General Awareness and Mass Communication

A group of members from the opposition party who scrutinise some functions of the government and present alternative policy is know as a 'Shadow Cabinet' in the British political system.

The Protected Disclosure scheme (also known as whistleblowing policy) was introduced for private banks and foreign banks, making 'Both (2) and (3)' the correct answer. This scheme allows employees to report unethical or fraudulent practices without fear of retaliation.

Udanti-Sitanadi        -     Chhattisgarh
Dandeli-Anashi       -      Karnataka
Sariska                      -      Rajasthan
Satkosia                    -      Orissa

Hence, all are incorrectly matched. 

Mother Teresa was called the 'Saint of the Gutters' for her lifelong work serving the poor and destitute in Kolkata. She founded the Missionaries of Charity and dedicated her life to helping those living in slums and gutters. The title reflects her compassion for the most marginalized members of society.

The correct matching is: Anushilan Samiti was founded by Jatindranath Banerjee and Barindra Kumar Ghosh (2); Anti-circular Society was associated with Krishna Kumar Mitra (1); Dawn Society was founded by Satischandra Mukherji (4); and Swadesh Bandhab Samiti was led by Ashwini Kumar Dutt in Barisal (3). This makes option B (A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3) the correct answer.

Volkswagen has acquired several luxury and performance brands including Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ducati. However, none of the companies listed in the options (Fiat, GM, Symphony) are actual Volkswagen acquisitions.

Matthew Arnold earned the title 'prophet of modern society' through works like Culture and Anarchy, where he diagnosed the spiritual and intellectual challenges of industrial democracy. His critiques of materialism and advocacy for 'sweetness and light' positioned him as a visionary commentator on modern social conditions.

Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920-2012), the legendary Indian sitar maestro, was awarded the Polar Music Prize in 1992. The Polar Music Prize, established by Stig Anderson (manager of ABBA) and often called the 'Nobel Prize of Music,' has been awarded to many international musicians. Ravi Shankar was recognized for introducing Indian classical music to global audiences and his innovative collaborations with Western musicians.

Rene Sully Prudhomme (the name in option D) was the first recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1901. The French poet was chosen for his literary excellence. Albert Camus and Ernest Hemingway won much later (1950s), while Knut Hamsun won in 1920. Note: option C says 'Knut Hanson' but should be 'Knut Hamsun' - however D remains the correct first winner.

In radio and television broadcast, the information signal is in the form of analog signal. The correct choice is (1). 

S. Y. Quraishi was appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner of India on 30^th July 2010.

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bangalore. It was founded in 1969 and has been responsible for India's space program including satellites, launch vehicles, and interplanetary missions. SHAR is a launch center, NRSA handles remote sensing data, and ISA is not related to Indian space program.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez was a Colombian novelist and short-story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. He is famous for works like 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' and is associated with the magical realism literary movement. He was not involved in agriculture, football, or railway engineering.

Albania's parliament is called the 'Kuvendi' or 'Kuvendi i Shqiperise' in Albanian, which translates to 'National Assembly' in English. 'Sansad' is used in India and Nepal, 'Shora' was used in Afghanistan under different regimes, and 'National Assembly' is the correct English translation for Albania's legislative body.

Five countries had conducted nuclear tests before India's first test in 1974 (Operation Smiling Buddha): United States (1945), Soviet Union (1949), United Kingdom (1952), France (1960), and China (1964). This makes India the sixth nation to explode an atomic bomb. The answer '5' correctly counts the predecessor nations.

The correct matching is: Pir Panjal (Jammu & Kashmir), Dhauladhar (Himachal Pradesh), Nag Tibba (Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand), and Mishimi Hills (Arunachal Pradesh). This tests knowledge of Himalayan ranges and their geographical distribution across Indian states. Pir Panjal is in J&K, Dhauladhar forms part of HP's Himalayas, Nag Tibba is in Uttarakhand (then UP), and Mishimi Hills are in Arunachal Pradesh.

Among the options, Tripex is not an automobile company. Hyundai (South Korea), General Motors (USA), Maruti (India's Maruti Suzuki), and Tata (India's Tata Motors) are all well-known automobile manufacturers. Tripex appears to be a fictitious name or a non-automotive company, making it the correct answer to 'which is NOT an auto company'.

The Muslim League formally passed the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, demanding independent states for Muslims in northwestern and eastern India. This is considered the first official demand for partition. The 1906 date marks the League's founding, while 1946 was when Cabinet Mission attempted to prevent partition.

According to the 2011 Census, Uttar Pradesh was the most populous state with approximately 199 million people. Maharashtra ranked second with around 112 million, followed by Bihar at approximately 104 million. The population order was UP > Maharashtra > Bihar > West Bengal.

Woodrow Wilson was the primary architect of the League of Nations. He outlined his vision in his Fourteen Points speech to Congress in January 1918 and actively campaigned for its inclusion in the Treaty of Versailles. The League was established in 1920, though the US Senate ultimately refused to join.

