minimum teaching qualification.
- (c) 2026: Incorrect year.
- (d) 2024: Incorrect year.
India has recently gifted 20 fully trained military horses and 10 mine detection dogs to which country?
A)
Thailand
B)
Myanmar
C)
Bangladesh
D)
Bhutan
The correct answer is Myanmar. India gifted 20 fully trained military horses and 10 mine detection dogs to the Myanmar Army as part of defence cooperation and capacity-building between the two countries.
Why others are incorrect:
(a) Thailand – no such recent defence gift was reported in this context.
(c) Bangladesh – India has strong defence ties with Bangladesh, but this specific gift was not made to Bangladesh.
(d) Bhutan – India has close strategic relations with Bhutan, but the gift mentioned was not to Bhutan.
The youngest elected councillor in the recently concluded Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) election is
A)
Zodingpuii
B)
Chuauzikpuii
C)
Christina Roluahpuii Sailo
D)
C.Lalchhandami
The youngest elected councillor in the recently concluded Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC) election was Zodingpuii. Therefore, option (a) is correct. The other names were candidates/elected councillors, but they were not the youngest among those elected.
Which country recently became the second nation to plant its flag on the Moon after United States?
A)
Japan
B)
China
C)
Israel
D)
Russia
China became the second country after the United States to plant its flag on the Moon. This was achieved by China’s Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, which successfully landed on the Moon and displayed the Chinese flag.
Why others are incorrect:
- Japan: It has sent lunar missions, but did not become the second nation to plant its flag on the Moon.
- Israel: Its Beresheet mission crashed before a successful Moon landing.
- Russia: The former Soviet Union achieved the first soft landing on the Moon, but the question specifically refers to planting a national flag in this recent context, which was done by China.
A shopkeeper sold an article at a loss of 20 %. If the selling price has been increased by Rs 100, there would have been a gain of 5 %. The cost price of the article was –
A)
Rs 380
B)
Rs 400
C)
Rs 420
D)
Rs 450
Let the cost price be x. Sold at 20% loss means selling price = 80% of x = 0.8x. If the selling price were increased by Rs 100, there would be a 5% gain, so new selling price = 105% of x = 1.05x. Therefore, 1.05x - 0.8x = 100 ⇒ 0.25x = 100 ⇒ x = 400. Hence, the cost price of the article was Rs 400. So option (b) is correct. The other options do not satisfy both the 20% loss and 5% gain conditions.
Andy Jassy will replace the CEO of which major technology company?
A)
Apple
B)
Google
C)
Facebook
D)
Amazon
Andy Jassy was announced in 2021 as the successor to Jeff Bezos as CEO of Amazon. Therefore, the correct answer is Amazon. The other options are incorrect because Andy Jassy was not appointed CEO of Apple, Google, or Facebook.
According to second advance estimate of food grain production for 2020-21 released by the ministry of agriculture, food grain production in India is estimated at
A)
270 million tonnes
B)
295.7 million tonnes
C)
303.34 million tonnes
D)
310 million tonnes
The Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for 2020–21, released by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, estimated total foodgrain production in India at 303.34 million tonnes. Hence option (c) is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) 270 million tonnes: too low compared to the official estimate.
- (b) 295.7 million tonnes: not the second advance estimate figure for 2020–21.
- (d) 310 million tonnes: higher than the official estimate.
‘The Four Winds’ is a famous book written by
A)
Kristina Hannah
B)
Rachel Hawkins
C)
Ashley Audrain
D)
Alexandra Braken
‘The Four Winds’ is a novel written by Kristina Hannah. It is a well-known historical fiction work. The other options are incorrect because Rachel Hawkins wrote works like The Wife Upstairs, Ashley Audrain wrote The Push, and Alexandra Bracken is known for The Darkest Minds series.
A circle and a rectangle have the same perimeter. The sides of a rectangle are 18 cm and 26 cm. The area of the circle is –
A)
516 cm2
B)
552 cm2
C)
610 cm2
D)
616 cm2
Perimeter of the rectangle = 2(18 + 26) = 2 × 44 = 88 cm. Since the circle has the same perimeter, its circumference is 88 cm. So, 2πr = 88 ⇒ r = 88/(2π) = 44/π. Using π = 22/7, r = 44 ÷ (22/7) = 14 cm. Area of the circle = πr² = (22/7) × 14 × 14 = 616 cm2. Therefore, the correct option is (d). The other options do not match the calculated area.
The largest country in the world in terms of GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) is
A)
China
B)
USA
C)
Germany
D)
Japan
GDP measured at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) compares economies based on the relative purchasing power of currencies. By this measure, China has been the largest economy in the world, ahead of the USA. Germany and Japan are also major economies but are smaller than both China and the USA in PPP terms. Therefore, the correct answer is China.
Winner of the Australian Open 2021 women’s title
A)
Simona Halep
B)
Serena Williams
C)
Ashleigh Barty
D)
Naomi Osaka
The winner of the Australian Open 2021 women’s singles title was Naomi Osaka. She defeated Jennifer Brady in the final. Therefore, option (d) is correct. The other options are incorrect because Simona Halep, Serena Williams, and Ashleigh Barty did not win the women’s title in 2021.
Which of the following states recently celebrates its founding day along with Mizoram?
