General Knowledge - 2 (CHSL)

Lithuania borders four countries: Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, Poland to the south, and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest. Ukraine does not share a border with Lithuania - it is separated by Belarus and Poland. Ukraine is located to the south of Lithuania but does not touch its territory.

Nile is the longest river (length = 6653 km).

The first modern cotton textile mill in India was established in 1818 in Kolkata (then Calcutta) by Henry Gourlaw and others. This marked the beginning of modern industrial textile manufacturing in India, shifting from traditional handloom to mechanized production. Bombay (Mumbai) became a later major textile center (1854 first mill there).

Kabir, the 15th-century mystic poet and saint, made Ramanand (also known as Swami Ramanandacharya) his Guru. Ramanand was a prominent Vaishnava saint of the Bhakti movement who taught in Varanasi and influenced many bhakti poets including Kabir.

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976) is called the 'Mini Constitution' because it made sweeping changes to the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and constitutional structure. It added 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the Preamble and expanded fundamental duties.

Statement 1 is correct. The Chief Election Commissioner is removed by passing a resolution to that effect by both Houses of the Parliament with special majority.
Statement 2 is wrong. The constitution does not debar the retiring election commissioners from any further appointment by the government.

The Lok Sabha's superiority over the Rajya Sabha primarily stems from its exclusive control over financial matters, particularly the Budget and Money Bills. While the Lok Sabha is directly elected (giving it democratic legitimacy) and the Council of Ministers is responsible only to the Lok Sabha, the key constitutional superiority is financial - Money Bills can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha cannot reject them, only delay them for 14 days.

The Estimates Committee, constituted for the first time in 1950, is a Parliamentary Committee consisting of 30 members, elected every year by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members.

Article 85 of the Constitution mandates that the gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot exceed six months. This provision ensures that Parliament meets at least twice a year and maintains regular legislative oversight of the executive. In practice, Parliament usually meets three times a year, well within this constitutional limit.

Option (1) is the correct answer.

Leading indicators are indicators that usually change before the economy as a whole changes. They are therefore useful as short-term predictors of the economy. Stock market returns are a leading indicator: the stock market usually begins to decline before the economy as a whole declines and usually begins to improve before the general economy begins to recover from a slump.

Article 16 provides that there shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in the matter of employment or appointment to any office under the State. This Article also provides that no citizen shall be ineligible for any office or employment under the State on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent and place of birth or any of them.

Pablo Picasso created the famous anti-war painting 'Guernica' in 1937, depicting the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War. Note the question has a typo spelling it 'Guermica'. Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Leonardo da Vinci were Renaissance artists from earlier centuries.

Kruger National Park is one of Africa's largest game reserves and is located in South Africa. While Australia has large wildlife reserves, the claim about Kruger being 'the largest zoo' refers to this South African park.

Narendranath Dutta was the original name of ‘Swami Vivekananda’.

Linus C. Pauling is the only person to win two unshared Nobel Prizes - Chemistry in 1954 and Peace in 1962. He won the Chemistry Prize for his work on chemical bonds and the Peace Prize for his campaign against nuclear testing. Niels Bohr and Madam Curie won Nobel Prizes but not both Chemistry and Peace (Curie won Physics and Chemistry).

It is on Krishna river and the beneficiary state is Andhra Pradesh.

This is the correct option as this is not a means of indirect transmission of diseases. It is a means of direct transmission of disease such as AIDS, syphilis, etc.

Supreme Court acts as the guardian of the Constitution.

Correct answer

Methanol is industrially produced by catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide (CO + 2H2 → CH3OH) under high pressure and temperature. ZnO-Cr2O3 is the catalyst used. Steam reforming of methane produces syngas (CO + H2), not methanol. LiAlH4 is too expensive for industrial use. Formaldehyde is an oxidation product of methanol, not a precursor.