This question tests knowledge of Indian advertising slogans. Skoda Auto's tagline was 'Obsessed with quality since 1985', Mitsubishi Lancer used 'Own the road', Maruti Suzuki Alto's campaign was 'Let's go', and Toyota's tagline was 'The experience of motoring'. The matching is A-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III.

The Tilaiya Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) was one of four planned UMPPs under the government's initiative. Reliance Power, Tata Power, and Lanco Infratech were among the major power companies that submitted bids for this project. Multiple companies typically compete for such large infrastructure projects.

Spain used the Peseta before adopting the Euro, Russia uses the Rouble, Thailand uses the Baht, and Malaysia uses the Ringgit. The correct matching is A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4. These currencies are specific to their respective countries' economic systems.

The racial classifications mentioned are problematic and outdated. Indonesians are predominantly Austronesian with Australoid influences in eastern regions, not pure Australoid. West Europeans are Caucasoid, not Mongoloid. South Americans have diverse racial makeup including Indigenous, European, African, and mixed populations, not just Negroid. Only 'North Africans - Caucasoid' has some validity.

The ownership of Indian TV channels is specific: CNBC TV18 (under TV18 broadcast group) was associated with Raghav Bahal, Times Now with Bennett Coleman, Star News with ABP (Anand Bazar Publication), and Aaj Tak with India Today Group. The correct matching is a-2, b-1, c-4, d-3.

B.S. Chandrasekhar's full name was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, and he was a theoretical physicist renowned for his work on the theory of black holes and stellar evolution. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1983 for his theoretical studies of the physical processes of importance to the structure and evolution of stars.

The Indian Navy has training centers at INS Venduruthy in Cochin (Kochi), INS Shivaji at Lonavla near Mumbai, and INS Satavahana in Visakhapatnam. Jammu and Kashmir is a state/union territory, not a city, and has no Indian Navy training establishment. This makes option D the correct answer as a 'not located' response.

Santoor soap is owned by Wipro, Margo soap by Henkel, Camay by Proctor and Gamble, and Hamam by Hindustan Unilever. The correct matching pairs are: a-2 (Santoor-Wipro), b-3 (Margo-Henkel), c-4 (Camay-P&G), and d-1 (Hamam-HUL). Option B correctly lists all four pairs.

The Census of India is conducted every 10 years, as per the Census Act of 1948. The first census was conducted in 1871 and has been regular since then, providing demographic data crucial for planning and policy-making. The last census was conducted in 2011, and the 2021 census was delayed due to COVID-19.

The Nobel Prize in Economics (officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences) was established in 1969, unlike the other Nobel Prizes which were founded in 1901. It was created by the Sveriges Riksbank (Sweden's central bank) in memory of Alfred Nobel, and was first awarded to Ragnar Frisch and Jan Tinbergen.

Jigger, break, scratch, and cannons are all technical terms used in the game of billiards (and pool, which is a variant). A jigger is a cue rest used for difficult shots, break refers to the opening shot, scratch is a foul where the cue ball enters a pocket, and cannons (or caroms) refer to hitting object balls in sequence.

Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, was the first person to reach the South Pole on December 14, 1911. His team beat Robert Falcon Scott's British expedition by just 34 days. Fahein was a Chinese Buddhist monk who traveled to India, Marco Polo was a medieval Venetian explorer, and neither reached Antarctica.

The first Formula One race in India was held in Greater Noida. The first edition took place on 30 October 2011, as the 17th race of the 2011 Formula One season. 

The Bengal Gazette (founded by James Augustus Hicky in 1780) was the first English newspaper published in the Indian subcontinent. The Madras Mail began much later (1868), The Indian Social Reformer was a 19th-century publication, and The Times of India started in 1838, all after The Bengal Gazette.

Android is a Linux-based mobile phone operating system developed by Google.

Tarun Tejpal is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Tehelka.com, an Indian investigative journalism magazine known for exposés and sting operations. Tehelka gained prominence for its investigative reporting on corruption and scandals. None of the other options (Newsmaker.com, Hindustan Times, Indian Express) are associated with Tejpal.

The Department of Financial Services (under Ministry of Finance) and NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) are the key government institutions that facilitate rural credit disbursement by banks. None of the listed departments (Railways, State Road Transports, Post and Telegraph, Ministry of Health) are directly involved in this function.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, the great Bengali reformer and educator, started the newspaper 'Shome Prakash' in 1858. The paper was instrumental in spreading social reform ideas. Dayanand Saraswati founded Arya Samaj, Raja Rammohan Roy started publications like Sambad Kaumudi, and Surendranath Banerjee founded The Bengalee.

Historically, Nokia was the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer from 1998 to 2011, dominating the global market during that period. While Nokia's mobile division was later sold to Microsoft (2014) and then to HMD Global (2016), the question refers to the historical period when Nokia was undisputed leader. Ericsson is a telecom equipment maker, and Vodafone is a telecom operator.

The correct sequence is A - 1, B - 3, C - 2. 

Amrita Bazar Patrika was founded in 1868 as a Bengali-language newspaper but switched to English in the 1870s to circumvent a law that tried to suppress vernacular press criticizing the British colonial government. This change allowed it to continue its nationalist commentary. The other options are either not Bengali-origin or did not make this language switch.

