← Group B (Gazetted)
Past Questions
US President Donald Trump showed interest in buying Greenland which is under the control of-
A)
England
B)
Denmark
C)
France
D)
Netherland
Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. In August 2019, US President Donald Trump publicly expressed interest in the United States purchasing Greenland from Denmark, a proposal that was rejected by the Danish and Greenlandic governments. England (a), France (c), and the Netherlands (d) have no sovereignty or administrative control over Greenland.
P. D. Vaghela has been appointed as the new Chairperson of
A)
Sebi
B)
TRAI
C)
Law Commision
D)
SAIL
P. D. Vaghela, a 1986-batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, was appointed as the Chairperson of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in September 2020, succeeding R. S. Sharma.
- **Sebi (a):** Madhabi Puri Buch is the Chairperson of SEBI (succeeding Ajay Tyagi).
- **Law Commission (c):** Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi was appointed as the Chairperson of the 22nd Law Commission of India.
- **SAIL (d):** Soma Mondal was appointed as the first woman Chairperson of SAIL around that time, succeeded later by Amarendu Prakash.
The Revolt of 1857 began at Meerut on
A)
8 May 1857
B)
9 May 1857
C)
10 May 1857
D)
11 May 1857
The Revolt of 1857 officially began on 10 May 1857 at Meerut when the Indian sepoys of the Bengal Army mutinied against their British officers, broke open the town jail, released their comrades, and marched towards Delhi.
- Option 'a' (8 May 1857) is incorrect as no major event of the revolt occurred on this day.
- Option 'b' (9 May 1857) is incorrect because on this day, 85 sepoys of the 3rd Native Cavalry were court-martialed and sentenced to prison for refusing to use the greased cartridges, which acted as the immediate provocation for the outbreak on the following day.
- Option 'd' (11 May 1857) is incorrect because this was the day the mutineers reached Delhi and declared the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar as the Emperor of Hindustan.
A memoir of the late president of India Pranab Mukherjee was released recently and the name of the memoir is
A)
My experiments with Life
B)
Life of a President
C)
The Presidential Years
D)
The year that was
The correct option is 'c'. 'The Presidential Years: 2012-2017' is the fourth volume of the memoirs of the late Pranab Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, which was published posthumously in January 2021. The other options are incorrect: 'My experiments with Life' is a play on Mahatma Gandhi's famous autobiography 'The Story of My Experiments with Truth'; 'Life of a President' and 'The year that was' are not the titles of Pranab Mukherjee's memoirs.
An Interim government of India was formed on
A)
15 August, 1946
B)
25 August, 1946
C)
2 September, 1946
D)
4 September, 1946
The Interim Government of India was formed on 2 September 1946 from the newly elected Constituent Assembly of India. It was established to assist the transition of India from British rule to independence, with Jawaharlal Nehru serving as the Vice President of the Executive Council (de facto Prime Minister).
- Option 'a' (15 August, 1946) is incorrect; India gained independence on 15 August 1947, and this date in 1946 has no such significance.
- Option 'b' (25 August, 1946) is incorrect; although the announcement of the formation of the Interim Government was made on 24 August 1946, the government was formally sworn in on 2 September.
- Option 'd' (4 September, 1946) is incorrect as the government had already assumed office two days prior.
In 1888, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan founded the
A)
United Patriotic Association
B)
Muslim League
C)
Upper Indian Mohammedan Association
D)
National Conference
In 1888, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, along with Raja Shiv Prasad of Benares, founded the United Patriotic Association (also known as the United Indian Patriotic Association). The main objective of this association was to oppose the political propaganda of the Indian National Congress and to encourage Indian cooperation with the British government.
- Option 'b' (Muslim League) is incorrect because the All-India Muslim League was founded much later in 1906 in Dacca.
- Option 'c' (Upper Indian Mohammedan Association) is incorrect as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental Defence Association of Upper India was established later in 1893.
- Option 'd' (National Conference) is incorrect as the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference was founded by Sheikh Abdullah in the 1930s.
According to World Happiness Report 2020, the happiest country in the world is –
A)
Finland
B)
Denmark
C)
Norway
D)
Sweden
According to the World Happiness Report 2020, Finland was ranked as the happiest country in the world for the third consecutive year. Denmark (option b) was ranked second, Norway (option c) was ranked fifth, and Sweden (option d) was ranked seventh in the same report.
The Asiatic Society of Bengal founded in 1784 owes its origin to
A)
Sir William Jones
B)
James Princep
C)
Warren Hastings
D)
William Carey
The Asiatic Society of Bengal was founded on January 15, 1784, by Sir William Jones, a British lawyer and Orientalist, to promote Oriental studies and research into the history, antiquities, arts, sciences, and literatures of Asia.
* Why other options are incorrect:
- James Princep (Option b) was an influential scholar who deciphered the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts in the 1830s, much later than the society's founding.
- Warren Hastings (Option c) was the Governor-General of Bengal at the time who patronized and supported the society, but he declined its presidency, which was then taken by Sir William Jones.
