We are giving 60 questions with answers of General Knowledge asked in UPSC Combined Defence Services Exam of 2012. These all questions will very helpful to you for the forthcoming government competitive exams and will increase your intelligence skills.
1. Over 90% of the world’s biomass is in–
(A) tropical rain forests (B) freshwater wetlands
(C) topsoils (D) oceans (Ans : D)
2. Which one of the following is a source of methane emission into the atmosphere ?
(A) Automobile exhaust fume (B) Industrial chimney
(C) Mining (D) Wetland (Ans : D)
3. Which one of the following statements is not correct?
(A) Trophic dynamics represents the transfer of energy from one trophic level to another in a food chain
(B) In deeper parts of oceans, primary production remains almost nil
(C) The primary consumers are called autotrophs
(D) The decomposers are called saprotrophs (Ans : C)
4. Carbon dioxide is called a greenhouse gas because–
(A) its concentration remains always higher than other gases. (B) it is used in photosynthesis.
(C) it absorbs infrared radiation. (D) it emits visible radiation. (Ans : C)
5. The fossil of Archaeopteryx represents the evidence of origin of–
(A) birds from reptiles (B) mammals from reptiles
(C) reptiles from amphibians (D) mammals from birds (Ans : A)
6. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. NIFTY is based upon 50 firms in India.
2. NIFTY is governed and regulated by the Reserve Bank of India.
3. NIFTY does not trade in mutual funds.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2
(C) 3 only (D) 1 and 3 (Ans : A)
7. When the productive capacity of the economic system of a State is inadequate to create sufficient number of jobs, it is called–
(A) seasonal unemployment. (B) structural unemployment.
(C) disguised unemployment. (D) cyclical unemployment. (Ans : D)
8. Which one of the following is not a Millennium Development Goal of the United Nations?
(A) Eradicate extreme poverty (B) Reduce birth rate and death rate
(C) Improve maternal health (D) Promote gender equality (Ans : B)
9. Fiscal policy in India is formulated by–
(A) the Reserve Bank of India (B) the Planning Commission
(C) the Finance Ministry (D) the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Ans : B)
10. Which one of the following is not a clause of World Trade Organisation ?
(A) Most favoured nation treatment
(B) Lowering trade barriers with negotiations
(C) Providing financial support to the countries having deficit balance of payments
(D) Discouraging unfair trade practices such as anti-dumping and export subsidies (Ans : C)
11. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) relate to–
(A) the World Bank. (B) the Reserve Bank of India.
(C) the World Trade Organisation. (D) the International Monetary Fund. (Ans : D)
12. Which one of the following is not a landlocked country in Africa ?
(A) Botswana (B) Zambia
(C) Lesotho (D) Nigeria (Ans : D)
13. The imaginary line on the Earth’s surface that closely follows the 180° Meridian is–
(A) Prime Meridian (B) Equator
(C) International Date Line (D) Tropic of Cancer (Ans : C)
14. The country that shares longest border with India is–
(A) China (B) Bangladesh
(C) Nepal (D) Pakistan (Ans : B)
15. The distance between two consecutive longitudes (91°E and 92° E) at the Poles is–
(A) 0 km (B) 18 km
(C) 25 km (D) 111 km (Ans : A)
16. Lack of atmosphere around the Moon is due to–
(A) low escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(B) high escape velocity of air molecule and low gravitational attraction.
(C) low gravitational attraction only.
(D) high escape velocity of air molecule only. (Ans : C)
17. Which one of the following correctly defines a unit magnetic pole in SI units?
It is the pole which when placed in air at a distance of–
(A) 1 foot from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 pound.
(B) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 newton.
(C) 1 cm from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force of 1 dyne.
(D) 1 metre from an equal and a similar pole repels it with a force
of 1 newton/m2. (Ans : C)
18. After rising a short distance, the smooth column of smoke from a cigarette breaks up into an irregular and random pattern. In a similar fashion, a stream of fluid flowing past an ‘obstacle breaks up into eddies and vortices which give the flow irregular velocity components transverse to the flow direction. Other examples include the wakes left in water by moving ships, the sound produced by whistling and by wind instruments. These examples are the results of–
(A) laminar flow of air. (B) streamline flow of air.
(C) turbulent flow of air. (D) viscous flow at low speed. (Ans : D)
19. Two identical piano wires have same fundamental frequency when kept under the same tension. What will happen if tension of one of the wires is slightly increased and both the wires are made to vibrate simultaneously ?
(A) Noise (B) Beats
(C) Resonance (D) Non-linear effects (Ans : B)
20. What is the major role of a greenhouse gas that contributes to temperature rise of the Earth’s surface?
(A) Transparent to both incoming sunlight aria outgoing infrared radiation
(B) Stops both incoming sunlight and outgoing infrared radiation
(C) Lets outgoing infrared radiation pass through but stops incoming sunlight
(D) Lets incoming sunlight pass through but stops outgoing infrared radiation (Ans : D)
21. Which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. If a country is experiencing increase in its per capita GDP, its GDP must necessarily be growing.
