General Knowledge 2

Article 40 of the Directive Principles of State Policy explicitly directs the state to organize village panchayats and promote self-government. Articles 20 and 30 deal with other fundamental rights and protections, while Article 50 concerns the separation of judiciary from executive.

Japan consistently ranks highest in life expectancy globally, typically over 84 years. This is due to their healthcare system, diet rich in fish and vegetables, low obesity rates, and active lifestyle. While Norway and Germany have high life expectancies (around 83 years), Japan remains at the top. USA ranks lower.

Suzlon Energy is an Indian company that became a major global player in wind turbine manufacturing. They're not involved in geothermal, solar, or tidal energy - their core business has always been wind power generation and related infrastructure.

Indira Point (formerly Pygmalion Point) in the Nicobar Islands is India's true southernmost point at 6°45'N latitude. Kanyakumari is the southernmost point on the Indian mainland, but not the entire country. The Cape of Good Hope is in South Africa, not India.

The Aswan Dam (specifically the Aswan High Dam completed in 1970) was built on the Nile River in southern Egypt. It's not on the Tigris (Middle East), Danube (Europe), or Amazon (South America). The Nile is Egypt's lifeline, making it the logical location for such a massive water control project.

The 49th parallel of latitude forms most of the border between the United States and Canada, established by the Oregon Treaty of 1846. It's not the India-Sri Lanka boundary (that's the Palk Strait), nor Australia-New Zealand (Tasman Sea), or North America-South America ( Panama/Central America).

The Justice U.C. Banerjee Committee was constituted in 2002 to investigate the Godhra train burning incident that triggered the 2002 Gujarat riots. It wasn't related to Mumbai blasts (which had other probes), Kandahar hijack (1999), or Parliament attack (2001).

The 8th Schedule lists the 22 officially recognized languages of India (including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, etc.). The 5th Schedule deals with scheduled areas and tribes, the 1st Schedule lists states and UTs, and the 10th Schedule covers anti-defection laws.

Sabeer Bhatia co-founded Hotmail in 1996, which became the world's first free web-based email service. It was later acquired by Microsoft. Narayanmurthy founded Infosys, Vinod Dham worked on the Pentium chip, and Azim Premji led Wipro.

Aryabhatta, the ancient Indian mathematician and astronomer (5th century CE), is credited with developing the concept of zero as a number and its mathematical operations. His work revolutionized mathematics and formed the foundation of the decimal system.

The Wellington Cup is a prestigious rowing trophy awarded annually in India, specifically at the Calcutta Rowing Club. It's one of the oldest rowing competitions in the country, named after the Duke of Wellington.

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) originated in the United States, where courts allowed citizens to file cases matters of public concern even without personal injury. India adopted this concept in the 1980s to make justice more accessible to disadvantaged groups.

De-notified tribes are communities that were formerly labeled 'criminal tribes' under the British Colonial Criminal Tribes Act of 1871. After independence, India denotified them in 1952, removing the stigma, though many still face social and economic marginalization.

The term 'Hindu' derives from the Sanskrit word 'Sindhu' (Indus River). Arab traders and geographers used 'al-Hind' to refer to the land and people beyond the Indus, eventually becoming 'Hindu' as a reference to Indian inhabitants.

Ashtapradhan was the eight-member council of ministers established by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to administer his Maratha Empire efficiently. It included roles like Peshwa (Prime Minister), Senapati (military commander), and others, each with specific responsibilities.

India is the world's largest producer of mica, accounting for about 25% of global production. Major mica mining occurs in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, with India dominating both sheet and scrap mica markets.

Arakan Yoma is the north-south mountain range in western Myanmar (Burma), forming a natural extension of the Himalayas. It separates Myanmar's central basin from the Bay of Bengal and continues the Himalayan orogenic belt southward.

Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dhaka was the first President of the All-India Muslim League, elected in 1906 at its founding in Dhaka. He was a key figure in the movement that eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.

Heavy water (D2O) contains deuterium instead of normal hydrogen and is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors. It slows down neutrons effectively, allowing controlled nuclear fission, crucial for reactors like those in India's nuclear program.

Camels store water in their intestines, not in their humps (which store fat). This remarkable adaptation allows them to survive long periods without water in desert environments by absorbing and retaining water from their food and drinking.

Argon constitutes approximately 0.93% of Earth's atmosphere, making it the most abundant noble gas. Helium, xenon, and krypton are present in much smaller concentrations. Argon's abundance comes from the radioactive decay of potassium-40 in Earth's crust.

X-rays are produced when cathode rays (high-speed electrons) strike a metal target in an X-ray tube. The sudden deceleration of electrons generates X-ray photons through the bremsstrahlung process. Alpha, beta, and gamma rays are nuclear emissions, not used to produce X-rays.

Sodium pentothal (thiopental sodium) is a barbiturate drug used as a 'truth serum' in forensic interrogations due to its inhibitory effect on the central nervous system. It lowers inhibitions and can make subjects more forthcoming during questioning. Sodium hypochlorite is bleach, and LSD is a hallucinogen.