- William Carey (Option d) was a Baptist missionary known for his translation work and the establishment of Serampore College, but he was not associated with the founding of the Asiatic Society.
Jack Dorsey is the CEO of -
A)
Instagram
B)
Twitter
C)
Signal
D)
Whatsap
Jack Dorsey is the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter (now known as X), having served as its CEO until November 2021.
Why other options are incorrect:
- Instagram: Founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and currently headed by Adam Mosseri.
- WhatsApp: Founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton, and is currently owned by Meta.
- Signal: Developed by the Signal Technology Foundation, with Meredith Whittaker currently serving as its president.
Who proposed the Communal Award?
A)
Lord Minto
B)
Lord Atlee
C)
Ramsay MacDonald
D)
Sir Stafford Cripps
The Communal Award was proposed by the British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald on August 16, 1932. It established separate electorates for forward castes, lower castes, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Europeans, and Untouchables (Depressed Classes) in India.
- **Lord Minto (a):** He was the Viceroy of India associated with the Morley-Minto Reforms of 1909, which introduced separate electorates for Muslims, not the Communal Award.
- **Lord Atlee (b):** He was the British Prime Minister who oversaw India's independence in 1947.
- **Sir Stafford Cripps (d):** He led the Cripps Mission in 1942 to secure Indian cooperation in World War II, which was unrelated to the 1932 Communal Award.
Where did the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre occur?
A)
Jalandhar
B)
Amritsar
C)
Ludhiana
D)
Hoshiarpur
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, Punjab. On this day, British troops under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on a large, unarmed gathering of people who had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi and peacefully protest the arrest of nationalist leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew. Options (a) Jalandhar, (c) Ludhiana, and (d) Hoshiarpur are other prominent cities in Punjab but are incorrect as they were not the locations of this tragic historical event.
The Government of India (GoI) has launched the web-based application e-FRRO scheme for foreigners. What does ‘FRRO’ stands for?
A)
Foreigners Regional Registration Office
B)
Foreigners Registry Registration Office
C)
Foreigners Regaining Registration Office
D)
Foreigners Reacceptance Registration Office
The correct acronym for FRRO is 'Foreigners Regional Registration Office'. The e-FRRO scheme is a web-based application launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to provide a fast, paperless, and faceless service delivery mechanism for foreigners visiting India. Options b, c, and d are incorrect because 'Registry', 'Regaining', and 'Reacceptance' are not part of the official designation of this office.
Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in
A)
1824
B)
1827
C)
1828
D)
1875
The Brahmo Samaj was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy on August 20, 1828, in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Initially started as the Brahmo Sabha, it was a monotheistic reformist movement aimed at reforming Hindu society and religious practices.
- Option 'a' (1824) and Option 'b' (1827) are incorrect as no such major socio-religious organization was founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in these years.
- Option 'd' (1875) is incorrect because this was the year the Arya Samaj was founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.
The controversy on the medium of instruction was decided in favour of English language in
A)
1813
B)
1815
C)
1833
D)
1835
The controversy on the medium of instruction (known as the Orientalist-Anglicist controversy) was officially decided in favor of the English language in 1835. This decision was based on Lord Macaulay's famous 'Minute on Indian Education' of 1835, which was approved by the Governor-General of India, Lord William Bentinck, leading to the passage of the English Education Act of 1835. Other options are incorrect because: Option (a) 1813 refers to the Charter Act of 1813, which set aside money for education but initiated the controversy rather than resolving it; Option (b) 1815 has no major significance regarding this policy; and Option (c) 1833 refers to the Charter Act of 1833, which paved the way for Macaulay's appointment but did not itself resolve the medium of instruction.
According to Global Peace Index 2020, which is the most peaceful country in the world?
A)
Iceland
B)
Ireland
C)
Switzerland
D)
Belgium
According to the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2020, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), Iceland was ranked as the most peaceful country in the world, a position it has held since 2008. The other options, while highly peaceful, ranked lower in the 2020 index: Switzerland (c) was ranked 10th, Ireland (b) was ranked 12th, and Belgium (d) was ranked 17th.
Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of USA on?
A)
15th January 20221
B)
25th January 2021
C)
22nd January 2021
D)
20th January 2021
Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. According to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the term of the President begins at noon on January 20th. Options a, b, and c are incorrect because they do not represent the constitutionally mandated Inauguration Day; additionally, option a contains a typographical error in the year (20221).
When the the East India Company lost its monopoly of Indian trade?
A)
1813
B)
1833
C)
1853
D)
1857
The East India Company lost its monopoly over Indian trade through the Charter Act of 1813. This act opened up trade with India to all British merchants, though the Company retained its monopoly over trade in tea and trade with China.
- **Option b (1833):** The Charter Act of 1833 completely abolished the Company's remaining monopolies (tea and trade with China), turning it into a purely administrative body.
- **Option c (1853):** The Charter Act of 1853 further reduced the patronage of the Company but did not mark the initial loss of its trade monopoly.
- **Option d (1857):** This was the year of the Great Revolt, which led to the direct assumption of Indian administration by the British Crown in 1858.
