General Knowledge (Static)

Zero hour in Lok Sabha has no specified maximum duration - it can extend based on the Speaker's discretion and member's interest. It typically starts around 12 noon and allows MPs to raise urgent matters. The 30-minute limit is a common misconception but not a rule. One minute and two minute limits are incorrect.

'No taxation without representation' was the slogan of the American War of Independence (1765-1783). American colonists protested British taxes like the Stamp Act since they had no representation in British Parliament. The French Revolution had 'Liberty, Equality, Fraternity', and the Indian movement had 'Swaraj'. There was no 'British Civil War'.

Lothal and Kalibangan are prominent Harappan (Indus Valley Civilization) sites. Lothal in Gujarat had the world's earliest known dockyard, and Kalibangan in Rajasthan had a fire altar. They are definitively linked to Harappan culture (c. 3300-1300 BCE), not Chinese, Egyptian, or general 'capital cities' which is vague and incorrect.

Water constitutes about 60% of the adult human body by weight, varying from 55-75% depending on factors like age, gender, and body composition. Plasma is part of blood, cytoplasm is within cells (mostly water), and proteins are macromolecules. Water is the single largest component, essential for all physiological processes.

Indigo is chemically classified as a vat dye. Vat dyes are insoluble in water, require reduction (vatting) to become soluble and penetrate fibers, then oxidize back to insoluble form. This gives indigo excellent colorfastness. Acid dyes need acidic medium, basic dyes need basic medium - indigo doesn't require these conditions.

Article 159 of the Indian Constitution mandates that the Governor's oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the concerned State High Court, and in their absence, the senior-most available High Court judge. The President administers oath to the Prime Minister and Union Ministers. The Chief Justice of India and Chief Minister have no role in this constitutional process.

C.V. Raman was the first recipient of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954, along with politician Chakravarti Rajagopalachari and philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The award recognizes exceptional service in arts, literature, science, and public affairs.

Cholesterol is a fatty alcohol (sterol) found in animal fats and cell membranes. It is not related to chlorine (A), chlorophyll (B), or blood sugar (D). Cholesterol is essential for hormone production and cell membrane structure in animals.

Bank rate is the rate at which the central bank (RBI in India) rediscounts bills of exchange and other commercial paper for commercial banks. It is a monetary policy tool used to control money supply and inflation, not directly related to consumer rates or deposit rates.

Under Indian Contract Act, a finder of goods is entitled to retain the goods as a bailee until the true owner claims them. This is known as the 'right of lien' - the finder can hold the goods until they receive compensation for expenses incurred in preserving the goods. Option A is incomplete, and option D incorrectly states both.

Under Section 120A of the Indian Penal Code, criminal conspiracy requires at least two persons. One person cannot conspire with themselves alone - conspiracy inherently involves an agreement between two or more persons to commit an illegal act.

The 13th SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit was held on November 12, 2005 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. SAARC is a regional organization comprising eight South Asian countries, and summits rotate among member nations.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established by the UN Charter in 1945. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by UN organs. It is not an independent body (B), part of EU (C), or an American association (D).

Lord Ripon is known as the 'Father of Local Self-Government in India' for his 1882 Resolution that established elected local self-government bodies in India. The Ripon Resolution introduced principles of democratic decentralization, preceding Dalhousie, Canning, and Curzon.

Cornelia Sorabjee was the first female advocate of India, becoming the first woman to practice law in India in 1922 after law reforms allowed women to enter the legal profession. She was also the first woman to graduate from Bombay University and fought for women's rights and reform.

Lithosphere refers to the solid outer crust of the Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. It is not the liquid part (A - that's hydrosphere), the heat (B - that's geothermal), or the inner structure (D - that's core/mantle). The lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates.

The Contingency Fund of India was created by an Act of Parliament under Article 267 of the Constitution, not directly by the Constitution itself. The fund is used to meet urgent unforeseen expenditures requiring immediate parliamentary approval. The CAG (C) administers but did not create it.

The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945 at the San Francisco Conference and came into force on October 24, 1945 after ratification by the five permanent Security Council members and majority of signatories. October 24 is now celebrated as United Nations Day.

Gandhiji believed that mass unemployment could not be solved through industrialization or technology alone, but by revitalizing traditional village and cottage industries. This approach was central to his economic philosophy of self-sufficiency and decentralized production. Technical education and rapid industrialism were seen as inadequate or even harmful to rural employment.

Amartya Sen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 specifically for his contributions to welfare economics. His work on poverty, famine, and human development theory revolutionized how economists understand social welfare and individual freedom. The other options are not recognized economic sub-disciplines.

Land Revenue is a state tax under India's constitutional fiscal federalism, while Customs Duty, Income Tax, and Corporation Tax are central government taxes. The Constitution divides taxation powers between the Union and State governments, with land being exclusively under state jurisdiction. This division is fundamental to India's federal structure.

The Champaran Satyagraha (1917) was Gandhiji's first civil disobedience campaign in India, fighting for indigo farmers' rights in Bihar. While Dandi March (1930) is more famous, it came much later. Bardoli (1928) was another significant satyagraha but not the first. Baroda was not a satyagraha site led by Gandhiji.

Section 300 of the Indian Penal Code defines murder and specifies the circumstances under which an act amounts to murder. Section 302 prescribes the punishment for murder, while Section 307 deals with attempt to murder. Section 309 relates to attempted suicide, which is now decriminalized.

SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Area) is a regional trade agreement among SAARC nations to promote trade liberalization in South Asia. It came into effect in 2006 and includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other South Asian countries. The other options incorrectly reference different geographic regions.