RRB NTPC — Set 6

Correct Answer: A. Gujarat

• **Lothal** = major Harappan port city — located in present-day Gujarat (Ahmedabad district). • **1955** — discovered by S.R. Rao; one of the most important IVC sites. • Lothal had a unique dockyard and bead factory, indicating maritime trade. • 💡 Rajasthan = Kalibangan site; Punjab = Ropar; Haryana = Rakhigarhi (largest IVC site).

Correct Answer: C. Article 23

• **Article 23** = prohibits traffic in human beings, begar (forced labour), and similar forms of exploitation. • It is a Fundamental Right under Part III of the Constitution. • Violation of Article 23 is punishable as a criminal offence under law. • 💡 Article 17 = abolishes untouchability; Article 21 = right to life; Article 24 = prohibition of child labour in factories.

Correct Answer: B. Gangotri Glacier

• **Gangotri Glacier** = source of the Ganga river — located in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. • The river originates at Gomukh (cow's mouth), the snout of the Gangotri Glacier. • The Bhagirathi merges with Alaknanda at Devprayag to form the Ganga. • 💡 Siachen = source of Nubra river; Zemu = in Sikkim, source of Teesta; Milam = source of Gori Ganga.

Correct Answer: B. Madame Blavatsky

• **Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky** = co-founded the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875 along with Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. • The Society's Indian headquarters was established at Adyar, Madras (Chennai) in 1882. • Annie Besant later became its President (1907) and popularised it widely in India. • 💡 Annie Besant = later president, not founder; Olcott = co-founder but key figure in USA; Dayanand = founded Arya Samaj.

Correct Answer: D. Pituitary gland

• **Pituitary gland** = called the 'master gland' — controls and regulates other endocrine glands. • Located at the base of the brain in a bony cavity called the sella turcica. • Secretes hormones like GH, TSH, ACTH, FSH, LH, prolactin, and ADH. • 💡 Adrenal = secretes adrenaline/cortisol; Pineal = secretes melatonin (sleep regulation); Thyroid = secretes thyroxine for metabolism.

Correct Answer: C. Sri Lanka

• **Palk Strait** = narrow stretch of water separating Tamil Nadu from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. • It connects the Bay of Bengal to the Palk Bay and Gulf of Mannar. • The Palk Strait is approximately 53–85 km wide. • 💡 Maldives = separated by Laccadive Sea; Bangladesh = shares land border with India; Myanmar = also shares land border.

Correct Answer: B. Rabindranath Tagore

• **Rabindranath Tagore** = first Indian Nobel laureate — awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in **1913**. • He was honoured for his profoundly sensitive, fresh, and beautiful verse in Gitanjali. • Tagore was also the first Asian to receive the Nobel Prize. • 💡 C.V. Raman = Nobel in Physics (1930); Amartya Sen = Nobel in Economics (1998); Khorana = Nobel in Medicine (1968, Indian-American).

Correct Answer: B. Second Five Year Plan

• **Second Five Year Plan (1956–61)** = based on the Mahalanobis Model — emphasised rapid industrialisation and heavy industries. • P.C. Mahalanobis, the statistician, designed this model prioritising the public sector. • It laid the foundation for India's heavy industry base (steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela). • 💡 First Plan = Harrod-Domar model focused on agriculture; Third Plan = Gadgil formula; Fourth Plan = Gadgil-Mahalanobis hybrid.

Correct Answer: C. Mir Qasim, Nawab of Awadh and Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II

• **Battle of Buxar (1764)** = fought between the British EIC and a combined force of Mir Qasim (Nawab of Bengal), Shuja-ud-Daula (Nawab of Awadh), and Shah Alam II (Mughal Emperor). • British victory consolidated their power in Bengal and beyond. • Led to the Treaty of Allahabad (1765) which granted Diwani rights to the Company. • 💡 Tipu Sultan = fought in Anglo-Mysore Wars (1767–99); Marathas = opponents in Anglo-Maratha Wars; Hyder Ali = died before Buxar.

Correct Answer: B. Momentum

• **Newton's Second Law** = Force equals rate of change of momentum — F = dp/dt, or F = ma. • Momentum (p) = mass × velocity; the law states force causes change in momentum. • This is the most general form; the F = ma form applies only when mass is constant. • 💡 Velocity = first law relates to constant velocity; Speed = scalar, not directly related; Displacement = relates to work-energy theorem, not second law.