Buddha's first sermon at Sarnath (Deer Park) is known as "Dharma Chakra Parivartana" or "Dharmachakra Pravartana" (Sanskrit: धर्मचक्र प्रवर्तन), meaning "Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dharma." This marked the beginning of his teaching career and the formation of the Sangha.

Fa-hien (also spelled Faxian, c. 337-422 CE) was the first Chinese pilgrim to visit India during the reign of Chandragupta II (c. 400 CE). He wrote "Fo Kueo Chi" (Record of Buddhist Kingdoms). Xuan Zang (Hiuen Tsang) came later (c. 629 CE). The answer key uses "Fa-hien" as the correct spelling.

Correct option is (3).

The currency of Bangladesh is the Taka (currency code: BDT). One Taka is subdivided into 100 Poisha. Afghani is Afghanistan's currency. Pula is Botswana's currency. Franc CFA is used in West and Central African countries.

Correct option is (4).

Myanmar's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, with rice being its primary export commodity. Historically, rice has accounted for approximately two-thirds of Myanmar's total export earnings. Thailand is also a major rice exporter but has a more diversified export portfolio. Japan, Indonesia, and Myanmar have more varied export structures.

The Kosi River is a major joint project between India and Nepal for flood control, irrigation, and hydropower generation. The Kosi Agreement was signed in 1954. The Kosi Barrage is located in Nepal and the canal system benefits Bihar. Gomati, Chambal, and Damodar are exclusively Indian rivers.

This is the correct option as this is not a use of natural gas. It is not used as a fuel to move turbines in hydropower plants.

The number of oscillations per second is called the frequency of oscillation.

The component of sunlight that carries heat radiation is infrared radiation.

The Himalayas is the highest mountain range in the world, containing Mount Everest (8,849m), the highest peak on Earth. The other options are either individual peaks (Nanga Parbat) or incorrect names.

Correct answer

The Som is the official currency of Uzbekistan. The Uzbekistan Som (UZS) replaced the Soviet ruble in 1994. Riyal is used in Middle Eastern countries, while USD and Euro are not Uzbekistan's currency.

Lucknow is being developed as an IT City in Uttar Pradesh as part of the state's IT and electronics system design manufacturing policy. The city has been selected for focused development of IT infrastructure and companies.

According to the 2011 Census, Daman and Diu had the lowest sex ratio at 618 females per 1000 males. Haryana (879), NCT of Delhi (866), and Chandigarh (818) had significantly higher ratios, though still below the national average of 943.

Tripitaka (Pali Canon) is the primary sacred scripture of Buddhism, containing teachings of the Buddha in three baskets: Vinaya (monastic rules), Sutra (discourses), and Abhidharma (philosophical analysis). Upanishads and Vedas are Hindu texts; Jatakas are Buddhist stories but not the primary scripture.

The 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea was signed between China and ASEAN member states, not any single country. It's a non-binding agreement aimed at promoting peaceful resolution of disputes.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan is one of the world's foremost sarod players, belonging to the Bangash gharana. He has received numerous awards including Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Grammy nominations. Tabla is played by percussionists like Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Rabindranath Tagore wrote Gitanjali (Song Offerings), a collection of 103 English poems. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for this work, becoming the first non-European Nobel laureate. Plato and Dante wrote in ancient Greek and Italian respectively.

 Lala Amarnath was the first Indian to score a century in Test cricket.

The US Dollar Index (DXY) tracks the value of the USD against a basket of 6 currencies: Euro (57.6%), Japanese Yen (13.6%), British Pound (11.9%), Canadian Dollar (9.1%), Swedish Krona (4.2%), and Swiss Franc (3.6%). The weights are periodically reviewed.

It is the largest producer of cotton in India.

Butane gas is the main constituent of cooking gas.

West Bengal is the leading producer of jute in India.

Mrs. Leela Seth was the 1^st woman Chief Justice of High Court.

The International Development Association (IDA) is the 'soft loan window' of the World Bank, providing concessional loans and grants to the poorest countries. IBRD lends to middle-income countries at market rates, IFC finances private sector projects, and MIGA provides political risk insurance.