General Knowledge

Kathakali is a major classical dance form from Kerala, known for its elaborate costumes, makeup, and dramatic storytelling through facial expressions and body movements. Kalaripayattu is a martial art, while Chhobia and Bhawai are folk or regional dance forms.

 Kaziranga National Park, Assam is the Unesco approved world heritage site .

Sonal Mansingh is one of India's most renowned classical dancers, specializing in Odissi dance. She has received the Padma Bhushan and Sangeet Natak Akademi awards for her contributions to Indian classical dance, making 'Dance' the correct answer.

The UN Security Council has 5 permanent members: USA, UK, France, Russia, and China. Spain has never been a permanent member, though it has served as a non-permanent member multiple times.

Navaratna PSUs are India's most prestigious public sector enterprises with significant operational and financial autonomy. SAIL, BHEL, and NTPC are all Navaratna companies, while Shipping Corporation of India is a Miniratna (not Navaratna) PSU.

The Brahmaputra River is known as the Jamuna in Bangladesh after it merges with the Teesta River. It eventually joins with the Ganga (Padma) and Meghna rivers before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

In 2005, the ICC Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (Player of the Year) was jointly awarded to Andrew Flintoff and Jacques Kallis - a unique tie in the award's history. This was during the period of ICC's annual cricket awards.

Hurricane Katrina (2005) was the most destructive natural disaster in US history, causing catastrophic damage to New Orleans, Mississippi, and Louisiana. The levee failures in New Orleans led to massive flooding, over 1,800 deaths, and $125 billion in damages.

In full cost pricing, the price is determined by adding a profit margin to the average total cost of production. This ensures all costs are covered and a profit is made. Marginal cost pricing (option B) is different and used in different contexts. Option C incorrectly refers to marginal cost instead of average cost. Option D is incomplete as it doesn't account for profit margin.

Mica is an alumino-silicate mineral group widely used in electrical insulation due to its excellent dielectric properties, heat resistance, and ability to be split into thin sheets. Bauxite is an aluminum ore, chromites are chromium ores used for metal production, and manganese is a metallic element.

For constitutional amendment bills, the President can return the bill to Parliament for reconsideration (but cannot withhold assent indefinitely). This is different from ordinary bills where the President can withhold assent. The President cannot simply delay for six months (option C) nor is bound to give assent without review. Option A is incorrect because withholding assent is not permitted for amendment bills.

The Treaty of Versailles (1919) imposed harsh and humiliating terms on Germany after WWI, including massive reparations, territorial losses, and war guilt clauses. This created deep resentment and economic hardship in Germany, contributing to Hitler's rise and ultimately WWII. The Treaty of Paris (1763) ended the Seven Years' War, while Treaties of Lorraine and Brussels are not major treaties of this era.

Lord Dalhousie annexed Oudh (Awadh) in 1856 using the Doctrine of Lapse, which allowed the British to annex any princely state where the ruler died without a natural male heir. Dalhousie claimed Oudh was being mismanaged (mal-administered) as a pretext, but the legal mechanism used was the Doctrine of Lapse, not subsidiary alliance or direct warfare.

Human somatic (body) cells are diploid, containing 46 chromosomes (23 pairs - one set from each parent). Gametes (sperm and egg) are haploid with 23 chromosomes. Option B (44) is close but incorrect, while option D (92) would be the total if counting all chromosomes without pairing, but the standard count is 46.

The earth wire (grounding wire) is connected to the outer metallic body of the appliance. This ensures that if any live wire accidentally touches the metal body, the current safely flows to earth through the earth wire, preventing electric shock. It is not connected to the fuse (which protects against overcurrent), the filament (the heating element), or short circuitry.

An optically plane surface reflects a beam of light as a parallel beam in one direction (regular reflection). This is because all rays strike at the same angle of incidence and reflect at the same angle of reflection, maintaining parallelism. A diffused beam occurs with rough surfaces where light scatters in different directions.

Water is used in car radiators primarily because of its high specific heat capacity (4200 J/kg°C), meaning it can absorb large amounts of heat for small temperature changes. This makes it excellent for cooling engines. While water is also easily available and has high density, these are not the primary reasons. Low boiling point would actually be a disadvantage.

Magnesium is the central metal atom in the chlorophyll molecule, essential for photosynthesis. The magnesium ion (Mg2+) sits at the center of the porphyrin ring structure. Beryllium, calcium, and barium are not part of chlorophyll structure, though calcium plays roles in other plant processes like cell wall stability.

Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It sublimates (turns directly from solid to gas) at -78.5°C at normal atmospheric pressure, which is why it's called 'dry' - it doesn't melt into a liquid first. Options A and B are incorrect because dry ice is neither ammonia nor sulfur dioxide. Option C is misleading because all carbon dioxide in solid form is 'dry' ice.

During the Medieval Period in India, Hindi (in its various dialectal forms) served as a 'Camp Language' or 'Lashkari Zaban' - the lingua franca used in army camps and for administrative communication across different regions. It emerged from the need for a common language that could be understood by soldiers drawn from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Sanskrit was the scholarly language, Pali was associated with Buddhist texts, and Urdu developed later as a court language.

Article 80 of the Indian Constitution states that the President can nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha from among persons having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, and social service. These 12 nominated members help bring expertise that may not be represented through elections.

The Panama Canal is an artificial 82 km waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean (via the Caribbean Sea) with the Pacific Ocean. It allows ships to bypass the long and treacherous route around the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn). The canal significantly reduces shipping distances and time between the east and west coasts of the Americas. Option C has a typo ('Oceanq' instead of 'Ocean').