- Compared with a closed pipe of the same length, the fundamental of an open pipe is —
- half
- equal
- double
- four times
Show answer
Answer: (C) double
Open pipe f = v/2L and closed pipe f = v/4L, so the open pipe’s fundamental is double.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Under which ministry does the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) function
- The Ministry of Defence
- The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- The Ministry of Finance
- The Ministry of Urban Development
Show answer
Answer: (B) The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
NHAI is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, while BRO comes under the Ministry of Defence.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - By the Brundtland Commission, sustainable development means —
- Meeting present needs without compromising future generations' needs
- Postponing present needs to save everything for the future
- Raising only the economic growth rate
- Using up all resources at once
Show answer
Answer: (A) Meeting present needs without compromising future generations' needs
Our Common Future (1987).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - What does the "M" in MCLR stand for?
- Minimum
- Monetary
- Marginal
- Maximum
Show answer
Answer: (C) Marginal
Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate — from 1 April 2016.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - How many number systems are commonly used with computers?
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four (binary, decimal, octal, hex)
Show answer
Answer: (D) Four (binary, decimal, octal, hex)
Binary, decimal, octal and hexadecimal.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Consider: 1. Champaran was Gandhi’s first satyagraha in India. 2. It took up the grievances of peasants forced to grow indigo. Which is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- Neither
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both
The tinkathia system tied tenants to indigo on 3/20 of their land.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which article provides for the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes?
- 338
- 338A
- 338B
- 342A
Show answer
Answer: (B) 338A
Art 338A, inserted by the 89th Amendment.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which Schedule holds the anti-defection provisions? (IAS 2014)
- Second
- Fifth
- Eighth
- Tenth
Show answer
Answer: (D) Tenth
Added by the 52nd Amendment, 1985.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which are true of pressure groups? 1. Not mainly political 2. Do not seek direct power 3. Do not contest elections 4. Need not have a political ideology
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
- 2, 3 and 4
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Answer: (D) 1, 2, 3 and 4
All four describe pressure groups.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which pair is wrongly matched?
- Eka — Madari Pasi
- Rampa — Alluri Sitarama Raju
- Kittur — Rani Chennamma
- Pabna — Baba Ramchandra
Show answer
Answer: (D) Pabna — Baba Ramchandra
Pabna — Ishan Chandra Roy; Baba Ramchandra led the Awadh Kisan Sabha.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- Once firmly in power, Balban took which grand title? (IAS 1997)
- Tuti-i-Hind
- Kaisar-i-Hind
- Zil-i-Ilahi
- Din-i-Ilahi
Show answer
Answer: (C) Zil-i-Ilahi
Zil-i-Ilahi — “shadow of God”. Tuti-i-Hind was Amir Khusrau’s epithet.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which germ layer builds the skin and nervous system?
- Ectoderm
- Mesoderm
- Endoderm
- None
Show answer
Answer: (A) Ectoderm
The ectoderm builds both the skin and the nervous system.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Consider: 1. The Cholas beat the Pandyas and Cheras and dominated the peninsula in early medieval times. 2. The Cholas sent a naval expedition against the Sailendra empire of South-East Asia. Correct? (IAS 2003)
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both
- Neither
Show answer
Answer: (C) Both
Both are true of the imperial Cholas (Rajendra I).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Ratification by half the States is needed to amend: (1) election of the President (2) States’ representation in Parliament (3) the Seventh Schedule lists (4) abolition of a State’s Legislative Council
- 1, 2 and 3
- 1, 2 and 4
- 1, 3 and 4
- 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1, 2 and 3
A Legislative Council is created or abolished under Art 169 by a simple-majority law.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which is another name for computer security?
- Data mining
- Cyber security
- Web designing
- Network topology
Show answer
Answer: (B) Cyber security
It is also called IT security; it is a branch of information security.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - What is the full form of NavIC?
- National Navigation for India Constellation
- Navigation with Indian Constellation
- Navigation via Indian Coordinates
- Naval Indian Communication
Show answer
Answer: (B) Navigation with Indian Constellation
Navigation with Indian Constellation — the operational name of IRNSS.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - India's oldest sedimentary rocks belong to which system?
- Cuddapah
- Vindhyan
- Dharwar
- Gondwana
Show answer
Answer: (C) Dharwar
The Dharwars formed from Archaean erosion and are the oldest sedimentary rocks.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which of these is a means of personal communication on the Internet?
