General Knowledge: Literature, Indian Politics, and Science

CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) conducted the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments in 2008, accelerating protons to nearly the speed of light to collide them and study fundamental particles. The LHC is the world's largest particle accelerator, located near Geneva.

Dadaab is located in northeastern Kenya, near the Somalia border. It became one of the world's largest refugee camps, housing primarily Somali refugees fleeing conflict. Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan are incorrect as the camp is specifically in Kenyan territory.

Sugarcane is the most efficient source for ethanol production as it has high sugar content that can be directly fermented. Brazil successfully produces large-scale ethanol from sugarcane. Potato, rice, and wheat are starch-based and less efficient for biofuel conversion.

The Attorney General of India has the right to participate in parliamentary proceedings and can speak in both houses of Parliament. The Solicitor General does not have this constitutional right. The Auditor General doesn't exist as a constitutional post in India. The President addresses Parliament but doesn't participate in proceedings.

The Rajya Sabha (Upper House) has a maximum of 250 members under Article 80 of the Constitution. Currently, it has 233 elected members (12 from each state) plus 12 nominated by the President, totaling 245, but the constitutional maximum is 250.

Nani Palkhivala wrote the book 'Constitution Defaced and Defiled', which critiqued constitutional amendments during the Emergency era. Ram Jethmalani, Arun Jaitley, and Soli Sorabji are eminent jurists but not the author of this specific book.

Article 53 of the Constitution vests the supreme command of the defense forces in the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of all three armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force). This is a ceremonial role; actual executive control is exercised by the Defense Ministry.

The extract is from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. The lines 'Oh dream of joy... Is this my own countree' appear in the poem when the mariner sees the harbor and realizes his redemption. 'Countree' is indeed the spelling used in the original poem.

The Supreme Court is the guardian of the Indian Constitution through its power of judicial review (Article 13 and 32). It can strike down laws unconstitutional and protect fundamental rights. The Law Ministry, President, and Prime Minister do not have this constitutional role.

Article 171 of the Constitution states that the Legislative Council cannot have more than one-third of the total membership of the Legislative Assembly. Thus, the ratio is 1:3 (council to assembly maximum).

The Rajya Sabha is the permanent house of Parliament - it is a continuing body and cannot be dissolved. One-third of its members retire every two years. The Lok Sabha can be dissolved and has a 5-year term, making it temporary.

The Vice President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha and presides over its sessions. The Rajya Sabha has no 'Speaker' - that office exists only for Lok Sabha. The President and Prime Minister do not preside over Rajya Sabha.

Shylock is the Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice'. He demands a pound of flesh as collateral for a loan from Antonio. The other plays listed (The Tempest, A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It) do not feature Shylock.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci is a Romantic ballad written by John Keats in 1819. The title translates to 'The Beautiful Lady Without Mercy' and tells of a knight enchanted by a fairy woman who leaves him desolate. Keats was a major English Romantic poet known for his vivid imagery and themes of beauty, mortality, and imagination. PB Shelley was another Romantic poet but not the author of this specific poem.