Winner of Emmy’s 2020 for outstanding drama series is-
A)
This Is Us
B)
Bodyguard
C)
Game of Thrones
D)
Succession
The correct option is 'd' (Succession). At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards held in 2020, HBO's 'Succession' won the award for Outstanding Drama Series. 'Game of Thrones' (option c) won the award in 2019, while 'Bodyguard' (option b) and 'This Is Us' (option a) were nominees in previous years but did not win the Outstanding Drama Series category in 2020.
Which of the following was awarded ‘Lelte Young Achiever of the Year 2020’ award?
A)
NT Lalbiakkima (Boxer)
B)
Lallianzuala Chhangte (Footballer)
C)
Lalremsiami (Hockey)
D)
Jeremmy Lalrinnunga (Weightlifter)
Jeremmy Lalrinnunga, the renowned weightlifter from Mizoram who won India's first-ever gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in 2018, was honored with the 'Lelte Young Achiever of the Year 2020' award. The other options—NT Lalbiakkima (Boxer), Lallianzuala Chhangte (Footballer), and Lalremsiami (Hockey)—are also highly distinguished athletes from Mizoram but they did not receive this specific award for the year 2020.
According to State of the world’s forest report 2020, more than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries namely the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and ____________.
A)
China
B)
India
C)
Saudi Arabia
D)
Greenland
According to the State of the World’s Forests Report 2020 published by the FAO, over 54% of the world's forests are concentrated in just five countries. These countries are the Russian Federation (20%), Brazil (12%), Canada (9%), the United States of America (8%), and China (5%). Therefore, China is the correct fifth country. The other options (India, Saudi Arabia, and Greenland) do not rank in the top five globally for forest area; Saudi Arabia has extremely limited forest cover, Greenland is mostly covered by ice sheets, and India's forest cover, while substantial, is less than China's.
The order of partition of Bengal was issued by
A)
Lord Dalhousie
B)
Lord Hastings
C)
Lord Curzon
D)
Lord Dufferin
The correct option is 'c' (Lord Curzon). Lord Curzon, who served as the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905, issued the order for the Partition of Bengal on July 20, 1905, and it came into effect on October 16, 1905. The partition was officially carried out on the pretext of administrative convenience, though it was widely seen as an attempt to divide the nationalist movement along communal lines.
Why other options are incorrect:
- Lord Dalhousie (a) served as Governor-General from 1848 to 1856 and is famous for introducing the 'Doctrine of Lapse' and the railways.
- Lord Hastings (b) served as Governor-General from 1813 to 1823, known for the Anglo-Nepalese War and the Third Anglo-Maratha War.
- Lord Dufferin (d) served as Viceroy from 1884 to 1888, during whose tenure the Indian National Congress was established in 1885.
The United Kingdom recently generated over half of its power from wind, due to the Storm called
A)
Alex
B)
Dennis
C)
Gati
D)
Bella
The correct option is d (Bella). On December 26, 2020, Storm Bella brought severe winds to the UK, which allowed wind turbines to generate a record-breaking 50.7% of the country's electricity, marking the first time wind power accounted for more than half of the UK's daily power generation. Option a (Storm Alex) hit the UK in October 2020 causing heavy rain but not this record. Option b (Storm Dennis) occurred in February 2020 and was known for severe flooding. Option c (Cyclone Gati) was a tropical cyclone that affected Somalia, not the UK.
Ghadar party was formed in
A)
1913
B)
1914
C)
1915
D)
1916
The Ghadar Party was founded on 15 July 1913 in the United States (Astoria, Oregon, with headquarters in San Francisco) by expatriate Indians, primarily Punjabis. Key founding members included Sohan Singh Bhakna (President) and Lala Har Dayal (General Secretary), with the aim of securing India's independence from British rule through armed revolution.
- **1914 (Option b):** This year is associated with the Komagata Maru incident, which intensified the Ghadar movement, but the party had already been formed.
- **1915 (Option c):** This was the year of the planned Ghadar Mutiny (February 1915) in India, which was an action taken by the party, not its formation year.
- **1916 (Option d):** By this time, the Ghadar movement was facing heavy suppression by British and American authorities.
The present reverse repo rate in India as of January 2021 is
A)
4.40%
B)
5.75%
C)
3.35 %
D)
6.5%
As of January 2021, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained the reverse repo rate at 3.35%. This rate was reduced to 3.35% in May 2020 to encourage banks to lend more during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained unchanged through January 2021. Option 'a' (4.40%) was the repo rate in early 2020, while options 'b' (5.75%) and 'd' (6.5%) represent historical rates from earlier years and do not reflect the monetary policy rates of January 2021.
India signed a MoU with which country in the field of geology and mineral resources?
A)
Finland
B)
Britain
C)
USA
D)
Israel
In June 2020, the Union Cabinet of India approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) for cooperation in the field of geology and mineral resources. This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in geological mapping, mineral exploration, and research. The other options (USA, Britain, and Israel) are incorrect as India did not sign this specific bilateral MoU in geology and mineral resources with them during this period.