SSC CHSL — Set 23

Correct Answer: A. Ambubachi Mela

The Ambubachi Mela is held at Kamakhya Temple in Assam and is often called the Mahakumbh of the East. It is celebrated during the monsoon season every year. The festival marks the yearly menstruation of the presiding goddess.

Correct Answer: A. Satyendranath Tagore

Satyendranath Tagore became the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service in 1863. He was the elder brother of the famous poet Rabindranath Tagore. His success proved that Indians could compete with the British in high-level administration.

Correct Answer: A. Narayani

The Gandaki River is known as the Narayani in the plains of Nepal. It is one of the major rivers of Nepal and a left-bank tributary of the Ganges in India. The river is famous for containing 'Shaligram' stones used in worship.

Correct Answer: A. Calcium Hypochlorite

Calcium hypochlorite is the primary active ingredient in commercial bleaching powder. It is widely used for water treatment and as a bleaching agent in the textile industry. It is produced by the action of chlorine on slaked lime.

Correct Answer: C. Article 72

Article 72 empowers the President of India to grant pardons, reprieves, or remissions of punishment. This power extends to all cases where the punishment is by a Court Martial or for an offense against a Union law. It also applies to all cases where the sentence is a death sentence.

Correct Answer: A. Jyotiba Phule

Jyotiba Phule wrote 'Gulamgiri' in 1873, which means 'Slavery'. He dedicated the book to the American movement to free slaves, linking it to the struggle of lower castes in India. Phule was a prominent social reformer who founded the Satyashodhak Samaj.

Correct Answer: B. Sri Lanka

The Palk Strait is a water body that lies between the Tamil Nadu state of India and the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal in the northeast with the Palk Bay in the southwest. The strait is named after Robert Palk, a governor of Madras Presidency.

Correct Answer: C. Concave mirror

Dentists use concave mirrors because they can produce a magnified and upright image when held close to the object. This helps them see a clearer and larger view of the teeth for examination. Concave mirrors are also used as shaving mirrors and in solar furnaces.

Correct Answer: B. Cricket

In cricket, a batsman is said to be out for a 'duck' if they are dismissed without scoring any runs. A 'Golden Duck' occurs when a player is out on the very first ball they face. The term is derived from the shape of the number zero resembling a duck's egg.

Correct Answer: C. Karnataka

Hampi is located in east-central Karnataka and was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its beautiful stone temples and ruins. The Vitthala Temple with its stone chariot is one of the most famous structures there.

Correct Answer: C. Silver

Silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any metal, followed closely by copper. This means it is the best material for transferring heat efficiently. However, copper is more widely used in industrial applications due to its lower cost.

Correct Answer: B. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 in Pune. The society aimed to train Indians to devote their lives to the cause of the country in a selfless manner. Gokhale was also considered the political guru of Mahatma Gandhi.

Correct Answer: C. Part III

Part III of the Indian Constitution, which deals with Fundamental Rights, is described as the Magna Carta of India. It contains a very long and comprehensive list of justiciable fundamental rights. These rights protect citizens against arbitrary state action.

Correct Answer: B. Uttar Pradesh

Dudhwa National Park is situated in the Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh. It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve and is located on the border with Nepal. The park is famous for its population of tigers and swamp deer.

Correct Answer: C. 7

Pure water has a pH value of 7, which makes it chemically neutral. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, with values below 7 indicating acidity and above 7 indicating alkalinity. A pH of 7 means equal concentrations of hydrogen (H⁺) and hydroxide (OH⁻) ions. Pure water's neutral pH of 7 makes it an important reference point on the pH scale.

Correct Answer: B. Karnam Malleswari

Karnam Malleswari won a bronze medal in weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, making her the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal. She competed in the 69 kg weight category. Her achievement was a historic moment for women's sports in India.

Correct Answer: D. Venus

Venus and Uranus are the only planets in our solar system that rotate from East to West. This is known as retrograde rotation. For someone on Venus, the Sun would appear to rise in the west and set in the east.

Correct Answer: C. Third Anglo-Mysore War

The Treaty of Seringapatam was signed in 1792 following the Third Anglo-Mysore War. It was signed between Tipu Sultan and the British East India Company led by Lord Cornwallis. Under the treaty, Tipu had to cede half of his kingdom to the allies.

Correct Answer: D. Vitamin K

Vitamin K is essential for the synthesis of proteins required for blood coagulation. Without enough Vitamin K, even a small cut could lead to excessive bleeding. It is primarily found in green leafy vegetables like spinach and broccoli.

