General Knowledge: Indian History & Inventions

Dr. Alan M. Turing is widely regarded as the father of theoretical computer science and invented the theoretical foundation for electronic computers (the Turing Machine). The others worked in different fields: Frank Whittle invented the jet engine, Lewis Waterman improved the fountain pen, and Evangelista Torricelli invented the barometer.

Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1867. He used his wealth from this invention to establish the Nobel Prizes. Graham Bell invented the telephone, Franklin discovered electricity's nature, and Edison invented the light bulb and phonograph.

Benjamin Franklin invented bifocal lenses in the 1780s to correct both near and far vision. He was tired of constantly switching between two pairs of glasses. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, Edison the light bulb, and Diesel the diesel engine.

Sir Frank Whittle invented the turbojet engine in the 1930s, patenting it in 1930. His work revolutionized aviation. Gottlieb Daimler worked on early automobiles, Roger Bacon was a medieval scholar, and Waterman invented the fountain pen.

Nicolaus Otto invented the four-stroke internal combustion engine (the Otto cycle) in 1876. Karl Benz built the first practical automobile using this engine. Roger Bacon was a medieval scholar, and Alan Turing was a computer scientist.

Lewis Waterman invented the practical fountain pen with a reliable feed system in 1884. Earlier versions existed but weren't reliable. John Loud invented the ballpoint pen, Frank Whittle the jet engine, and Macmillan added pedals to bicycles.

Sikkim is India's least populated state with approximately 610,000 people (2011 census). Its small population and mountainous terrain contribute to this status. Goa has more people despite being smaller in area, and Tripura and Assam have significantly larger populations.

The Battle of Plassey was fought on 23 June 1757, starting in the morning. This was a decisive battle between the British East India Company (led by Robert Clive) and the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah. The British victory marked the beginning of their political dominance in India.

The Dvorak technique is a satellite-based method used to estimate tropical cyclone intensity. Developed by Vernon Dvorak in the 1970s, it analyzes cloud patterns to categorize cyclone strength on a scale from 1 to 8. It remains widely used by meteorological agencies worldwide.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was President when the Emergency was proclaimed in June 1975. He signed the proclamation under Article 352, suspending civil liberties. The Emergency lasted from 1975-1977. Ahmed died in office in February 1977 before the Emergency ended.

The 1969 presidential election saw V.V. Giri (then Acting President after Zakir Husain's death) run as an independent candidate with Indira Gandhi's support. Gandhi asked Congress to 'vote according to conscience,' splitting the party. Giri defeated the official Congress candidate Neelam Sanjiv Reddy.

Before 1992, there was an unwritten convention that the Vice President would become President. Gopal Swarup Pathak (Vice President 1969-1974) was the first to break this norm - he was not elected President when his term ended. Subsequent VPs like Krishna Kant also did not become President.

Justice M. Hidayatullah served as Acting President twice - briefly in 1969 after President Zakir Husain's death, and again in 1982 during President Zail Singh's illness. He is the only Chief Justice of India to have served as Acting President. Option A and B have spelling variations of his name.

Dr. Zakir Husain was the first Indian President to die in office on 3 May 1969. He had suffered a heart attack earlier that day. His death created a constitutional crisis as there was no Vice President at the time, leading to the appointment of an Acting President.

V.V. Giri holds the unique distinction of serving both as Acting President (after Zakir Husain's death in 1969) and as elected President (winning the subsequent 1969 election). No other President has served in both capacities. B.D. Jatti also served as Acting President but was never elected President.

Neelam Sanjiv Reddy was elected President unopposed in 1977, but had previously lost the 1969 presidential election as the official Congress candidate to V.V. Giri (who had split Congress support). He is the only person to have lost a presidential election before later winning one.

Captain Lakshmi Sehgal (also known as Laxmi Sehgal) was the first woman to contest a presidential election in 2002. She was nominated by left parties as a candidate against A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Pratibha Patil was the first woman to win (2007), not to contest.

The Great Lakes are five interconnected freshwater lakes in North America: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. They form the largest group of freshwater lakes by total area and contain about 84% of North America's surface fresh water.