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Past Questions
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) is located in
A)
Mumbai
B)
Dehradun
C)
Hyderabad
D)
Chennai
The National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), one of the primary centres of ISRO, is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.
In the Sun, helium is produced from hydrogen by
A)
Disintegration
B)
Fission
C)
Fusion
D)
Radioactive decay
Nuclear fusion in the core of the Sun converts hydrogen nuclei (protons) into helium nuclei under extreme temperature and gravitational pressure, releasing massive energy.
The consequences of World War I for India and the Indian national movement included: 1. Huge increase in defence expenditure funded by war loans and rising taxes. 2. Customs duties were lowered to zero to import cheap British products in India 3. The Rowlatt Act was repealed. 4. The Indian industries were rejuvenated as demand for industrial goods during the WW-I increased. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A)
1 and 4 only
B)
2, 3 and 4 only
C)
1 and 3 only
D)
1, 2 and 4 only
During World War I, defense expenditure surged leading to heavy taxes and war loans (statement 1), while Indian industries grew rapidly to meet war supply demands (statement 4). Customs duties were raised rather than lowered to zero, and the Rowlatt Act was enacted rather than repealed.
Indian constitution does not provide any procedure to remove the
A)
President
B)
Vice President
C)
Governor
D)
Judge of Supreme Court
The Indian Constitution provides a process for the removal of the President (impeachment), Vice President, and Judges of the Supreme Court, but it does not contain a specific procedure for the removal of a Governor; they hold office during the pleasure of the President.
The most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere is
A)
Oxygen
B)
Carbon Dioxide
C)
Nitrogen
D)
Green House gas
Nitrogen (N2) is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, making up approximately 78.08% by volume, followed by Oxygen at roughly 20.95%, Argon at 0.93%, and trace amounts of Carbon Dioxide and other gases.
Maximum reservoir of carbon dioxide is found in
A)
Atmosphere
B)
Landmass
C)
Oceans
D)
Forest
The global oceans are the largest active reservoir of carbon dioxide / carbon in the Earth's carbon cycle, holding approximately 38,000 to 40,000 gigatons of carbon, vastly exceeding the atmosphere and terrestrial vegetation.
HCFCs can be used as refrigerants instead of
A)
CO2
B)
Cl
C)
CFCs
D)
CO
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were introduced as transitionary replacements for Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) because of their comparatively lower ozone depletion potential (ODP).
The understanding made between the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress in 1916 was the
A)
Khilafat Pact
B)
Lucknow Pact
C)
Lahore Pact
D)
Madras Pact
The Lucknow Pact was an agreement signed in December 1916 between the Indian National Congress (INC) and the All-India Muslim League. It was a landmark event in the Indian independence movement as it marked a period of temporary unity between the two major political entities. The pact was facilitated by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Under this agreement, the Congress accepted the League's demand for separate electorates for Muslims in return for the League's support for the Congress's demand for self-government (Home Rule) from the British.
Why other options are incorrect:
- a. Khilafat Pact: The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) was a campaign to protect the Ottoman Caliphate; while it led to cooperation between Gandhi and the Muslims, it was not a formal 'pact' signed in 1916.
- c. Lahore Pact: This usually refers to the 1940 Lahore Resolution (Pakistan Resolution), which called for the creation of independent states for Muslims, rather than an understanding with the Congress.
- d. Madras Pact: There is no historically significant 'Madras Pact' of 1916 between the Congress and the Muslim League.
Which one of the pairs given below is/are correctly matched? 1. Chilka Lake - Odisha 2. Lake Pulicat - Tamil Nadu 3. Lake Sambhar - Gujarat 4. Wular Lake - Jammu and Kashmir
A)
1, 2 and 3
B)
2, 3 and 4
C)
1, 2 and 4
D)
1, 3 and 4
Chilka Lake is in Odisha (1 is correct); Pulicat Lake is located on the Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu border (2 is correct); Wular Lake is in Jammu and Kashmir (4 is correct). Sambhar Lake is located in Rajasthan, not Gujarat (3 is incorrect). Thus, 1, 2, and 4 are correctly matched.
Which of the following greenhouse gases has the highest atmospheric lifetime?
A)
CO
B)
N2O
C)
CH4
D)
CF4
Carbon tetrafluoride (CF4), a perfluorocarbon, has an extraordinarily long atmospheric lifetime of approximately 50,000 years, far exceeding those of N2O (~114 years), CH4 (~12 years), and CO (months).
Which of the following organelles is the site of protein synthesis in a cell?
A)
Peroxysome
B)
Ribosome
C)
Mitochondria
D)
Nucleus
Ribosomes are the cellular organelles responsible for protein synthesis.
As per the Human Development Index (HDI), the index value varies between
A)
0 and 1
B)
0 and 5
C)
-5 and +5
D)
0 and 10
The Human Development Index (HDI) developed by the UNDP is a normalized composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capita income whose score ranges strictly between 0 and 1.
The number of Biosphere Reserved in India is amounting to
A)
15
B)
21
C)
18
D)
14
As per the official data provided by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, India has a total of 18 Biosphere Reserves. These reserves are established to promote sustainable development and conserve biodiversity. Out of these 18, 12 have been recognized by UNESCO under the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR). The 18 reserves are distributed across various states, including the Nilgiris, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar, Pachmarhi, Similipal, Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Nokrek, Great Nicobar, Agasthyamala, Khangchendzonga, Seshachalam Hills, Manas, Simlipal, Cold Desert, Panna, Kaimur, and the newest additions. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Which of the following is not included in the National Food Security Mission?
