Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Static General Knowledge: Practice Questions with Answers
240 practice questions on Static General Knowledge, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.151
Who won independent India's first individual Olympic medal, a bronze in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Games?
- A K.D. Jadhav
- B Milkha Singh
- C Sushil Kumar
- D Yogeshwar Dutt
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) K.D. Jadhav
Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won bronze in bantamweight freestyle wrestling at Helsinki in 1952. Sushil Kumar (bronze 2008, silver 2012) and Yogeshwar Dutt (bronze 2012) won their wrestling medals much later.
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Q.152
The Geological Survey of India, founded in 1851, is headquartered in:
- A Dehradun
- B Hyderabad
- C Kolkata
- D Nagpur
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Kolkata
The GSI was set up in 1851, mainly to locate coal deposits for the railways, and is headquartered in Kolkata. Dehradun is the headquarters of the Survey of India.
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Q.153
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), formed in 1958, has its headquarters in:
- A Bengaluru
- B Hyderabad
- C New Delhi
- D Pune
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) New Delhi
DRDO was formed in 1958 by merging the Army's Technical Development Establishments and the Directorate of Technical Development and Production with the Defence Science Organisation. Its headquarters, DRDO Bhawan, is in New Delhi.
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Q.154
Which law makes it an offence to insult the National Flag or the Constitution of India, or to intentionally prevent the singing of the National Anthem?
- A State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005
- B Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955
- C Official Secrets Act, 1923
- D Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971
The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 punishes insult to the National Flag and the Constitution and intentional prevention of the singing of the National Anthem. The 2005 Act deals only with misuse of the State Emblem.
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Q.155
Who was the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry award?
- A Captain Vikram Batra
- B CQMH Abdul Hamid
- C Major Somnath Sharma
- D Lieutenant Manoj Pandey
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Major Somnath Sharma
Major Somnath Sharma was awarded the first Param Vir Chakra posthumously for the Battle of Badgam in November 1947. The medal, instituted on 26 January 1950, was designed by Savitri Khanolkar. Batra and Pandey received it for Kargil (1999) and Abdul Hamid for the 1965 war.
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Q.156
The circular old Parliament House in New Delhi (now Samvidhan Sadan), inaugurated in 1927, was designed by which architects?
- A Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret
- B George Wittet and F.W. Stevens
- C Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker
- D William Emerson and Vincent Esch
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker
The circular building was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker and opened by the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, on 18 January 1927. Parliament moved to a new building in September 2023, and the old one was renamed Samvidhan Sadan. Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret are known for planning Chandigarh.
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Q.157
The Northeast Frontier Railway zone is headquartered at which place?
- A Maligaon (Guwahati)
- B Gorakhpur
- C Hajipur
- D Bilaspur
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Maligaon (Guwahati)
Northeast Frontier Railway has its headquarters at Maligaon, Guwahati. Gorakhpur is the HQ of North Eastern Railway, Hajipur of East Central Railway and Bilaspur of South East Central Railway. Southern Railway (Chennai), formed in 1951, is the oldest zone.
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Q.158
Armed Forces Flag Day, on which funds are collected for the welfare of serving soldiers, ex-servicemen and their families, is observed on:
- A 7 December
- B 4 December
- C 1 February
- D 15 January
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) 7 December
Armed Forces Flag Day has been observed on 7 December every year since 1949; small flags are given to people in return for donations. 4 December is Navy Day.
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Q.159
Hargobind Khorana received the Nobel Prize in 1968 in which field?
- A Physiology or Medicine
- B Physics
- C Chemistry
- D Economic Sciences
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Physiology or Medicine
Khorana shared the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work on the genetic code. C.V. Raman (1930) and S. Chandrasekhar (1983) won in Physics and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2009) in Chemistry.
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Q.160
What is the approximate playing time of the full version of the National Anthem of India?
- A 20 seconds
- B 52 seconds
- C 48 seconds
- D 65 seconds
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 52 seconds
Government orders on the National Anthem put the playing time of the full version at about 52 seconds. A short version, made up of the first and last lines, is played on certain occasions and takes about 20 seconds.
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Q.161
The CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is headquartered in:
- A Lucknow
- B Pune
- C Mysuru
- D Hyderabad
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Mysuru
CFTRI, set up in 1950 in Mysuru, Karnataka, carries out research in food science, food processing and nutrition; it also runs resource centres at Hyderabad, Lucknow and Mumbai.