Correct Answer: A. Tsang-Po

• **Tsang-Po (Yarlung Tsangpo)** = name of Brahmaputra in China/Tibet — originates from Angsi Glacier near Mansarovar Lake. • It flows eastward across Tibet before making a dramatic U-turn (hairpin bend) near Namche Barwa. • It enters India as Dihang, then merges with Dibang and Lohit to form the Brahmaputra in Assam. • 💡 Irrawaddy = major river of Myanmar; Salween = flows through China, Myanmar, Thailand; Mekong = flows through Southeast Asia.

Correct Answer: C. Right to Constitutional Remedies

• **Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)** = Dr. Ambedkar called it the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution. • It empowers citizens to move the Supreme Court directly for enforcement of Fundamental Rights. • Dr. Ambedkar said Article 32 is the most important article — 'without it, the constitution is a nullity.' • 💡 Right to Equality (Art. 14–18) = no discrimination; Right to Freedom (Art. 19–22) = six freedoms; Right against Exploitation (Art. 23–24) = prohibits forced labour and child labour.

Correct Answer: D. Gujarat

• **Gujarat** = has the longest coastline among Indian states — approximately 1,600 km. • India's total coastline is about 7,516 km (including island territories). • Gujarat's irregular coastline includes the Gulf of Khambhat and Gulf of Kachchh. • 💡 Tamil Nadu = ~1,076 km; Andhra Pradesh = ~974 km; Maharashtra = ~720 km — all shorter than Gujarat.

Correct Answer: C. Akbar

• **Akbar** = built the Buland Darwaza (Gate of Magnificence) in 1601 CE to commemorate his conquest of Gujarat. • It stands 54 metres high and is one of the largest gateways in the world. • Fatehpur Sikri was Akbar's capital city built near Agra. • 💡 Babur = built no major Mughal monuments; Humayun = built Din-Panah; Jahangir = built Itmad-ud-Daula's tomb.

Correct Answer: C. Coulomb

• **Coulomb (C)** = SI unit of electric charge — named after French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb. • One coulomb = charge carried by approximately 6.24 × 10¹⁸ electrons. • Coulomb's Law describes the electrostatic force between two charges. • 💡 Ampere = SI unit of electric current; Volt = SI unit of electric potential; Ohm = SI unit of electrical resistance.

Correct Answer: C. Mahanadi

• **Mahanadi** = Deccan plateau river that drains into the Bay of Bengal — originates near Raipur in Chhattisgarh. • It flows through Chhattisgarh and Odisha before forming a large delta near Cuttack. • The Hirakud Dam on the Mahanadi is one of India's longest dams. • 💡 Narmada = flows westward into Arabian Sea; Tapti = also flows west into Arabian Sea; Sabarmati = flows into Gulf of Khambhat, Arabian Sea.

Correct Answer: B. 6 to 14 years

• **RTE Act 2009** = provides free and compulsory education to children between **6 to 14 years** of age. • It was inserted as Article 21A in the Constitution by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002. • The Act mandates 25% reservation in private unaided schools for economically weaker sections. • 💡 5–14 = incorrect lower boundary; 6–18 = extends beyond the RTE mandate; 5–18 = both boundaries are wrong.

Correct Answer: B. Absorbs and re-emits infrared radiation

• **Greenhouse Effect** = CO₂ absorbs longwave infrared (heat) radiation emitted from Earth's surface and re-emits it in all directions, trapping heat. • CO₂, methane, water vapour, and nitrous oxide are major greenhouse gases. • Rising CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion is the primary driver of global warming. • 💡 Reflecting sunlight = albedo effect (done by clouds/ice, not CO₂); Reacts with ozone = incorrect; Conducting heat upward = describes convection, not greenhouse effect.

Correct Answer: C. Salt Tax

• **Salt Tax** = the British government's monopoly over salt production and heavy taxation was protested by Gandhi's Dandi March. • Gandhi and 78 followers marched 241 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (Gujarat) on March 12, 1930. • The march launched the Civil Disobedience Movement and galvanised mass participation. • 💡 Land Revenue Act = protested in various Peasant movements; Arms Act = prompted by Bal Gangadhar Tilak; Rowlatt Act = opposed via Non-Cooperation Movement (1919).

Correct Answer: B. Mercury

• **Mercury** = smallest planet in the Solar System — has a diameter of about 4,879 km. • It is also the closest planet to the Sun and has extreme temperature variations. • Mercury has no atmosphere to retain heat — surface temperatures range from -180°C to 430°C. • 💡 Mars = second smallest but larger than Mercury; Venus = similar size to Earth; Earth = the fifth largest planet.

