Famous Personalities — Set 5
Gujarat GK · प्रसिद्ध व्यक्तित्व · Questions 41–50 of 100
Sunita Williams, the NASA astronaut who holds the record for most spacewalks by a woman, has family roots in which state of India?
Correct Answer: C. Gujarat
Sunita Williams (born 1965), the NASA astronaut who has completed two spaceflights and holds records for spacewalking time, has paternal family roots in Jhulasan village in Mehsana district, Gujarat. Her father, Deepak Pandya, emigrated from Gujarat to the United States. Sunita has visited Gujarat multiple times to connect with her ancestral roots, and her achievements are a source of immense pride for the Gujarati community worldwide.
Which Gujarati poet is known for the composition 'Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat' which became Gujarat's state song?
Correct Answer: C. Narmad
Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave (1833-1886), popularly known as 'Narmad', wrote 'Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat' which became the official state song of Gujarat. Narmad is considered the pioneer of modern Gujarati literature, introducing realistic and nationalistic themes to replace the older devotional tradition. He also compiled the first modern Gujarati dictionary 'Narmakosh' and was a social reformer who advocated for widow remarriage and women's education.
Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi (K.M. Munshi) was instrumental in the reconstruction of which historic temple in Gujarat?
Correct Answer: B. Somnath Temple
K.M. Munshi played a crucial role in the reconstruction of the Somnath Temple, which had been destroyed multiple times by invaders and lay in ruins. As a member of the Indian Cabinet, Munshi persistently advocated for the temple's reconstruction despite initial resistance from some leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru. Sardar Patel and President Rajendra Prasad supported the cause, and the reconstructed temple was consecrated on May 11, 1951, in an event that Munshi described as the 'resurrection of the soul of India'.
Who was the first Chief Minister of Gujarat after it was carved out as a separate state in 1960?
Correct Answer: B. Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai became the first Chief Minister of Gujarat when the state was formed on May 1, 1960, after being carved out from the bilingual Bombay State. He served as CM from 1960 to 1963 and was the chief architect of Gujarat's early administrative and economic development. Morarji Desai later rose to become India's Prime Minister (1977-1979), making him one of Gujarat's most prominent political figures.
Gautam Adani, the founder of the Adani Group, was born and raised in which city of Gujarat?
Correct Answer: C. Ahmedabad
Gautam Shantilal Adani was born on June 24, 1962, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, into a middle-class Jain family. He founded the Adani Group in 1988, initially as a commodity trading company, which has grown into a vast conglomerate spanning ports, airports, power generation, transmission, renewable energy, and mining. The Adani Group's flagship port at Mundra, Gujarat, is the largest private port in India, and Adani's business empire has made him one of the world's wealthiest individuals.
The Dandi Salt March ended at Dandi beach in which district of Gujarat?
Correct Answer: B. Navsari
Dandi (also known as Devgad Baria) is a coastal village in Navsari district of Gujarat where Mahatma Gandhi concluded his 386 km Salt March from Sabarmati Ashram on April 5, 1930. On April 6, 1930, Gandhi symbolically broke the salt law by picking up salt from the seashore, defying British colonial law. The Dandi March inspired mass civil disobedience across India and brought international attention to India's independence struggle.
Sardar Patel was India's first Deputy Prime Minister. Who was the first Prime Minister of India?
Correct Answer: B. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru served as India's first Prime Minister from August 15, 1947 to his death on May 27, 1964, while Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. Sardar Patel's role was complementary to Nehru's — while Nehru focused on foreign policy and nation-building vision, Patel concentrated on internal security, integration of princely states, and administrative consolidation of independent India. Maharashtra's and Gujarat's contributions to India's economy, culture, history, and politics continue to make them among the nation's most dynamic states.
Prahlad Patel, a famous Gujarati folk singer and musician, is associated with which musical tradition?
Correct Answer: B. Dandiya and Garba folk music of Gujarat
Gujarati folk music, particularly Garba and Dandiya-Raas, has been championed by several artists who have brought this vibrant tradition to national and international audiences. Gujarat's Garba tradition, associated with Navratri festival, is recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Artists like Hemant Chauhan, Geeta Rabari, and Aishwarya Majmudar have been prominent voices in popularizing Gujarati folk music, particularly during the Navratri season.
Manubhai Pancholi 'Darshak' was a noted Gujarati literary figure. What was his primary contribution?
Correct Answer: B. He was a novelist and social thinker who founded the Gujarati literary magazine 'Parab'
Manubhai Pancholi (1914-2001), known by his pen name 'Darshak', was one of the most distinguished novelists and social thinkers in modern Gujarati literature. His novels like 'Jhankaar', 'Dariyalal', and 'Sorath, tara vaheta pani' are considered masterpieces of Gujarati fiction. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Ranjitram Suvarna Chandrak — the highest honor in Gujarati literature — for his literary contributions.
Which famous Gujarati scientist was the first Indian to receive the Nobel Prize in Sciences?
Correct Answer: D. No Gujarati has won the Nobel Prize in Sciences
While Gujarat has produced many great scientists, no Gujarati-born scientist has won the Nobel Prize in Sciences. C.V. Raman (Nobel Prize 1930 in Physics) was Tamil, not Gujarati. The first Indian scientist to win the Nobel Prize was C.V. Raman. However, Gujarat has produced extraordinary scientific talents like Vikram Sarabhai, H.K. Firodia, and many others who have made India proud in space science, nuclear physics, and biotechnology without winning the Nobel Prize.