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Past Questions — 2014
Who captured and executed Siraj-ud-daula after the Battle of Plassey?
A)
Miran, son of Mir Jafar
B)
Robert Clive
C)
Mir Jafar
D)
Mir Kasim
Following the Battle of Plassey (1757), Siraj-ud-daula was captured and executed on 2 July 1757 under the orders of Miran, the son of Mir Jafar.
The weight of a body at the centre of the earth is
A)
zero
B)
infinite
C)
same as at other places
D)
none of these
At the centre of the Earth, the acceleration due to gravity is zero (g = 0), so the weight of the body (W = mg) is zero.
Which of the following gases is predominant in the atmosphere?
A)
Argon
B)
Nitrogen
C)
Carbon dioxide
D)
Oxygen
Nitrogen is the predominant gas in Earth's atmosphere, constituting approximately 78.08% of dry air by volume.
Which one is a water soluble vitamin?
A)
Vitamin A
B)
Vitamin C
C)
Vitamin K
D)
Vitamin D
Vitamins are broadly classified into fat-soluble and water-soluble types. Vitamin C is water soluble, while Vitamins A, D, and K are fat soluble. Therefore, the correct answer is Vitamin C.
‘Athlete’s foot’ is
A)
a specific footwear for athletes to prevent them from straining their feet
B)
an allergic skin rash
C)
a common fungal infection that attacks the skin below the toes
D)
an eczema
Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection (commonly caused by dermatophytes) that usually affects the skin between and below the toes. It causes itching, scaling, cracking, and sometimes redness. Option (a) is incorrect because it is not footwear. Option (b) is incorrect because it is not an allergic rash. Option (d) is incorrect because eczema is a different skin condition, not athlete’s foot.
Which one of the following solutions will not turn blue litmus to red litmus?
A)
Lemon juice
B)
Acetic acid
C)
Sodium hydroxide
D)
Hydrochloric acid
Blue litmus turns red in acidic solutions, not in basic solutions. Lemon juice, acetic acid, and hydrochloric acid are acids, so they will turn blue litmus red. Sodium hydroxide is a base, so it will not turn blue litmus to red; instead, it may turn red litmus blue.
CNG stands for
A)
Compressed Natural Gasoline
B)
Compressed Natural Gas
C)
Compressed Nitrogen Gas
D)
Compressed Neon Gas
CNG is the standard abbreviation for Compressed Natural Gas, a fuel used in vehicles. The other options are incorrect because gasoline, nitrogen gas, and neon gas do not match the established meaning of CNG.
Sacrificial rites performed for good crops is
A)
Hnuaipui
B)
Hnuaite
C)
Chung
D)
Fano Dawi
In traditional Mizo indigenous religious practice, 'Fano Dawi' is the specific sacrificial ritual performed to invoke blessings and prosperity for a bountiful rice/crop harvest.
Which among the following is the first confirmed Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of another star?
A)
Kepler-22b
B)
Kepler-61b
C)
Kepler-62e
D)
Kepler-186f
Kepler-186f was the first validated Earth-sized planet to orbit in the habitable zone of another star.
The biogeographic realms described by Darwin, Wallace and others are associated with patterns of
A)
light intensity
B)
precipitation and temperature
C)
continental drift
D)
climate
The worldwide distribution of biogeographic realms described by Wallace and Darwin is fundamentally shaped by patterns of continental drift and plate tectonic history.
The location of where an organism lives would be best described as its
A)
niche
B)
habitat
C)
range
D)
biome
A habitat is the physical place or natural environment where a specific organism lives and finds the resources it needs to survive.
Which among the following need not be amended through special majority of Parliament and consent of the states?
A)
Sixth Schedule - administration of tribal areas
B)
Election of President and its manner
C)
Any of the lists in the Seventh Schedule
D)
Representation of States in Parliament
Under Article 368, some provisions require a special majority of Parliament only, while certain federal provisions also need ratification by at least half of the States. The election of the President and its manner (Article 54 and 55) is one of the matters that can be amended by Parliament with special majority alone; it does not require consent of the States. By contrast, Sixth Schedule provisions, any of the Seventh Schedule lists, and representation of States in Parliament are federal provisions that require both special majority of Parliament and State ratification.