Correct Answer: A. Hymns and prayers to deities

• **Rigveda** = oldest of the four Vedas — a collection of **1,028 hymns (Suktas)** addressed to various deities. • It is organized into 10 Mandalas (books); composed approximately 1500–1200 BCE. • Key deities praised include Indra, Agni, Varuna, and Soma. • 💡 Rituals/sacrifices = Yajurveda; Philosophical dialogues = Upanishads; Music = Samaveda contains the melodies.

Correct Answer: B. Third Schedule

• **Third Schedule** = contains forms of oaths and affirmations — for President, Vice President, Ministers, Members of Parliament, and Judges. • The President's oath includes protecting, preserving, and defending the Constitution. • The Third Schedule was amended by the 84th Constitutional Amendment Act. • 💡 Second Schedule = provisions relating to emoluments of President/Governors/Judges; Fourth Schedule = allocation of Rajya Sabha seats; Fifth Schedule = administration of Scheduled Areas.

Correct Answer: C. Jute

• **Jute** = called the 'Golden Fibre' — due to its golden/silky shine and high economic value. • India is the world's largest producer of jute, primarily grown in West Bengal, Bihar, and Assam. • Jute is used in making sacks, bags, ropes, and carpets; it is biodegradable. • 💡 Cotton = called 'White Gold'; Silk = produced by silkworms, not a crop fibre; Flax = produces linen, not grown significantly in India.

Correct Answer: B. Non-justiciable

• **Non-justiciable** = DPSPs cannot be enforced in any court if violated by the state — but are 'fundamental in governance.' • Article 37 explicitly states DPSPs are non-justiciable yet fundamental. • DPSPs are borrowed from the Irish Constitution and represent socio-economic goals. • 💡 Justiciable = Fundamental Rights are justiciable (enforceable by courts); Fundamental rights = they are not rights but principles; Referendum = DPSP amendment is done by Parliament, not referendum.

Correct Answer: C. Alexander Fleming

• **Alexander Fleming** = discovered penicillin in **1928** when he observed that the mould Penicillium notatum killed surrounding bacteria. • He shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Howard Florey and Ernst Chain. • Penicillin was the world's first antibiotic and revolutionised medicine. • 💡 Louis Pasteur = germ theory of disease; Robert Koch = identified tuberculosis bacillus; Joseph Lister = pioneered antiseptic surgery.

Correct Answer: A. Godavari

• **Godavari** = the longest river entirely within India — approximately 1,465 km in length. • It originates at Trimbakeshwar, near Nashik, Maharashtra, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. • Called 'Dakshin Ganga' (Ganga of the South) due to its religious significance. • 💡 Ganga = longer overall but shared origin region; Yamuna = tributary of Ganga; Narmada = flows westward into Arabian Sea, shorter than Godavari.

Correct Answer: D. 1920

• **Non-Cooperation Movement** = launched in **1920** by Mahatma Gandhi — called on Indians to boycott British institutions, goods, and titles. • It was triggered by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and the Rowlatt Act. • The movement was withdrawn in February 1922 after the Chauri Chaura incident. • 💡 1905 = Swadeshi Movement (Partition of Bengal); 1915 = Gandhi returned to India; 1930 = Civil Disobedience Movement (Dandi March).

Correct Answer: A. 1935

• **Reserve Bank of India (RBI)** = established on **April 1, 1935** under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. • Initially it was privately owned; it was nationalised on January 1, 1949. • RBI is India's central bank and regulates monetary policy, currency issuance, and banking supervision. • 💡 1930 = no major banking event; 1947 = India's independence; 1950 = India became a Republic.

Correct Answer: A. Restoration of the Ottoman Caliphate

• **Khilafat Movement (1919–1924)** = launched to restore the Ottoman Caliphate (Khalifa) dismantled by Britain after World War I. • Led by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali (Ali Brothers) in India. • Gandhi merged it with the Non-Cooperation Movement to build Hindu-Muslim unity. • 💡 Afghan independence = separate 1919 Third Anglo-Afghan War issue; Salt tax = protested in 1930 Civil Disobedience; Rights in British India = general issue, not the specific Khilafat demand.

Correct Answer: D. Stratosphere

• **Stratosphere** = the layer (15–50 km above Earth's surface) that contains the ozone layer, which absorbs most of the Sun's harmful UV radiation. • The ozone layer is concentrated between 20–35 km altitude. • The Montreal Protocol (1987) was an international treaty to protect the ozone layer from CFCs. • 💡 Troposphere = lowest layer where weather occurs; Mesosphere = meteors burn here; Thermosphere = auroras occur here.