People shown in interest in sensational news and prefer those papers which provide more coverage.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, the prominent Indian nationalist leader, founded and edited two newspapers: Kesari (in Marathi) and Maratha (in English). Both publications were vehicles for his nationalist ideas and criticism of British colonial rule. The Hindu was founded in Madras, Bombay Times was later renamed The Times of India, and Indian Gazette was not associated with Tilak.

AFP (Agence France-Presse) is France's national news agency, founded in 1944. It is headquartered in Paris and is the world's oldest news agency still in operation. The other options are countries where AFP has bureaus but not its origin.

In radio broadcasting best practices, especially for interactive shows, having more than three guests can become chaotic and unmanageable. Three guests allow for meaningful conversation while maintaining control over the discussion flow.

The Vernacular Press Act was passed by Lord Lytton in 1878 to suppress Indian-language newspapers that were criticizing British rule. It imposed severe restrictions on publications in Indian languages while English newspapers remained unaffected.

Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan and brother of Aurangzeb, was a scholar who had the Upanishads translated into Persian. He was interested in comparative religion and Hindu philosophy. The translation was titled 'Sirr-e-Akbar'.

Maureen Wadia, wife of industrialist Nusli Wadia, founded and was associated with Gladrags fashion magazine. She was also known for organizing the Mrs. India beauty pageant. The magazine was a significant fashion publication in India.

Sharmila Tagore was the Chairperson of the Indian Censor Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in 2010. She served in this position from 2004 to 2011. The other options are all notable personalities in Indian cinema but not associated with the censor board during this period.

The Bengal Gazette (also known as Hicky's Bengal Gazette) was the first newspaper published in India in 1780. It was founded by James Augustus Hicky in Kolkata. The other options are much later publications.

WPP acquired Young & Rubicam (Y&R) in 2000 for approximately $4.7 billion, which was one of the largest advertising industry acquisitions at the time. This helped cement WPP's position as the world's largest advertising and marketing group.

She was appointed as chairperson in 2009.

The first radio broadcast was made in 1906 by Reginald Fessenden. He successfully transmitted voice and music on Christmas Eve 1906 from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Earlier experiments by Marconi and others were telegraph (Morse code) only, not voice broadcasting.

The Indian Broadcasting Service (IBS), established in 1930, was renamed as All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 when it came under the Department of Communications. AIR became the national public service broadcaster of India. Akashvani is its later name adopted after independence.

The Vernacular Press Act of 1878 specifically targeted newspapers published in Indian languages, imposing restrictions like requiring publishers to give their names and addresses. English newspapers were exempt from this Act. It was a repressive measure to curb criticism of British rule in Indian-language press.

Wadia Woollen Mills was located in Thane, Maharashtra before being taken over by Raymond Ltd. This acquisition helped Raymond expand its production capacity. The Wadia Group has been a prominent industrial family in India with interests in textiles and other sectors.

ESPN acquired Cricinfo from Wisden Group in 2007. Wisden Group had owned Cricinfo since they acquired it in 2005. The acquisition strengthened ESPN's digital sports presence in cricket markets.

Onam, the harvest festival of Kerala, features the famous snake boat race (Vallam Kali) as a major attraction. These spectacular boat races are held on the Pampa River. The other festivals listed don't traditionally include boat races.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN agency specializing in information and communication technologies, has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1865 and is the oldest existing international organization.

Ratan Tata

Raymond V.Lesikar and John D.Pettit present the communication model with stress on the role of perceiving the reality ,his analysis is based upon few practical psychological process.

The headquarters of IMF are in Washington D.C.

Raja Harishchandra (1913), directed by Dadasaheb Phalke, was India's first silent feature film. Alam Ara (1931) was India's first talkie (sound film), not silent. Sant Tukaram came later in 1936.

Jagmohan, a former bureaucrat and Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, authored 'Soul and Structure of Governance in India'. The book examines India's administrative framework and governance challenges. V.K. Duggal, Jairam Ramesh, and Dr. I.G. Patel are not associated with this specific work.

The correct matching is: Roentgen discovered X-rays (A-3), Marconi developed wireless telegraphy (B-4), Chadwick discovered the neutron (C-1), and Anderson discovered the positron (D-2). These Nobel Prize-winning discoveries revolutionized physics.

Press Trust of India (PTI) is the largest news agency in India. Founded in 1947, PTI is headquartered in Delhi and provides news services to newspapers and broadcasters. 'P India' and 'PI' are not standard abbreviations.

All three sites listed (Kaziranga National Park, Qutab Minar, and Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park) are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Therefore, 'None of these' is correct because none of them are excluded from the UNESCO list.

 Living Media (India Today Group) is an Indian media conglomerate based in New Delhi, India. It has interests in magazines, newspapers, books, radio, television, printing and the Internet.

World Environment Day is observed annually on June 5th. Established by the UN in 1974, it raises awareness about environmental issues and encourages global action. April 7 is World Health Day, August 6 is Hiroshima Day.