The acid present in the stomach of human beings is
A)
HNO3
B)
H2CO3
C)
HCl
D)
H2SO4
The stomach secretes hydrochloric acid (HCl), which helps in digestion and kills harmful microbes. HNO3, H2CO3, and H2SO4 are not the normal acids present in the human stomach.
The state which has the largest number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha is
A)
Madhya Pradesh
B)
Bihar
C)
Gujarat
D)
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh has the largest number of seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha.
A person who is not a member of Parliament can be appointed as a Minister by the President for a maximum period of
A)
9 months
B)
3 months
C)
12 months
D)
6 months
Article 75(5) of the Indian Constitution stipulates that a non-member of Parliament appointed as a Minister must get elected to either House of Parliament within 6 consecutive months, or cease to be a Minister.
Luni river flows through
A)
Uttar Pradesh
B)
Rajasthan
C)
Karnataka
D)
Orissa
The Luni River originates in the Aravalli Range near Ajmer in Rajasthan and flows through the Thar Desert before draining into the Rann of Kutch.
Organic farming does not include
A)
green manures
B)
chemical fertilizers
C)
crop rotation
D)
compost and farmyard manures
Organic farming relies on natural inputs such as green manures, compost, animal manures, and crop rotation, while strictly prohibiting synthetic chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides.
Which one of the following states has a seat reserved in the Legislative Assembly on the basis of religion?
A)
Goa
B)
Sikkim
C)
Mizoram
D)
J&K
Under Article 371F of the Constitution of India and the Representation of the People Act, Sikkim has one seat in its Legislative Assembly specifically reserved for the Buddhist monastic community (the Sangha constituency).
Earth Day is observed on
A)
22nd March
B)
22nd April
C)
23rd March
D)
23rd April
World Earth Day is celebrated internationally on 22nd April every year to demonstrate support for environmental protection and raise awareness about global conservation.
According to the provisions of the Constitution, which one of the following can be abolished?
A)
Legislative Assembly
B)
Legislative Council
C)
Rajya Sabha
D)
Lok Sabha
Under Article 169 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament has the power to create or abolish a State Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) by a simple majority if the State Legislative Assembly passes a resolution with a special majority.
Which of the following are correctly matched?
A)
Ajanta cave paintings – Gupta period
B)
Udaigiri Varaha Cave – Maurya period
C)
Sarnath Buddha – Chola Period
D)
Ashokan Pillars – Mughal period
Option (a) is correctly matched. The Ajanta cave paintings are generally dated to the Gupta period (especially the later phase of painting). The other matches are incorrect: Udaigiri Varaha Cave belongs to the Gupta period, not Maurya; the Sarnath Buddha is a Gupta-period sculpture, not Chola; and Ashokan pillars belong to the Maurya period, not Mughal.
Who advocated that India would be truly independent only when the poorest of its people becomes free of human suffering?
A)
Mahatma Gandhi
B)
Indira Gandhi
C)
Jawahar Lal Nehru
D)
Subhash Chandra Bose
Mahatma Gandhi advocated that India would be truly independent only when the poorest of its people becomes free of human suffering.
The process of selling government equities in public sector enterprises is called
A)
Liberalization
B)
Privatization
C)
Disinvestment
D)
Downsizing
Disinvestment is the process by which the government sells or liquidates its assets, such as shares or equities, in Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs).
Who among the following is the first women to be appointed as Chief Justice of Delhi High Court?
A)
Justice Anna Chandy
B)
Justice G.Rohini
C)
Justice Leila Seth
D)
Justice Chandermani Chopra
Justice Leila Seth was the first woman judge to be appointed as Chief Justice of a High Court (Delhi High Court in 1991).
Montreal Protocol aims at
A)
Control of CO2 emission
B)
Reduction of ozone depleting substances
C)
Biodiversity Conservation
D)
Control of water pollution
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987) is an international environmental treaty aimed at phasing out the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances (ODS).