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Q.162
Jawaharlal Nehru wrote 'The Discovery of India' in 1944 while imprisoned at:
- A Yerawada Jail, Pune
- B Ahmednagar Fort
- C Cellular Jail, Port Blair
- D Mandalay Jail
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Ahmednagar Fort
Nehru wrote the book during his imprisonment in Ahmednagar Fort after the Quit India Movement of 1942 (Ahmednagar has since been renamed Ahilyanagar). Tilak wrote 'Gita Rahasya' in Mandalay jail.
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Q.163
Who was the first human to travel into space, on 12 April 1961?
- A Neil Armstrong
- B Yuri Gagarin
- C Alan Shepard
- D John Glenn
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin of the Soviet Union orbited the Earth in Vostok 1. Alan Shepard became the first American in space in May 1961, and Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the Moon on 20 July 1969.
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Q.164
Which was India's first full-length feature film, released in 1913?
- A Alam Ara
- B Raja Harishchandra
- C Pundalik
- D Kisan Kanya
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Raja Harishchandra
Raja Harishchandra (1913) by Dadasaheb Phalke was the first Indian full-length feature film. Alam Ara (1931) was the first talkie and Kisan Kanya (1937) the first indigenously made colour film.
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Q.165
The 'ISI mark' certifying industrial products in India is named after which body?
- A Indian Standards Institution
- B Indian Statistical Institute
- C Indian Standards Inspectorate
- D Indian Safety Institute
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Indian Standards Institution
The mark is named after the Indian Standards Institution, set up in 1947, which was replaced by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in 1987. The Indian Statistical Institute in Kolkata is unrelated.
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Q.166
How many players of a kabaddi team are on the court at a time?
- A 7
- B 5
- C 9
- D 12
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) 7
Kabaddi is played with 7 players a side on court (squad of 12). Basketball has 5, volleyball 6, kho-kho 9 and water polo 7 players a side.
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Q.167
The first Asian Games were held in 1951 in which city?
- A Tokyo
- B New Delhi
- C Manila
- D Jakarta
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) New Delhi
The first Asian Games were held at the National Stadium, New Delhi, in March 1951; India hosted again in 1982. Manila hosted in 1954 and Tokyo in 1958. The motto of the Games is Ever Onward.
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Q.168
Who was the first woman to receive the Bharat Ratna?
- A Indira Gandhi
- B Mother Teresa
- C M.S. Subbulakshmi
- D Lata Mangeshkar
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi received the Bharat Ratna in 1971. Mother Teresa was honoured in 1980, M.S. Subbulakshmi in 1998 and Lata Mangeshkar in 2001.
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Q.169
What is the full form of LASER?
- A Light Absorption by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
- B Light Amplification by Spontaneous Emission of Radiation
- C Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
- D Light Amplification by Selective Emission of Rays
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
A laser amplifies light by stimulated emission to produce a narrow, intense and coherent beam; the word is an acronym of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
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Q.170
Who is called the 'Grand Old Man of India'?
- A Surendranath Banerjee
- B Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- C Pherozeshah Mehta
- D Dadabhai Naoroji
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Dadabhai Naoroji
Dadabhai Naoroji, author of Poverty and Un-British Rule in India and the Drain Theory, was Congress president thrice (1886, 1893, 1906) and in 1892 became the first Indian elected to the British House of Commons.
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Q.171
The Bengali novel 'Devdas', published in 1917, was written by:
- A Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
- B Rabindranath Tagore
- C Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
- D Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Devdas, which has been adapted for the screen many times. Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay wrote 'Pather Panchali'.
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Q.172
Who was the first woman officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS)?
- A Kiran Bedi
- B Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
- C Anna Chandy
- D Meera Borwankar
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Kiran Bedi
Kiran Bedi joined the IPS in 1972 as its first woman officer. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya was the first woman DGP of a state (Uttarakhand, 2004) and Anna Chandy was the first woman judge of a High Court (Kerala, 1959).
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Q.173
The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) was launched in November 2013 by which launch vehicle?
- A GSLV Mk II
- B GSLV Mk III
- C ASLV
- D PSLV
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) PSLV
Mangalyaan was launched by PSLV-C25 on 5 November 2013 and entered Mars orbit on 24 September 2014, making India the first country to succeed in its first attempt and the first Asian nation to reach Mars.
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Q.174
World Environment Day is observed on which date?
- A 5 June
- B 22 April
- C 16 September
- D 22 March
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) 5 June
World Environment Day is held on 5 June under the UN Environment Programme, first in 1974 after the 1972 Stockholm Conference. 22 April is Earth Day, 16 September Ozone Day and 22 March World Water Day.
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Q.175
National Technology Day on 11 May commemorates which event?
