General Knowledge - India and World

T.N. Seshan, as Chief Election Commissioner (1990-1996), introduced the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) system to reform electoral processes. His tenure was marked by significant electoral reforms including voter ID cards, model code of conduct enforcement, and voter education. TS Krishna Murthy and MS Gill were later CECs who continued these reforms.

H. D. Deve Gowda served as the 14th Prime Minister of India from June 1996 to April 1997, leading the United Front coalition government. He came from a humble farming background and was the first Kannada-speaking PM. PV Narasimha Rao (9th), Atal Bihari Vajpayee (10th and 13th), and IK Gujral (12th) held different positions in the sequence.

Dr. Zakir Hussain was the 3rd President of India, serving from May 1967 until his death in February 1969. He was the first Muslim President and had a distinguished academic career as Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was the 2nd President, while Hidayatullah and Jatti served as Acting Presidents later.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam strongly promoted the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA) concept as part of his vision for India's development. PURA aimed to bridge the urban-rural divide by providing city-like infrastructure and connectivity to rural areas. He emphasized this vision throughout his presidency (2002-2007) and in his books like 'India 2020'.

All four leaders served as Prime Minister for two (or more) terms: Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1996, 1998-1999, 1999-2004 - three terms), Gulzarilal Nanda (acting PM in 1964 and 1966), Indira Gandhi (1966-1977, 1980-1984), and Manmohan Singh (2004-2009, 2009-2014). Vajpayee, Indira, and Manmohan completed full terms in multiple instances, while Nanda served briefly twice.

The sun's temperature is maintained by thermonuclear fusion reactions in its core, where hydrogen atoms combine to form helium, releasing enormous amounts of energy in the process.

Buddha Charithra was written by Asvagosha (also spelled Ashvaghosha), a renowned Buddhist philosopher and poet who lived in the 1st-2nd century CE. He was a court poet of the Kushan emperor Kanishka.

Jim Corbett National Park, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, is primarily a tiger sanctuary. It was the first national park in India and is famous for its Bengal tiger population and tiger conservation project.

The Ganges is the longest river flowing entirely within India, measuring over 2,500 kilometers. While the Brahmaputra is longer overall, a larger portion of its course lies outside India.

Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. It is prepared in various ways across different cultures and is especially popular in Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa. Global tea consumption far exceeds that of coffee or any other prepared beverage.

Gautama Buddha died at Kushinagar (also spelled Kusinagar) in 483 BCE, at the age of 80. This event is known as Mahaparinirvana. Lumbini is his birthplace, Bodh Gaya is where he attained enlightenment, and Sarnath is where he gave his first sermon.

Ajanta Caves are the oldest among these, dating from approximately 2nd century BCE to 480 CE. Qutub Minar (12th century), Taj Mahal (17th century), and Khajuraho temples (9th-12th century) are all much more recent. The Ajanta caves were carved over nearly 900 years beginning in the Mauryan period.

Japan is the correct answer because it does not possess nuclear weapons, unlike China, USA, and USSR (now Russia). While Japan has nuclear energy capabilities for power generation, it is not a nuclear weapons state. The term 'nuclear power' in this context refers to countries with nuclear weapons capability.

Dehradun is the correct answer as it is not associated with oil fields or refineries. Barahni is an oil field in Nigeria, Vishakhapatnam has an oil refinery, and Trombay (Mumbai) has an oil refinery and is associated with oil exploration. Dehradun is primarily known as the capital of Uttarakhand and for educational institutions.

UNESCO is the correct answer because the Kalinga Prize was indeed established by and administered through UNESCO from 1951. Biju Patnaik donated the prize money, but UNESCO was the organization that managed and awarded the prize for popular science writing. The Kalinga Foundation and ICCR are not associated with this particular prize.

Steel is the correct answer because sound travels fastest in solids due to close particle packing and strong intermolecular forces. The speed of sound is approximately 5120 m/s in steel, 1500 m/s in water, and 343 m/s in air. Sound cannot travel in vacuum as it requires a medium for propagation.

KWH (Kilowatt-hour) is the correct answer because it is the standard unit for measuring electrical energy consumption for domestic and commercial purposes. Joules are too small for practical billing, Watts measure power (not energy), and MPH measures speed. KWH represents energy used over time.

Vitamin C is the correct answer because scurvy is specifically caused by Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) deficiency. Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, and its deficiency leads to weakened blood vessels, bleeding gums, and poor wound healing. Vitamin A deficiency causes night blindness, B deficiency causes beriberi, and D deficiency causes rickets.

Sulphuric Acid is the correct answer because lead-acid batteries (used in automobiles) use dilute sulfuric acid as the electrolyte. The acid reacts with lead plates to produce electrical energy through chemical reactions. Hydrochloric, acetic, and nitric acids are not used in lead storage batteries.

Tomato is the correct answer because it grows above ground and is botanically a fruit (berry), not a root vegetable. Radish, carrot, and potato all grow underground and are root vegetables. Tomatoes develop from the flower and contain seeds, characteristic of fruits.