- Plotter
- Instant messaging
- Pie chart
- Slide show
Show answer
Answer: (B) Instant messaging
Chat, instant messaging and e-mail are means of communication.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - "Tat tvam asi" occurs in which Upanishad?
- Chandogya
- Mundaka
- Mandukya
- Ishavasya
Show answer
Answer: (A) Chandogya
"Satyameva jayate" is from the Mundaka.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which tomb, set in the middle of a large garden, is the prototype of the Taj Mahal?
- Akbar’s tomb, Sikandra
- Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb, Agra
- Sher Shah’s tomb, Sasaram
- Humayun’s tomb, Delhi
- Which technique came into the production method with the new base year
- Single deflation
- Double deflation
- Chain weighting
- Moving average
Show answer
Answer: (B) Double deflation
Double deflation adjusts input prices along with output prices, so the figure comes out more accurate.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who drew up India's three-stage nuclear programme?
- Vikram Sarabhai
- Homi J Bhabha
- APJ Abdul Kalam
- C V Raman
Show answer
Answer: (B) Homi J Bhabha
The three-stage nuclear power programme was drawn up by Dr Homi J Bhabha in the 1950s.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which is/are correct about Shivaji’s ministers? 1. Panditrao had no army command. 2. Sachiv was also called Surnavis. 3. Mantri looked after intelligence.
- 1 only
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
- The correct order of climate regions when travelling from Zaire (DR Congo) to the Netherlands — 1. Equatorial 2. Mediterranean 3. Hot desert 4. West European (UPPCS 2002)
- 1, 3, 2, 4
- 1, 4, 2, 3
- 2, 3, 4, 1
- 3, 2, 1, 4
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1, 3, 2, 4
Congo forest (Af) → Sahara (BW) → Mediterranean coast (Cs) → western Europe (Cfb).
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which language is CPU dependent?
- C
- Assembly
- Java
- All except Java
Show answer
Answer: (B) Assembly
Assembly is machine dependent.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The Union of India includes — 1. States 2. Union Territories 3. Acquired territories
- 1 only
- 1 and 3
- 2 and 3
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1 only
UTs and acquired areas are in the territory, not the Union.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Chand Bibi belonged to which kingdom?
- Bijapur
- Berar
- Golconda
- Ahmednagar
Show answer
Answer: (D) Ahmednagar
She defended Ahmednagar against Akbar’s army in 1595.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Microsoft Office was developed by whom, in which decade?
- Microsoft Inc, 1970s
- Microsoft Inc, 1980s
- Sun Microsystems, 1980s
- Sun Microsystems, 1970s
Show answer
Answer: (B) Microsoft Inc, 1980s
Microsoft, in the 1980s.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The audible range of a normal human is —
- 0–20 Hz
- 20–20,000 Hz
- above 20,000 Hz
- 200–2000 Hz
Show answer
Answer: (B) 20–20,000 Hz
Below 20 Hz is infrasonic and above 20 kHz is ultrasonic.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - What is the binary form of decimal 37?
- 101001
- 100111
- 100101
- 100000
Show answer
Answer: (C) 100101
Divide by 2 and read the remainders bottom to top.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- The transition zone between two ecosystems is called — (IAS 2000)
- Biome
- Biotope
- Ecotone
- Sere
Show answer
Answer: (C) Ecotone
A sere is a series of successional stages; a biotope is a habitat unit.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which are major sources of methane? 1. Rice fields 2. Coal mining 3. Domestic animals 4. Wetlands (IAS 2008)
- 1 and 4
- 2 and 3
- 1, 2 and 3
- All four
Show answer
Answer: (D) All four
All four release methane through oxygen-free decay or leakage.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Who discovered the first evidence of Homo erectus, and where?
- Raymond Dart, in South Africa
- Eugene Dubois, in Java
- Charles Darwin, in England
- Hugo de Vries, in Holland
Show answer
Answer: (B) Eugene Dubois, in Java
Eugene Dubois discovered the first evidence of Homo erectus in Java in 1891 and named it Pithecanthropus erectus.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The shortcut that inserts a new slide —
- Ctrl + N
- Ctrl + M
- Ctrl + O
- Ctrl + T
- Which raw material does India’s steel industry mainly have to import? (IAS 2015)
- Saltpetre
- Rock phosphate
- Coking coal
- All of these
Show answer
Answer: (C) Coking coal
Indian coal has high ash; good coking coal must be brought from Australia and elsewhere.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - What can excessive use of nitrogenous fertilisers lead to?