2. If a country is experiencing negative inflation, its GDP must be decreasing.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
22. Which of the following measures should be taken when an economy is going through inflationary pressures?
1. The direct taxes should be increased.
2. The interest rate should be reduced.
3. The public spending should be increased.
Select the correct answer Using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 (D) 1 and 2 (Ans : A)
23. The basis of European Union began with the signing of–
(A) Maastricht Treaty (B) Treaty of Paris
(C) Treaty of Rome (D) Treaty of Lisbon (Ans : A)
24. National income ignores–
(A) sales of a firm. (B) salary of employees.
(C) exports of the IT sector. (D) sale of land. (Ans : D)
25. What are G. arboreum, G. herbaceum, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, whose all the four species are cultivated in India ? (G = Gossypium)
(A) Species of wool (B) Species of cotton
(C) Species of silk (D) Species of jute (Ans : B)
26. The soil formed by wind dust in and around hot deserts is called–
(A) silty soil (B) loamy soil
(C) sandy soil (D) loess soil (Ans : D)
27. Logically, what does a continually rising air pressure indicate ?
(A) Advent of unsettled and cloudy weather (B) Advent of a cyclone
(C) Fine and settled weather (D) Fine and unsettled weather (Ans : C)
28. The TEAM-9 initiative is a techno-economic cooperation venture between India and eight countries of–
(A) West Africa (B) East Africa
(C) North Africa (D) Central Africa (Ans : A)
29. Which one of the following is the type of the Comoros Islands which lie in the Indian Ocean between Northern Madagascar and the African Coast ?
(A) Volcanic (B) Glacial eroded
(C) Eolian deposited (D) Folded (Ans : A)
30. Which of the following conditions are necessary for the issue of writ of quo warranto?
1. The office must be public and must be created by a Statute or by the Constitution itself.
2. The office must be a substantive one and not merely the function or employment of a servant at the will and during the pleasure of another.
3. There has been a contravention of the Constitution or a Statute or Statutory Instrument, in appointing such person to that office.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 and 2 only (B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3 (Ans : D)
31. If news is broadcast from London at 10:30 AM, at what time it will be heard at Baghdad (45° E) ?
(A) 7:30 AM (B) 9:00 AM
(C) 1:30 PM (D) 12:00 Noon (Ans : C)
32. The site of Harappa is located on the bank of river–
(A) Saraswati (B) Indus
(C) Beas (D) Ravi (Ans : D)
33. Which one of the following statements regarding Bal Gangadhar Tilak is not correct ?
(A) He propounded the theory of the Arctic Home of the Aryans
(B) He founded the Anti-Cow-Killing Society
(C) He set up the Home Rule League at Poona
(D) He supported the Age of Consent Bill (Ans : D)
34. Which one of the following principles was not propagated by the Theosophical Society ?
(A) Belief in Karma and Rebirth (B) Belief in Universal Brotherhood and Humanity
(C) Belief in Vedantic Philosophy (D) Belief in the Eradication of Untouchability (Ans : D)
35. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) The Revolt of 1857 was not supported by the Nizam of Hyderabad
(B) Dinabandhu Mitra was the author of the book, Unhappy India
(C) The Sindhias of Gwalior gave shelter to the Rani of Jhansi
(D) Mangal Pandey led the Sepoys March to Delhi (Ans : A)
36. Who among the following Governors-General formed the Triple Alliance against Tipu Sultan ?
(A) Warren Hastings (B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord Wellesley (D) Lord William Bentinck (Ans : B)
37. Take the case of dignity and equal rights for women. How do democracies help?
(A) Women in democracies have equal degree of political representation in legislatures
(B) Women in democracies have guaranteed rights and are always treated with respect
(C) Women in democracies are not subjected to sex discrimination in most aspects of social life
(D) In democracies, the principle of equality is accepted as legal norm, which makes it easier to guarantee their freedom and dignity (Ans : D)
38. The Constitution of India is republican because it–
(A) provides for an elected Parliament. (B) provides for adult franchise.
(C) contains a bill of rights. (D) has no hereditary elements. (Ans : D)
39. Assume that India and Pakistan are engaged in an increasingly volatile situation over the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir with a Kargil type infiltration by Pakistan. A conventional war between both the countries is inevitable under the shadow of nuclear weapons. In this situation, what is the nuclear capacity that India should possess against Pakistan to deter a nuclear exchange ?