A)
Tripura
B)
Arunachal Pradesh
C)
Sikkim
D)
Nagaland
Mizoram attained statehood on 20 February 1987 under the State of Mizoram Act, 1986. Arunachal Pradesh also became a full-fledged state on the same date, 20 February 1987. Therefore, both states celebrate their founding/statehood day together on 20 February.
Why others are incorrect:
- Tripura: It became a full state on 21 January 1972.
- Sikkim: It became a state on 16 May 1975.
- Nagaland: It became a state on 1 December 1963.
Which of the following units of memory is arranged in descending order?
A)
GB>MB>KB>TB
B)
TB>MB>GB>KB
C)
MB>GB>TB>KB
D)
TB>GB>MB>KB
Memory units in descending order mean from larger to smaller. Among the given units: TB (terabyte) > GB (gigabyte) > MB (megabyte) > KB (kilobyte). Therefore option (d) is correct. The other options are incorrect because they do not follow the proper largest-to-smallest sequence.
According to the Economic Survey 2020-2021, the rate of growth of Mizoram’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) during fiscal 2019-2020 is
A)
13.04 per cent
B)
14.07 per cent
C)
11.5 per cent
D)
10.55 per cent
According to the Economic Survey 2020-2021 published by the Government of Mizoram, the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Mizoram showed a growth rate of 14.07 per cent during the fiscal year 2019-2020. This figure represents the growth at constant prices, reflecting the real economic expansion of the state's economy during that specific period. Options a, c, and d are incorrect as they do not align with the official statistical data provided in the state's Economic Survey for that fiscal year.
Which of the following is the first calculating device?
A)
Abacus
B)
Calculator
C)
Pascaline
D)
Turing Machine
The earliest known calculating device is the Abacus, used in ancient times for performing basic arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction.
Why others are incorrect:
- Calculator: Modern electronic device developed much later.
- Pascaline: A mechanical calculator invented by Blaise Pascal in 1642, not the first calculating device.
- Turing Machine: A theoretical model of computation, not an early calculating device used historically.
Therefore, the correct answer is Abacus.
The volume of a sphere is numerically equal to its surface area. If the volume of the sphere and its surface area are measured in cm3 and cm2 respectively, then its diameter is –
A)
6 cm
B)
3 cm
C)
2 cm
D)
4 cm
For a sphere of radius r, volume = (4/3)πr^3 and surface area = 4πr^2. Given that these are numerically equal: (4/3)πr^3 = 4πr^2. Cancelling 4πr^2 from both sides gives r/3 = 1, so r = 3 cm. Therefore, diameter = 2r = 6 cm. Hence option (a) is correct. The other options give diameters 3, 2, and 4 cm, which do not satisfy the equation.
According to State of the world’s forest report 2020, two-thirds (66 percent) of the world’s forests are found in only
A)
Five countries
B)
Seven countries
C)
Nine countries
D)
Ten countries
The FAO’s State of the World’s Forests 2020 reports that although there are forests in more than half of the world’s countries, about two-thirds (66%) of the world’s forest area is concentrated in only ten countries. Therefore, option (d) is correct.
Why others are incorrect:
- (a) Five countries: too few; the report says ten countries.
- (b) Seven countries: not the figure given in the report.
- (c) Nine countries: also incorrect according to the report.
To enhance the awareness about migratory birds among common public, which state government organized the first ever migratory bird festival in 2020?
A)
Bihar
B)
Gujarat
C)
Andra Pradesh
D)
Kerala
The first-ever Migratory Bird Festival in 2020 was organized by the Bihar government to spread awareness among the general public about migratory birds and wetland conservation. Therefore, option (a) is correct. The other states listed were not the organizers of this first festival in 2020.
Barak Obama has published a famous memoir called
A)
Becoming
B)
A Promised Land
C)
Untamed
D)
The Guest List
Barack Obama’s famous memoir is "A Promised Land," published in 2020.
- (a) "Becoming" is the memoir of Michelle Obama.
- (c) "Untamed" is by Glennon Doyle.
- (d) "The Guest List" is a novel by Lucy Foley. Therefore, option (b) is correct.
With an investment of Rs 1000 crore in the sector, the Arunachal Pradesh government has dedicated 2021 as the year of
A)
Women Empowerment
B)
Education
C)
Child Protection
D)
Agriculture
The Arunachal Pradesh government declared 2021 as the 'Year of Agriculture' and earmarked about Rs 1000 crore for the sector. Hence option (d) is correct. The other options are incorrect because the announcement was specifically about boosting agriculture and allied sectors, not women empowerment, education, or child protection.
The organization responsible for releasing the ‘Global Investment Trends Monitor’ report 2020 is
A)
World Bank
B)
UNCTAD
C)
IMF
D)
ADB
The ‘Global Investment Trends Monitor’ is released by UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development). UNCTAD regularly publishes this report to track global foreign direct investment trends. Therefore, option (b) is correct. The World Bank, IMF, and ADB publish important economic reports, but not the Global Investment Trends Monitor.
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with REE Automotive to develop electric commercial vehicles. REE Automotive is located at
A)
Washington, USA
B)
Tel-Aviv, Israel
C)
Paris, France
D)
Dubai, UAE
Mahindra & Mahindra signed the MoU with REE Automotive, an Israeli automotive technology company headquartered in Tel-Aviv, Israel. Therefore, option (b) is correct. The other options are incorrect because REE Automotive is not based in Washington, Paris, or Dubai.