20 GK Questions with Answers

1. ALGOL is short for —
   1. Programming Language 1
   2. Visual Basic
   3. Relational Database Management System
   4. Algorithmic Language
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   Answer: (D) Algorithmic Language

   ALGOL = Algorithmic Language — An early high-level language for writing algorithms.

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2. The state with the largest forest area and the state with the highest forest percentage (ISFR 2023) are, respectively:
   1. Arunachal, Manipur
   2. Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram
   3. Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya
   4. Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal
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   Answer: (B) Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram

   Madhya Pradesh 77,073 sq km; Mizoram 85.34%.

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3. Which statement(s) is/are wrong? 1. Latitude is the angular distance east or west of the Equator. 2. Parallels get longer towards the poles. 3. Parallels of latitude are not parallel.
   1. 1 only
   2. 1 and 2
   3. 3 only
   4. All three
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   Answer: (D) All three

   Latitude is north–south distance, parallels shrink towards the poles and all of them are parallel — all three are wrong.

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4. Who coined the term "Hindu rate of growth"
   1. JN Bhagwati
   2. KN Raj
   3. Raj Krishna
   4. Sukhamoy Chakravarty
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   Answer: (C) Raj Krishna

   Professor Raj Krishna gave the term for India's stagnant growth rate up to the 1970s.

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5. Which event proves that light is a transverse wave?
   1. interference
   2. diffraction
   3. polarisation
   4. reflection
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   Answer: (C) polarisation

   Polarisation happens only in transverse waves; interference and diffraction also happen in longitudinal waves (sound).

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6. 1 newton equals how many dyne?
   1. 10³ dyne
   2. 10⁵ dyne
   3. 10⁷ dyne
   4. 10⁹ dyne
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   Answer: (B) 10⁵ dyne

   1 N = 1 kg × 1 m/s² = 1000 g × 100 cm/s² = 10⁵ dyne. The newton is the SI unit and the dyne the CGS unit of force.

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7. According to 2024-25 data, which state is first in oilseed output?
   1. Madhya Pradesh
   2. Gujarat
   3. Rajasthan
   4. Maharashtra
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   Answer: (C) Rajasthan

   Rajasthan (21.4%) > Madhya Pradesh > Maharashtra.

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8. Why was Golden Rice genetically modified?
   1. to increase protein
   2. to produce beta-carotene
   3. to resist pests
   4. to stay fresh longer
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   Answer: (B) to produce beta-carotene

   Golden Rice was engineered so its edible grain biosynthesises beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

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9. Who discovered the first evidence of Homo erectus, and where?
   1. Raymond Dart, in South Africa
   2. Eugene Dubois, in Java
   3. Charles Darwin, in England
   4. Hugo de Vries, in Holland
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   Answer: (B) Eugene Dubois, in Java

   Eugene Dubois discovered the first evidence of Homo erectus in Java in 1891 and named it Pithecanthropus erectus.

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10. Which statements are correct? 1. The Preamble stands outside the Constitution. 2. It can be amended under Article 368. 3. Socialist, Secular and Integrity were added in 1976.
    1. 1 and 2
    2. 2 and 3
    3. 1 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
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    Answer: (B) 2 and 3

    Since Kesavananda (1973) it is treated as part of the Constitution.

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11. What does an emergency under Article 356 do to Fundamental Rights?
    1. Suspends Articles 14 and 19
    2. Suspends Article 21
    3. Suspends Articles 15 and 16
    4. Has no effect
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    Answer: (D) Has no effect

    Only a national emergency affects rights.

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12. Correct statements on the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission — 1. It began in 2010. 2. The original target was 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. 3. In 2015 the target was raised to 1,00,000 MW.
    1. 1 only
    2. 1 and 2
    3. 2 and 3
    4. All
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    Answer: (D) All

    The target went from 20 GW to 100 GW.

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13. Which statement about the "Bhabar" is correct?
    1. Rivers form marshes here
    2. Rivers disappear into the pebbles and boulders here
    3. It is new alluvium flooded every year
    4. It is high, old alluvium
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    Answer: (B) Rivers disappear into the pebbles and boulders here

    Marsh — Terai; new alluvium — Khadar; old — Bhangar.

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14. Which of these Bengal factories was Portuguese?
    1. Kasimbazar
    2. Chinsurah
    3. Hughli
    4. Serampore
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    Answer: (C) Hughli

    Chinsurah was Dutch, Serampore Danish. (UPPCS 2004)

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15. Pick the term for this: The RAM type that stores each bit in a separate capacitor.
    1. Archive
    2. Sector
    3. Gigabyte (GB)
    4. Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
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    Answer: (D) Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

    Dynamic RAM (DRAM): The RAM type that stores each bit in a separate capacitor.

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16. Which key is held down to select several separate cells together?
    1. Ctrl + Shift
    2. Shift
    3. Alt
    4. Ctrl
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    Answer: (D) Ctrl

    Shift selects a continuous area.

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17. An invalid type of database key —
    1. Structured primary key
    2. Atomic primary key
    3. Primary key
    4. Composite primary key
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    Answer: (A) Structured primary key

    Structured is invalid.

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18. What should be used on burning petrol or oil?
    1. Water
    2. Soda-acid
    3. Foam
    4. Nothing
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    Answer: (C) Foam

    Foam forms a layer on the oil and keeps air out; water makes the oil float and spread.

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19. Suitable soil-conservation practices — 1. crop rotation 2. sand fences 3. terracing 4. windbreaks (IAS 2010)
    1. 1, 2 and 3
    2. 2 and 4
    3. 1, 3 and 4
    4. All of these
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    Answer: (D) All of these

    All four are accepted measures — sand fences stop drifting sand in deserts.

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20. Consider these statements — 1. Both goods and services come under the CPI. 2. Services are left out of the WPI.
    1. Only 1
    2. Only 2
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
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    Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct, and this is the biggest difference between the two measures.

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