A)
Oilseeds
B)
Wheat
C)
Rice
D)
Pulses
The National Food Security Mission (NFSM), launched in 2007-08 by the Government of India, initially targeted three core crop components: Rice, Wheat, and Pulses (coarse cereals were included later). Oilseeds were covered separately under missions like NMOOP.
A tropical cyclone occurring around the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico is called?
A)
Typhoon
B)
Willy-Willy
C)
Hurricane
D)
Tornado
Tropical cyclones occurring in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico are officially called Hurricanes.
Basel Convention is related to-
A)
Ozone Layer Depletion
B)
Earth Summit
C)
Sustainable Development
D)
Trans Boundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes
The Basel Convention (1989) is an international treaty designed to control and reduce the transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and prevent their transfer from developed to developing countries.
Who called the Preamble as Political Horoscope of Indian Constitution?
A)
Balwant Singh Mehta
B)
N A Palkhi Wala
C)
B. Shiva Rao
D)
K.M. Munshi
K.M. Munshi described the Preamble as the 'political horoscope' of the Indian Constitution.
Minamata incident was caused by
A)
Mercury pollution
B)
Ozone depletion
C)
Acid rain
D)
Nuclear accident
The Minamata disease was caused by severe mercury poisoning.
Which of the following is not associated with the Kanpur conspiracy case?
A)
S.A. Dange
B)
Muzaffar Ahmed
C)
Nalini Gupta
D)
Ashfaqulla Khan
The Kanpur Bolshevik Conspiracy Case (1924) targeted communists like S.A. Dange, Muzaffar Ahmed, and Nalini Gupta. Ashfaqulla Khan was a revolutionary associated with the Kakori Train Action (1925).
Which of the following is a bad demon?
A)
Khuavang
B)
Lasi
C)
Chawm
D)
Pheichham
In traditional Mizo demonology and folklore, Chawm (or Chawmnu) is a malevolent forest demon, whereas Khuavang, Lasi, and Pheichham are benign or boon-bestowing spirits.
Which of the following is NOT a Vedanga?
A)
Nirukta – Etymology
B)
Vyakarana – Grammar
C)
Kalpa – Ritual instructions
D)
Virakta – Philosophy
The six Vedangas are Shiksha (phonetics), Kalpa (ritual instructions), Vyakarana (grammar), Nirukta (etymology), Chhanda (metrics), and Jyotisha (astronomy). 'Virakta' is not a Vedanga.
A polymer which is coated as a thin layer on the inner side of non-sticking pans is
A)
Bakelite
B)
Teflon
C)
PVC
D)
Polypropylenes
Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer used as a non-stick coating for cookware and pans due to its high thermal stability and extremely low friction coefficient.
What is the name of the NASA spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023?
A)
Ganymede
B)
Callisto
C)
Juice
D)
Europa
The spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023, is JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer). It is important to note that while the question attributes the launch to NASA, JUICE is actually a mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA), though it involves international cooperation. The mission's primary goal is to study Jupiter and its three large ocean-bearing moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Analysis of options:
- a. Ganymede: This is one of the moons JUICE is designed to study (and will eventually orbit), not the name of the spacecraft.
- b. Callisto: This is another moon of Jupiter that JUICE will investigate.
- d. Europa: This is the third major moon JUICE will study. (Note: NASA has a separate mission called 'Europa Clipper' specifically for this moon).
- c. Juice: This is the correct name of the spacecraft launched on April 14, 2023.
Increase in concentration of a toxicant at successive trophic level is called
A)
Bio-magnification
B)
Succession
C)
Eutrophication
D)
Biotransformation
Step-by-step reasoning:
1. **Analysis of the Question**: The question asks for the term describing the increase in the concentration of a toxicant (such as heavy metals or pesticides) as it moves up the food chain from one trophic level to the next.
2. **Evaluating Option (a) Bio-magnification**: Bio-magnification (or biomagnification) occurs when persistent, fat-soluble toxins are ingested by organisms. Because these toxins are not easily metabolized or excreted, they accumulate in the tissues. When a predator eats many prey items, it consumes all the toxins stored in those prey, leading to a higher concentration of the toxicant at each successive trophic level. This is the correct definition.
3. **Evaluating Option (b) Succession**: Ecological succession is the process by which the structure of a biological community evolves over time (e.g., primary or secondary succession). It is unrelated to toxicant concentration.
4. **Evaluating Option (c) Eutrophication**: Eutrophication is the process where a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus), leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen. It is a water quality issue, not a trophic level concentration process.
5. **Evaluating Option (d) Biotransformation**: Biotransformation is the chemical modification made by an organism on a chemical compound (usually via enzymes in the liver) to make it easier to excrete. This is the opposite of magnification, as it often helps the body remove toxins.
Which among the following is the oldest Veda?
A)
Sama Veda
B)
Yajur Veda
C)
Rig Veda
D)
Atharva Veda
The Rig Veda is widely recognized by historians and linguists as the oldest of the four Vedas and one of the oldest existing texts in any Indo-European language. It was composed roughly between 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE. It consists of 1,028 hymns (suktas) organized into ten books (mandalas) dedicated to various deities.
Comparison with other options:
- Sama Veda: This is a collection of melodies and chants, largely derived from the Rig Veda, intended to be sung during sacrifices. It post-dates the Rig Veda.
- Yajur Veda: This contains the ritual formulas and mantras used by priests during the performance of sacrifices. It was compiled after the Rig Veda.
- Atharva Veda: This is the youngest of the four Vedas, containing spells, charms, and magical formulas for healing and protection, reflecting a later stage of Vedic society.