Correct Answer: A. Chittorgarh Fort

The Vijay Stambh is an imposing victory monument located within Chittorgarh Fort in Rajasthan. It was built by Rana Kumbha in 1448 to commemorate his victory over the armies of Malwa and Gujarat. The tower is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

Correct Answer: B. B.R. Ambedkar

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the first Law and Justice Minister of independent India. He was a pioneer in advocating for the rights of the underprivileged and played the lead role in drafting the Constitution. He resigned from the cabinet in 1951 over differences regarding the Hindu Code Bill.

Correct Answer: C. Kosi

The Kosi River is known as the 'Sorrow of Bihar' due to its tendency to change course frequently and cause devastating floods. It carries a huge amount of silt from the Himalayas which blocks its channel. The river flows through Tibet, Nepal, and India.

Correct Answer: A. Uniform Resource Locator

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, which is the address used to access resources on the Internet. It specifies the location of a web resource and the mechanism for retrieving it. A common example of a URL is a website's web address.

Correct Answer: C. Karnataka

Karnataka is the leading producer of coffee in India, accounting for over 70% of the total production. The hilly regions of Chikmagalur and Kodagu are famous for their coffee plantations. India primarily produces two types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta.

Correct Answer: B. Meira Kumar

Meira Kumar became the first woman Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 2009. She is a former diplomat and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress. She served as the Speaker during the 15th Lok Sabha.

Correct Answer: D. Argon

Argon is an inert gas used in electric bulbs to prevent the tungsten filament from evaporating or oxidizing. This helps in increasing the life and efficiency of the bulb. Sometimes a mixture of argon and nitrogen is also used.

Correct Answer: B. Kerala

Mohiniyattam is a classical dance form that originated in the state of Kerala. The name comes from 'Mohini', a mythical enchantress avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is characterized by graceful, swaying movements and is traditionally performed by women.

Correct Answer: B. Lahore Session 1929

The Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) resolution was passed during the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress in 1929. Jawaharlal Nehru was the president of this historic session. 26 January 1930 was initially declared as Independence Day as a result.

Correct Answer: B. Convex mirror

Convex mirrors are used as rear-view mirrors because they provide a wider field of view than plane mirrors. They always form an upright and diminished image of the objects behind the vehicle. This helps the driver see a larger area of traffic.

Correct Answer: C. Yen

The Yen is the official currency of Japan and is one of the most traded currencies in the world. It was introduced by the Meiji government in 1871. The symbol for the Yen is ¥.

Correct Answer: B. Xylem

Xylem is the vascular tissue in plants that transports water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant. It also provides structural support to the plant body. Phloem, on the other hand, transports food from the leaves.

Correct Answer: A. Chittaranjan Das

Chittaranjan Das (C.R. Das) was the political mentor and guru of Subhash Chandra Bose. Bose regarded him as a leader of great vision and integrity. C.R. Das was a prominent lawyer and the founder of the Swaraj Party.

Correct Answer: C. Troposphere

The Troposphere is the lowest layer of the atmosphere where almost all weather changes like clouds, rain, and storms occur. It contains about 75% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor. The temperature in this layer decreases with altitude.

Correct Answer: B. Insulin

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows your body to use sugar (glucose) from carbohydrates. It helps keep your blood sugar level from getting too high (hyperglycemia) or too low (hypoglycemia). Diabetes occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin.

Correct Answer: B. Vishnu Sharma

The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose. It was written by Vishnu Sharma to teach political science and worldly wisdom to three princes. It is one of the most translated non-religious books in history.

Correct Answer: A. Jaipur

Jaipur is known as the Pink City because many of its buildings were painted pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. It is the capital of Rajasthan and was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The city is famous for its architecture and heritage.

Correct Answer: C. Article 324

Article 324 of the Indian Constitution provides for the establishment of an Election Commission for the conduct of elections. It is an independent body responsible for free and fair elections to the Parliament and State Legislatures. The Commission also manages elections for the President and Vice President.

Correct Answer: A. Dry Ice

Solid carbon dioxide is commonly called 'Dry Ice' because it does not melt into a liquid; it sublimes directly into gas. It is used as a cooling agent because it is much colder than regular ice. It is often used for preserving food and in theatrical fog effects.

Correct Answer: C. Pandit Ravi Shankar

Pandit Ravi Shankar was the first Indian to win a Grammy Award in 1968 for his album 'West Meets East'. He was a legendary sitar player and composer who popularized Indian classical music globally. He won a total of five Grammy Awards in his career.

Correct Answer: B. 1896 Calcutta

The national song 'Vande Mataram' was first sung at the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress in Calcutta. It was sung by Rabindranath Tagore. The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay in his novel Anandamath.