- lower soil acidity
- higher soil acidity and nitrate leaching into groundwater
- only benefits for the soil
- none of these
Show answer
Answer: (B) higher soil acidity and nitrate leaching into groundwater
Excessive or inappropriate use can raise soil acidity and allow nitrate to leach down into the groundwater.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The capital of the Kamboja Mahajanapada was —
- Rajapura
- Taxila
- Suktimati
- Potana
Show answer
Answer: (A) Rajapura
Kamboja lay in the far north-west; Taxila was Gandhara’s capital.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The Itaipu dam on the Paraná is a joint project of which two countries? (IAS 2005)
- Brazil and Peru
- Paraguay and Ecuador
- Brazil and Paraguay
- Colombia and Paraguay
Show answer
Answer: (C) Brazil and Paraguay
Itaipu is one of the world’s largest hydroelectric dams.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Under Article 249 the Rajya Sabha can let Parliament legislate on a State List subject by a resolution passed by —
- a simple majority
- two-thirds of members present and voting
- a majority of total membership
- three-fourths of members
Show answer
Answer: (B) two-thirds of members present and voting
The resolution lasts up to a year and can be renewed.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - On which date did GST come into force across India
- 1 April 2016
- 1 July 2017
- 1 January 2017
- 1 April 2017
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1 July 2017
GST took effect from 1 July 2017, after the 101st Constitutional Amendment of 2016.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
- The Ninth Schedule was added to the Constitution by the (IAS 2012)
- 1st Amendment Act
- 2nd Amendment Act
- 4th Amendment Act
- None of these
Show answer
Answer: (A) 1st Amendment Act
The 1st Amendment (1951) added the Ninth Schedule with Articles 31A and 31B to protect land reform.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - A written description of a program’s functions —
- Explanatory instructions
- GUI
- Plug and play
- Documentation
- The IFSCA regulates which sector?
- telecom
- the international financial services centre at GIFT City
- electricity
- food safety
Show answer
Answer: (B) the international financial services centre at GIFT City
IFSCA (2020) is the unified regulator of banks, insurance and markets at GIFT City, Gandhinagar.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Sound goes from air into water. Which quantity does not change?
- speed
- wavelength
- all three change
- frequency
Show answer
Answer: (D) frequency
The source decides the frequency; on changing the medium the speed and wavelength change, not the frequency.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - In Döbereiner’s triad Li, Na, K, the atomic weight of Na is nearly equal to —
- the sum of Li and K
- the average of Li and K
- half of K
- three times Li
Show answer
Answer: (B) the average of Li and K
(7 + 39)/2 = 23 — the middle one’s atomic weight equals the average of the first and third.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which one is taken as the fittest yardstick of economic growth
- Total GDP
- Per capita Net Domestic Product
- Total GNP
- Gross fixed capital formation
Show answer
Answer: (B) Per capita Net Domestic Product
Per capita NDP accounts for both population and depreciation, which is why it is held to be the most appropriate.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which statement about Shashanka is INCORRECT?
- He began as a feudatory (mahasamanta) in Magadha
- Buddhist tradition accuses him of felling the Bodhi tree
- His capital was Karnasuvarna
- He beat Harsha and Bhaskaravarman when they fought him together
Show answer
Answer: (D) He beat Harsha and Bhaskaravarman when they fought him together
No such victory is recorded.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Which scrub vegetation does NOT belong to the Mediterranean region?
- Chaparral
- Maquis
- Mallee
- Caatinga
Show answer
Answer: (D) Caatinga
The caatinga is the tropical thorn scrub of north-eastern Brazil.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - The Namchik-Namphuk coalfield is in which state?
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Meghalaya
- Manipur
- Mizoram
Show answer
Answer: (A) Arunachal Pradesh
A Tertiary coalfield of the north-east (Changlang district). (UPSC 2008)
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes → - Where is IRDAI headquartered?
- Mumbai
- New Delhi
- Hyderabad
- Chennai
Show answer
Answer: (C) Hyderabad
IRDAI Hyderabad; SEBI Mumbai; PFRDA New Delhi.
Read the full chapter in mind-map notes →
GK question sets
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