General Knowledge for Competitive Exams - Science, Current Affairs & Banking

Lime (calcium carbonate or calcium oxide) neutralizes soil acidity by raising pH levels, making nutrients more available to plants. Calcium is an element, while lime is the specific agricultural amendment applied to acidic soils.

Comets are small, icy bodies that orbit the Sun. When they get close to the Sun, they heat up and develop a tail, which is why they are often referred to as orbiting the Sun.

NASA's Magellan spacecraft, launched in 1989, was the first robotic mission to map the surface of Venus using radar.

When moving from bright sunlight, the pupils are constricted to limit light entry. Upon entering a dark room, the iris needs time to dilate the pupils to allow more light in, causing temporary difficulty in seeing.

SRI (System of Rice Intensification) is a cultivation methodology practiced for rice. It was developed in Madagascar in the 1980s and promotes practices like planting single seedlings with wider spacing, younger seedlings, and careful water management. Paddy is not a separate crop - it refers to rice in its husk or the field where rice grows.

Pasteurization is a heat-treatment process used to kill harmful bacteria in milk. The standard low-temperature long-time (LTLT) method involves heating milk to 63 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

Christiaan Neethling Barnard performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967 in South Africa. The other names are variations or incorrect attributions.

The Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is the national flower of India. It symbolizes purity, beauty, and prosperity in Indian culture.

Yellow fever is a viral disease primarily transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The other options are not standard medical terms for mosquito-borne illnesses.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) acts as the custodian of the country's foreign exchange reserves. This is a core function of the central bank to maintain economic stability.

The Reverse Mortgage Loan Scheme allows senior citizens to mortgage their residential property to receive a regular stream of income from a bank. It is designed to provide financial security in retirement.

Tata Motors launched the Nano in 2008, which was marketed as the world's most affordable car. The other models listed are also Tata vehicles, but the Nano was specifically known as the small car project.

The Government of India, through its public sector undertaking ONGC Videsh Ltd, acquired stakes in the Sakhalin oilfields in Russia. This was a strategic move to secure energy resources.

Chang'e-1 was China's first lunar orbiter, launched in 2007. It marked a significant milestone in the Chinese space program.

Julia Gillard succeeded Kevin Rudd as the Prime Minister of Australia in 2010. She was the first woman to hold this office in Australia.

The 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in Kampala, Uganda, was the 53rd meeting of its kind. This is a matter of historical record for the Commonwealth of Nations.

The Namesake is a novel written by the Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri. It explores the experiences of an immigrant family in the United States.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India confers various awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, which is often considered a lifetime achievement honor in Indian cinema.

Oxygen is not a greenhouse gas because it does not absorb infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor.

NWDPRA stands for National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas. It is a major initiative by the Indian government to improve agricultural productivity in rainfed regions.

Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas emitted through human activities. It is a major contributor to global warming.

The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where all weather phenomena occur. It extends from the surface up to about 8 to 15 kilometers.

Benazir Bhutto was a prominent Pakistani politician who served as the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Dr. Vijay Kelkar served as the Chairman of the 13th Finance Commission of India, which covered the period from 2010 to 2015.