General Knowledge

Mohiniyattam (also spelled Mohiniattam) is a classical dance form that originated in Kerala. It is characterized by graceful movements and is traditionally performed by women. The dance gets its name from Mohini, the female avatar of Lord Vishnu. Option A is correct.

Manila is the capital and largest city of the Philippines, located on the island of Luzon. It has been the country's political center since the Spanish colonial period. The other options are capitals of different countries: Wellington (New Zealand), Nairobi (Kenya), and Male (Maldives).

NCERR stands for National Conference and Exposition on Rural Roads, which is a specialized forum focusing on rural infrastructure development, particularly road connectivity. The key mnemonic is 'National' (N), 'Conference' (C), 'Exposition' (E), and 'Rural Roads' (RR). This type of conference addresses the critical role of rural roads in economic development and accessibility.

Pranab Mukherjee served as the Minister of External Affairs from 2009-2012 in the UPA-II government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister (not External Affairs Minister), and Lalu Prasad Yadav served as Railway Minister. 'None of these' is incorrect as option B accurately identifies Pranab Mukherjee, who later became President of India.

Ashim Dasgupta, the former Finance Minister of West Bengal, chaired the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers in 2011 during the GST rollout discussions. This committee was crucial for center-state coordination on tax reform. The other options appear to be fictitious or incorrectly spelled names, making 'Ashim Dasgupta' the only recognizable and correct choice.

Manpreet Singh Badal served as the Finance Minister of Punjab, first in the SAD-BJP government and later in the Congress government. He is a prominent politician from Punjab known for his finance portfolio. The other options appear to be incorrectly spelled versions of similar names, which is a common pattern in multiple-choice questions testing specific knowledge.

The Vice-President of India serves as the Ex-Officio (by virtue of office) Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, presiding over its sessions. The President and Prime Minister have different constitutional roles and are not part of the Rajya Sabha chairmanship. This is a standard constitutional arrangement modeled on the US Vice-President's role as Senate President.

Article 108 of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to summon a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. This happens when a bill is passed by one House but rejected by the other, or when both Houses disagree on amendments. The Vice President presides over the Rajya Sabha but cannot call joint sessions.

The Lalit Kala Akademi (National Academy of Art) was established in 1954 to promote and preserve visual arts in India. It's an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Culture. The academy supports artists through exhibitions, grants, and cultural exchange programs.

The National Museum of India is located on Janpath in New Delhi. It's one of the largest museums in India, housing over 200,000 artworks covering 5,000 years of Indian art and heritage. Established in 1949, it falls under the Ministry of Culture.

The United States has consistently been the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India over the past decade. US companies have invested heavily in sectors like technology, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and services. This reflects strong economic ties between the two democracies.

The measles vaccine was licensed in the United States in 1960, developed by John Enders and his team. It was a breakthrough in preventing one of the most contagious childhood diseases. The vaccine has since saved millions of lives worldwide through global immunization campaigns.

In golf terminology, an 'Eagle' refers to completing a hole in two strokes under par. For example, scoring a 3 on a par-5 hole. It's one of the most prestigious achievements in golf, better than a birdie (one under par) but rarer than an albatross (three under par).

The Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) is headquartered in Hyderabad. Founded in 1967, it's a Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy. ECIL specializes in electronics, IT, and nuclear instrumentation, supporting India's nuclear and space programs.

A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (approximately 1.852 km/h or 1.151 mph). It's primarily used for measuring speeds of ships and boats, as well as aircraft and wind speed. The term originated from the historical method of using a rope with knots to measure ship speed.

A hydrophone is a microphone designed to be used underwater for recording or listening to underwater sound. Unlike microphones that detect air pressure changes, hydrophones detect pressure changes in water. They're used in marine biology, submarine navigation, seismic studies, and underwater acoustics research.

India renamed its first meteorological satellite METSAT as 'Kalpana-1' in memory of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, who perished in the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003. Launched in 2002 by ISRO, it's a dedicated weather satellite providing meteorological services. The naming honors her pioneering contribution to space exploration.

'Satwant Kaur' is a novel by Bhai Vir Singh, a renowned Punjabi writer and poet. Published in the early 20th century, it's considered a classic of Punjabi literature. Bhai Vir Singh was a key figure in the Singh Sabha movement and wrote extensively on Sikh history, philosophy, and culture.

The first sounding rocket from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) was launched on 21 November 1963. This was a Nike-Apache rocket marking India's entry into space research. Option A (1965) is incorrect as it was two years later, and Option D (1953) predates the establishment of TERLS.

Satyajit Ray received an Honorary Academy Award (Oscar) for Lifetime Achievement in 1992. He was the first Indian filmmaker to receive this prestigious recognition. The other options - Balraj Sahani, Sanjeev Kumar, and Amitabh Bachchan - were all legendary actors but never received an Oscar.

Anjali Bhagwat is a renowned Indian shooter who specializes in rifle shooting events. She has won multiple international medals including Commonwealth Games gold. Bishan Singh Bedi was a cricket spinner, Jarnail Singh was a hockey player, making them incorrect.

The Jayalaxmi Cup is a prestigious tennis tournament held in India. It is not associated with cricket, hockey, or football. Tennis has several such named tournaments in India's sporting calendar.