General Awareness

Rudra is explicitly mentioned in the Rig Veda as a fierce deity associated with storms, medicine, and warfare. In later Vedic texts, Rudra evolves into Shiva. The other options are incorrect: Sinal is not a Vedic deity, India is a country name, not a god.

Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539) was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. He was born in Talwandi (now Nankana Sahib, Pakistan). Guru Gobind Singh was the 10th Guru who formalized the Khalsa tradition, and Guru Arjun Dev was the 5th Guru.

Sikkim became the 22nd state of India on May 16, 1975, after a referendum where over 97% of voters favored abolition of monarchy and merger with India. Prior to this, Sikkim was a protectorate under India since 1950.

A.O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume), a retired British civil servant, founded the Indian National Congress in 1885. The first session was held in Bombay with W.C. Bonnerjee as president. Hume's goal was to create a platform for educated Indian political dialogue.

Sirius, located in the constellation Canis Major, is the brightest star in the night sky and has been historically called the 'Dog Star.' It's approximately 8.6 light-years from Earth. The term 'Alfa century' appears to be a misspelling of Alpha Centauri, which is a different star system.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) officially came into existence on January 1, 1995, following the Marrakesh Agreement signed in 1994. It replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as the global international trade organization.

The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992, by kar sevaks during a political rally. This event triggered communal riots across India and remains a significant event in Indian political history.

V. P. Singh (Vishwanath Pratap Singh) served as the 7th Prime Minister of India from December 2, 1989, to November 10, 1990. He headed the National Front government with outside support from Congress and BJP. He is known for implementing Mandal Commission recommendations.

A knot is a unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour (approximately 1.852 km/h or 1.151 mph). It is primarily used for measuring the speed of ships and aircraft, and also wind speed in meteorology. The term originates from the practice of using knotted ropes to measure ship speed.

A great gross equals 12 gross (12 × 144 = 1,728 items). Just as 1 gross = 12 dozen, 1 great gross = 12 gross. This term is used in wholesale trade for bulk quantities. The mathematical relationship is consistent: dozen (12) → gross (12 dozen) → great gross (12 gross).

The ANZUS treaty (Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty) was signed on September 1, 1951, and came into force in 1952. It was a mutual defense pact between these three nations during the Cold War. New Zealand was later suspended in 1986 due to its nuclear-free policy.

The Baghdad Pact, a military alliance of Middle Eastern countries, was signed in 1955. It was formed by Iraq, Turkey, the UK, Pakistan, and Iran to counter Soviet expansion during the Cold War.

The Simla Agreement was signed on July 2, 1972, between Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after the 1971 war. It established the Line of Control in Kashmir and committed both nations to resolve disputes bilaterally.

The Simla Agreement was a bilateral treaty between India and Pakistan, signed in 1972 to resolve post-1971 war issues and establish peaceful relations through bilateral dialogue.

Franklin D. Roosevelt first suggested the term 'United Nations' in 1942 during World War II, referring to the Allied Powers fighting against the Axis nations. The name was later adopted for the post-war international organization.

Trygve Lie from Norway was the first Secretary-General of the United Nations, serving from 1946 to 1952. He played a key role in establishing the UN's early administrative structure during the Cold War era.

Vienna, Austria hosts the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), established in 1957 to promote peaceful use of nuclear energy and prevent nuclear weapons proliferation.

The UN Security Council has 5 permanent members with veto power: USA, UK, France, Russia, and China. These five nations were the victors of World War II and hold special privileges in Council decisions.

The UN has 6 official languages used in all official documents and proceedings: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. Punjabi, while widely spoken, is not among the UN's official languages.

The 38th parallel north latitude divides North Korea and South Korea, established as the boundary after World War II in 1945. It became the frontline during the Korean War and remains the border today.

SDR stands for Special Drawing Rights, an international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969. It supplements member countries' official reserves and can be exchanged for freely usable currencies.

The ANZUS Treaty is a security agreement between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, signed in 1951. It's also known as the Pacific Pact and commits members to consult together in case of an armed attack in the Pacific.

IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) is headquartered in New Delhi at Maidan Garhi. Established in 1985, it is India's national open university offering distance education programs.