(A) A first ‘use nuclear policy’
(B) A much larger nuclear arsenal than Pakistan
(C) A credible nuclear deterrence with second strike capability
(D) An intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 5000 km (Ans : C)
40. Which of the following statements is correct with regard to Yudh Abhyas ?
(A) It is an Indian military ‘war game’ with regard to Pakistan
(B) It is an Indian military exercise with Oman
(C) It is an Indian military exercise with Bhutan
(D) It is an Indian military exercise with the US (Ans : D)
41. Which one of the following statements is correct with regard to the C-5M Super Galaxy?
(A) It is a large military helicopter
(B) It is a large military transport aircraft
(C) It is a galaxy of stars very close to the Sun
(D) It is a US fighter aircraft to be completed in 2014 (Ans : B)
42. Consider the following statements–
1. The Kalinga Prize is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people.
2. Dorairajan Balasubramanian was the last person from India to receive the Kalinga Prize.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
43. Which one of the following companies received Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011 ?
(A) BCCL (B) NTPC
(C) SAIL (D) TISCO (Ans : C)
44. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists–
List-I (Short-listed Book for DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, 2012)
A. Bharathipura B. A Street in Srinagar
C. Chinaman D. The Story that must not be told
List-II (Author)
1. Kavery Nambisan 2. Shehan Karunatilaka
3. Chandrakanta 4. U.R. Ananthamurthy
Code:
A B C D
(A) 4 2 3 1
(B) 1 2 3 4
(C) 4 3 2 1
(D) 1 3 2 4 (Ans : C)
45. In which one of the following Latin American countries, a woman has for the first time won the presidential elections for the second term ?
(A) Brazil (B) Venezuela
(C) Uruguay (D) Argentina (Ans : D)
46. Which one of the following is a fundamental duty of citizens under the Constitution of India ?
(A) To provide friendly cooperation to the people of the neighbouring countiies
(B) To protect monuments of national importance
(C) To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
(D) To know more and more about the history of India (Ans : C)
47. Which one of the following statements is correct ?
(A) Due to border problems, India’s trade with China did not register a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010
(B) The stand-off between India and China on Pakistan and Arunachal Pradesh did not let India’s trade to grow with China in the years 2001-2010 as much as it grew in the years 1991-2001
(C) While India-China trade has registered a quantum jump between the years 2001-2010, both the countries have ensured parity of trade
(D) In spite of border problems, India’s trade with China registered a quantum jump during the years 2001-2010 (Ans : D)
48. Which one of the following statements about globalisation is not correct?
(A) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic growth
(B) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in greater economic disparity
(C) Advocates of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation
(D) Critics of globalisation argue that it will result in cultural homogenisation (Ans : D)
49. The best colours for a Sun umbrella will be–
(A) black on top and red on inside. (B) black on top and white on inside.
(C) red on top and black on inside. (D) white on top and black on inside. (Ans : D)
50. Before X-ray examination (coloured X-ray) of the stomach, patients are given suitable salt of barium because–
(A) barium salts are white in colour and this helps stomach to appear clearly.
(B) barium is a good absorber of X-rays and helps stomach to appear dearly.
(C) barium salts are easily available.
(D) barium allows X-rays to pass through the stomach. (Ans : B)
51. The elements of a group in the periodic table–
(A) have similar chemical properties. (B) have consecutive atomic numbers.
(C) are isobars. (D) are isotopes. (Ans : A)
52. Which one of the following polymers is used for making bulletproof material ?
(A) Polyvinyl chloride (B) Polystyrene
(C) Polyethylene (D) Polyamide (Ans : C)
53. The pH of human blood is normally around–
(A) 4.5–5.5 (B) 5.5–6.5
(C) 7.5–8.0 (D) 8.5–9.0 (Ans : C)
54. The pH of fresh groundwater slightly decreases upon exposure to air because–
(A) carbon dioxide from air is dissolved in the water.
(B) oxygen from air is dissolved in the water.
(C) the dissolved carbon dioxide of the groundwater escapes into air.
(D) the dissolved oxygen of the groundwater escapes into air. (Ans : A)
55. Who won the Wimbledon 2011 men’s singles tide ?
(A) Novak Djokovic (B) Roger Federer
(C) Rafael Nadal (D) Andy Roddick (Ans : A)
56. Which among the following countries has recently decided to give a grant of US $1 billion for the reconstruction of the Nalanda University?
(A) USA (B) China
(C) UK (D) Japan (Ans : B)
57. Which one Of the following is the fastest Indian Supercomputer recently developed by ISRO ?
(A) Aakash-A1 (B) Saga-220
(C) Jaguar-Cray (D) Tianhe-lA (Ans : B)
58. The year 2011 has been celebrated by UNESCO and IUPAC as International Year of Chemistry to mark the 100 years of Nobel Prize winning by Marie Curie in Chemistry. In this context, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. The unified theme of the celebration is Chemistry—our life, our future.
2. The celebrations are made to mark the contributions of women to the development of science.
Select the correct answer using the code given below–
Code:
(A) 1 only (B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2 (Ans : A)
59. In February 2011, which of the following countries has elected Mr. Thein Sein, a military general- turned-civilian leader, as its first President ?
(A) Malaysia (B) Costa Rica
(C) Thailand (D) Myanmar (Ans : D)
60. Which one of the following vitamins is necessary for blood clotting?
(A) Vitamin A (B) Vitamin D
(C) Vitamin K (D) Vitamin C (Ans : C)
