India General Knowledge

A sphygmomanometer is the medical instrument used to measure blood pressure. The name comes from Greek 'sphygmos' (pulse) and 'manometer' (pressure meter). This is the cuff wrapped around your arm during checkups.

Daultabad (Devagiri) occupied a more central and strategic location within the Delhi Sultanate territories compared to Delhi, making it easier to control both northern and southern regions of the empire.

Dilbert is a famous American comic strip created by Scott Adams that satirizes office life, corporate culture, and workplace dynamics. It appears in newspapers as a cartoon strip, not as a newspaper itself or a column.

RK Laxman was a renowned cartoonist who created the 'Common Man' cartoon for Times of India. While he wrote some works, he is primarily known as a cartoonist, not an author like Anita Desai, Linda Goodman, or Barbara Cartland.

Standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 76 cm of mercury column, which equals 760 mm Hg. This is the basis of the pressure unit 'one atmosphere' used in physics and chemistry.

Alauddin Khilji established an extensive market control system and appointed 'Shahanas' (market officers) to regulate prices and prevent hoarding. This was part of his administrative reforms to ensure fair prices for his soldiers.

When a moving train suddenly stops, the passengers' bodies continue moving forward due to inertia - the tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion. This sudden deceleration causes the passengers to jerk forward relative to the train, creating the sensation of a shock. The law of inertia (Newton's first law) explains this phenomenon where a body maintains its state of motion unless acted upon by an external force.

Centipoise is the standard unit for measuring viscosity, representing a fluid's resistance to flow. It equals 1/100 of a poise, which is the CGS unit for dynamic viscosity. Common liquids like water have low viscosity (around 1 centipoise), while honey has much higher viscosity.

National Science Day in India is celebrated on February 28 each year to commemorate CV Raman's discovery of the Raman Effect in 1928, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. This discovery demonstrated the inelastic scattering of photons and revolutionized the study of molecular structure. The other options refer to different scientists and achievements not connected to Science Day.

Homi J. Bhabha is widely recognized as the father of India's atomic energy programme. He founded the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1945 and established the Atomic Energy Commission of India in 1948. His vision and leadership laid the foundation for India's nuclear research capabilities, including the establishment of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). CV Raman was a physicist, Meghnad Saha was an astrophysicist, and Raja Ramanna was a nuclear physicist who came later.

TNT (Trinitrotoluene) is indeed a powerful explosive commonly used in demolition, mining, and military applications. It's a stable, yellow solid that can be safely handled but detonates with significant force when triggered. The other options are either incorrect chemical names or non-existent compounds.

Ronald Ross was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1902 for his work on malaria transmission. While posted as a military doctor in India, he discovered that malaria parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes (specifically Anopheles mosquitoes) - a breakthrough he demonstrated in Secunderabad in 1897. This discovery was crucial for understanding and controlling the deadly disease of malaria.

A lactometer is a specialized hydrometer designed to measure the density and purity of milk. It works on the principle of buoyancy - the higher the density of milk, the higher the lactometer floats. Adulterated milk with added water has lower density and causes the lactometer to sink lower. Hygrometers measure humidity, anemometers measure wind speed, and tachometers measure rotational speed.

The Rowlatt Act of 1919 was indeed dubbed 'draconian' by Indians because it allowed the British government to arrest and detain individuals without trial, suppress political activities, and imprison journalists without evidence. This authoritarian legislation led to nationwide protests, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and ultimately launched Mahatma Gandhi's first mass civil disobedience movement (the Rowlatt Satyagraha). The Morley-Minto Reforms were about separate electorates, while the Salt Law and Ramsay Award are different matters entirely.

Barkhans (crescent-shaped sand dunes) and Yardangs (wind-eroded ridges) are classic landforms found in arid desert regions, and China's deserts are well-known for these features.

Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, which is also used for several other Indian languages including Sanskrit, Marathi, and Nepali. Devanagari is an abugida (alphasyllabary) written from left to right and is characterized by the horizontal line running along the top of letters. Persian uses Arabic script, Roman is Latin script, and 'Sanskriti' is not a script but a word meaning culture.

Ox-bow lakes are formed in the lower course of a river where the gradient is gentle and the river meanders widely. When a meander loop becomes extremely curved, the river may cut across the neck during floods, abandoning the loop and creating a crescent-shaped lake. In the upper course, rivers are too fast and steep to form meanders, while the middle course is where meandering begins but ox-bow lakes are less common. The lower course's slow-moving water and flat land are ideal for ox-bow formation.

Swahili is indeed a widely spoken language in Africa, particularly in East African countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It developed as a trade language along the Swahili Coast, blending Bantu languages with Arabic, Persian, and other influences. Iraq (Arabic), Israel (Hebrew/Arabic), and Lebanon (Arabic) are not Swahili-speaking regions.

Kadambri (also known as Kadambari) is indeed a famous Sanskrit prose romance by Banabhatta, completed by his son Bhushanbhatta after Banabhatta's death. It's one of the most important works of classical Sanskrit literature, telling the story of prince Kadambari's love and reincarnation. Banabhatta was court poet to Harshavardhana. Harishena (misspelled as Harisen) was a Gupta-era ruler, Harshvardhana was a king, and Ashvaghosha wrote different works like Buddhacharita.

The Hijri Era (Islamic calendar) began in 622 AD when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina (Hijra). Since 326 BC, 319 AD, and 78 AD are all incorrect dates for this historical event, 'None of these' is the correct answer.

World Book and Copyright Day is observed annually on April 23, as declared by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. The date was chosen to honor the deaths of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes on April 23, 1616.

Ferozabad is famous for its glass industry, Pampore in Kashmir is renowned for saffron cultivation, and Bangalore (Bengaluru) is known as India's electronics hub. Pimpri is primarily known for pharmaceuticals and chemical industries rather than fertilizers, making this the incorrect pair.

INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 dedicated to the conservation and preservation of India's cultural heritage, including monuments, art, and traditions. It is not related to technology, sports, or computer literacy programs.

The Reserve Bank of India was established in 1935 and was nationalized in 1949. Since none of the specific years listed (1934, 1935, 1947) match the nationalization year of 1949, 'None of these' is the correct answer.