Correct Answer: D. Akbar

• **Akbar** = founded **Din-i-Ilahi** (Divine Faith) in 1582 — a syncretic religion blending elements of Islam, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Jainism. • Only about 18 people formally adopted it; it was not proselytised. • Birbal was the only Hindu to embrace Din-i-Ilahi. • 💡 Babur = founded Mughal Empire, no syncretic religion; Humayun = had no new religion; Aurangzeb = reversed Akbar's policies, re-imposed jizya tax.

Correct Answer: D. Ganga-Brahmaputra delta

• **Ganga-Brahmaputra delta** = the Sundarbans mangrove forest — the world's largest mangrove forest — spans this delta between India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh. • It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. • The name 'Sundarbans' comes from the Sundari tree (Heritiera fomes). • 💡 Mahanadi delta = in Odisha; Krishna delta = in Andhra Pradesh; Godavari delta = also in Andhra Pradesh — none have Sundarbans.

Correct Answer: D. Income Tax

• **Income Tax** = a direct tax — levied directly on individual/corporate income and paid directly to the government. • Direct taxes cannot be shifted to another person; the burden falls on the payer. • CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) administers direct taxes in India. • 💡 GST = indirect tax on goods/services; Customs Duty = indirect tax on imports/exports; Excise Duty = subsumed into GST, was indirect tax on production.

Correct Answer: D. NaCl

• **NaCl (Sodium Chloride)** = chemical formula of common table salt. • It is an ionic compound formed by the electrostatic attraction between Na⁺ (cation) and Cl⁻ (anion). • Produced by evaporation of seawater or mined from rock salt deposits. • 💡 NaOH = sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye); KCl = potassium chloride (used as salt substitute); CaCl₂ = calcium chloride (drying agent/road de-icer).

Correct Answer: D. Pataliputra

• **Pataliputra (modern Patna)** = the capital of the Mauryan Empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya around 322 BCE. • Located at the confluence of the Son and Ganga rivers — a strategic position for trade and defence. • Megasthenes (Greek ambassador) visited Pataliputra and described it in his work Indica. • 💡 Vaishali = capital of Licchavis, Vajjian Confederacy; Ujjain = capital of Malwa region; Taxila = important Mauryan provincial capital, not the main capital.

Correct Answer: D. Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)

• **Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)** = recommends MSP — an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. • MSP is announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) based on CACP's recommendations. • MSP is the price at which government procures crops from farmers to protect against price falls. • 💡 RBI = monetary policy; NITI Aayog = policy think-tank, does not set MSP; NABARD = agricultural finance institution.

Correct Answer: A. W.C. Bonnerji

• **W.C. Bonnerji (Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee)** = first President of the Indian National Congress at its inaugural session in Bombay in **December 1885**. • A.O. Hume was the founder-general secretary; Bonnerji presided over the first session. • The first session was attended by 72 delegates from across India. • 💡 Dadabhai Naoroji = second INC president (1886); Tilak = prominent extremist leader, not first president; Surendranath Banerjee = founded Indian Association (1876), precursor to INC.

Correct Answer: A. Transpiration

• **Transpiration** = the process by which plants release water vapour into the atmosphere through stomata (pores) on leaves. • It helps in the upward movement of water and minerals from roots to leaves (transpiration pull). • About 90% of the water absorbed by roots is lost through transpiration. • 💡 Photosynthesis = light-driven synthesis of glucose from CO₂ and water; Respiration = breakdown of glucose for energy; Osmosis = movement of water through semi-permeable membrane.

Correct Answer: A. Article 3

• **Article 3** = empowers Parliament to form new states, alter the boundaries or names of existing states, and increase or diminish the area of any state. • Bills for this purpose can be introduced only on the recommendation of the President. • The concerned state legislature's opinion is sought but not binding on Parliament. • 💡 Article 1 = declares India as a Union of States; Article 5 = citizenship at commencement of Constitution; Article 12 = defines 'State' for Part III.

Correct Answer: A. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)

• **GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)** = established in 1947 — replaced by the WTO on January 1, 1995. • WTO oversees and liberalises international trade rules with a permanent institutional framework. • The Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations (1986–1994) led to the creation of WTO. • 💡 ITO = was proposed but never ratified; UNCTAD = still exists as a UN body for trade and development; IMF = deals with monetary policy, not trade rules.