- A Pokhran-I nuclear test of 1974
- B Launch of the first PSLV
- C Pokhran-II nuclear tests of 1998
- D Launch of Aryabhata
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Pokhran-II nuclear tests of 1998
On 11 May 1998 India conducted the Pokhran-II tests (Operation Shakti); more tests followed on 13 May. Pokhran-I (Smiling Buddha) was conducted on 18 May 1974.
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Q.176
The term 'bully' is associated with which sport?
- A Cricket
- B Football
- C Hockey
- D Polo
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Hockey
Bully, penalty corner, scoop and push are hockey terms. Googly and yorker belong to cricket, and chukker to polo.
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Q.177
Which of the six principal organs of the United Nations is NOT based in New York?
- A Security Council
- B Economic and Social Council
- C International Court of Justice
- D Secretariat
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice sits at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands; the other principal organs are based at UN Headquarters in New York. The Court has 15 judges elected for nine-year terms.
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Q.178
Which freedom fighter was given the title 'Lokmanya'?
- A Gopal Krishna Gokhale
- B Lala Lajpat Rai
- C Bipin Chandra Pal
- D Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
'Lokmanya' means 'accepted by the people as their leader', and the title was given to Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Lajpat Rai, Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal together formed the 'Lal-Bal-Pal' trio.
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Q.179
The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of which state?
- A Gujarat
- B Rajasthan
- C Maharashtra
- D Madhya Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Rajasthan
The Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) is the state bird of Rajasthan, whose state animal is the chinkara. The state bird of Gujarat is the greater flamingo.
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Q.180
In which language did Rabindranath Tagore originally compose the song from which India's National Anthem is taken?
- A Hindi
- B Urdu
- C Odia
- D Bengali
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bengali
Tagore wrote 'Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata' in a highly Sanskritised Bengali; the National Anthem is the first stanza of that five-stanza song.
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Q.181
Which statement about the national sport of India is correct?
- A Hockey was officially declared the national sport in 1928
- B Cricket is the officially declared national sport
- C Kabaddi was declared the national sport in 1990
- D No game has been officially declared as the national sport of India
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) No game has been officially declared as the national sport of India
In a 2012 RTI reply the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports clarified that no game has been declared the national sport. Hockey is popularly believed to be the national sport because of India's Olympic record, but there is no official declaration.
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Q.182
Which of the following trophies is NOT associated with badminton?
- A Swaythling Cup
- B Uber Cup
- C Sudirman Cup
- D Thomas Cup
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Swaythling Cup
The Swaythling Cup is the men's team trophy of the World Table Tennis Championships. The Thomas Cup (men), Uber Cup (women) and Sudirman Cup (mixed teams) are world team championships in badminton.
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Q.183
Civil Services Day is observed on 21 April because on this date in 1947:
- A the Union Public Service Commission came into being
- B Sardar Patel addressed the first batch of administrative service probationers at Metcalfe House, Delhi
- C the All India Services Act was passed
- D India's first Public Service Commission was set up
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Sardar Patel addressed the first batch of administrative service probationers at Metcalfe House, Delhi
On 21 April 1947 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel addressed the probationers of the administrative services at Metcalfe House in Delhi. The All India Services Act was passed in 1951, and the UPSC got its present name in 1950.
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Q.184
The headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is in:
- A Geneva
- B Washington, D.C.
- C Strasbourg
- D Brussels
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Brussels
NATO was founded by the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C. on 4 April 1949; its headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium. Strasbourg is the seat of the Council of Europe.
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Q.185
Who was the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest?
- A Santosh Yadav
- B Arunima Sinha
- C Premlata Agarwal
- D Bachendri Pal
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Bachendri Pal
Bachendri Pal reached the summit of Everest on 23 May 1984. Santosh Yadav climbed it later, in 1992 and again in 1993.
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Q.186
Who was the first Indian to win an Academy Award (Oscar)?
- A Satyajit Ray
- B Bhanu Athaiya
- C A.R. Rahman
- D Resul Pookutty
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Bhanu Athaiya
Bhanu Athaiya won the Oscar for costume design for the film 'Gandhi' at the 1983 ceremony. Satyajit Ray received an honorary Oscar in 1992, and A.R. Rahman and Resul Pookutty won in 2009.
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Q.187
Which of the following organisation and headquarters pairs is correctly matched?
- A IMF - Washington DC
- B UNESCO - Geneva
- C WHO - Paris
- D UNICEF - Vienna
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) IMF - Washington DC
The IMF and the World Bank, both born of the 1944 Bretton Woods conference, are headquartered in Washington DC. UNESCO is in Paris, WHO in Geneva and UNICEF in New York.
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Q.188
Which of the following Nobel Prizes was NOT provided for in Alfred Nobel's will and was added later?
- A Physics
- B Economic Sciences
- C Peace
- D Literature
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Economic Sciences
The prize in Economic Sciences was instituted by Sveriges Riksbank, the Swedish central bank, in 1968 and first awarded in 1969. The original five fields (1901) were Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace.
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Q.189
How many players make up a side in a game of polo?
- A 5
- B 6
- C 4
- D 7
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 4
A polo team has four mounted players on the field. Water polo, despite its name, has seven players a side, including the goalkeeper.
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Q.190
Which Indian athlete is popularly known as the 'Payyoli Express'?
- A Shiny Abraham
- B M.D. Valsamma
- C P.T. Usha
- D Anju Bobby George
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) P.T. Usha
P.T. Usha, named after Payyoli in Kerala where she grew up, finished fourth in the 400 m hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, missing bronze by a hundredth of a second.
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Q.191
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest honour in which field?
- A Literature
- B Classical music
- C Journalism
- D Cinema
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Cinema
Named after Dadasaheb Phalke, maker of 'Raja Harishchandra', the award honours lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is presented with the National Film Awards. The Jnanpith, by contrast, is a literary award.
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Q.192
Which of the following term–sport pairs is NOT correctly matched?
- A Half nelson – Wrestling
- B Googly – Hockey
- C Spike – Volleyball
- D Slam dunk – Basketball
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Googly – Hockey
A googly is a delivery bowled by a wrist-spinner in cricket; it is not a hockey term. The other three pairs are correct.
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Q.193
The World Wide Web was invented in 1989 by whom, while working at CERN?
- A Vint Cerf
- B Tim Berners-Lee
- C Charles Babbage
- D Bill Gates
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Tim Berners-Lee
Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web at CERN, near Geneva, in 1989. Vint Cerf is known as a co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols on which the internet runs.
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Q.194
Arrange the following medical discoveries in chronological order, earliest first: 1. Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccine 2. Isolation of insulin by Banting and Best 3. William Harvey's account of the circulation of blood 4. Louis Pasteur's rabies vaccine
- A 1, 3, 4, 2
- B 3, 1, 4, 2
- C 3, 4, 1, 2
- D 3, 1, 2, 4
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 3, 1, 4, 2
Harvey published his account of blood circulation in 1628, Jenner introduced smallpox vaccination in 1796, Pasteur first used his rabies vaccine in 1885, and Banting and Best isolated insulin in 1921.
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Q.195
Who was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, instituted in 1969?
- A Prithviraj Kapoor
- B Devika Rani
- C B.N. Sircar
- D Satyajit Ray
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Devika Rani
Actress Devika Rani received the first Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969. The award honours lifetime contribution to Indian cinema and is named after the father of Indian cinema. Prithviraj Kapoor received it posthumously in 1971.
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Q.196
Who captained India in its first Test match, played at Lord's in 1932?
- A C.K. Nayudu
- B Lala Amarnath
- C Vijay Hazare
- D Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) C.K. Nayudu
C.K. Nayudu led India in its first Test, against England at Lord's in June 1932. Lala Amarnath later captained India on the 1947-48 tour of Australia.
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Q.197
The General Secretariat of Interpol (the International Criminal Police Organization) is located in:
- A Lyon
- B Paris
- C Brussels
- D The Hague
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Lyon
Interpol traces its origin to the International Criminal Police Commission founded in Vienna in 1923; its General Secretariat has been in Lyon, France, since 1989. Europol, the EU's police agency, is based in The Hague.
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Q.198
Which day is observed on 8 September every year, following its proclamation by UNESCO in 1966?
- A International Literacy Day
- B World Book and Copyright Day
- C World Teachers' Day
- D International Day of Education
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) International Literacy Day
UNESCO proclaimed 8 September International Literacy Day in 1966, and it was first celebrated in 1967. World Teachers' Day is 5 October and World Book and Copyright Day is 23 April.
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Q.199
Which of the following pairs of CSIR laboratory and its location is NOT correctly matched?
- A National Chemical Laboratory – Pune
- B Central Drug Research Institute – Lucknow
- C National Environmental Engineering Research Institute – Nagpur
- D Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology – Chennai
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology – Chennai
The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is in Hyderabad. The other three pairs are correct.
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Q.200
National Voters' Day is observed on 25 January because of which event?
- A The first general election began on this date
- B The Constitution was adopted on this date
- C The first Republic Day was celebrated on this date
- D The Election Commission of India was founded on this date in 1950
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) The Election Commission of India was founded on this date in 1950
The Election Commission of India was set up on 25 January 1950, a day before the Constitution came into force. National Voters' Day has been celebrated since 2011; Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.