Which Indian state is the largest in terms of area?
- (A) Rajasthan
- (B) Madhya Pradesh
- (C) Madras
- (D) Uttar Pradesh
- (A) Rajasthan
Rajasthan, the biggest of the Indian states in terms of total area, covers a vast space of about 342,239 square kilometers, which represents about 10.4% of the country’s total land area. In terms of size, it positions itself slightly ahead of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Which woman prime minister served as the head of government for the longest consecutive period?
- (A) Indira Gandhi
- (B) Benazir Bhutto
- (C) Sirimavo Bandaranaike
- (D) Sheikh Hasina Wajid
- (D) Sheikh Hasina Wajid
Sheikh Hasina Wajid (Sheikh Hasina) served as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the longest consecutive period among the options provided, as well as holding the record for the longest-serving female head of government in the world. She served as Prime Minister from 6 January 2009 to 5 August 2024, a span of over 15 years.
- Sheikh Hasina Wajid: 6 January 2009 – 5 August 2024 (15 years, 212 days in her second, third, and fourth consecutive terms).
- Indira Gandhi: Served non-consecutively. Her longest single term was 11 years, 59 days (1966–1977).
- Sirimavo Bandaranaike : Served three non-consecutive terms, with her longest consecutive term being 7 years, 55 days (1970–1977).
- Benazir Bhutto: Served two non-consecutive terms, with her longest consecutive term being 3 years, 17 days (1993–1996). Therefore, the correct answer is (D) Sheikh Hasina Wajid.
Harry Potter is a famous fictional character in which book series?
- (A) The Lord of the Rings
- (B) Harry Potter
- (C) Percy Jackson & the Olympians
- (D) Chronicles of Narnia
- (B) Harry Potter
Harry Potter is the protagonist of the seven-volume fantasy series of books written by British author J.K. Rowling. The fantasy series follows the stories of the adventures of the young wizard Harry Potter in the struggle against the dark wizard Voldemort.
What are chromosomes primarily composed of?
- (A) Proteins
- (B) DNA
- (C) Carbohydrates
- (D) Lipids
- (B) DNA
The structure of chromosomes is made mostly of DNA and proteins, especially histones. This combination of DNA and proteins is referred to as chromatin. The DNA, which is negatively charged, wraps around the proteins that are positively charged. This allows the long DNA strands to be packed into the nucleus of the cell.
Which vitamin is provided by sunlight to the human body?
- (A) Vitamin A
- (B) Vitamin B
- (C) Vitamin K
- (D) Vitamin D
- (D) Vitamin D
SUNLIGHT supplies vitamin D to the human body, or rather vitamin D3, the “sunshine vitamin.” When skin is exposed to UVB rays of the sun, they transform 7-dehydrocholesterol into previtamin D3, and the heat of the body transforms the previtamin D3 into the actual vitamin D.
Alzheimer’s disease in human beings is characterised by the degeneration of:
- (A) Kidney cells
- (B) Nerve cells
- (C) Bone cells
- (D) Liver cells
- (B) Nerve cells
Alzheimer’s is a progressing brain disease where nerve cells progressively die and shrink. Abnormal protein clumping in the brain causes the disease. Clumps of amyloid protein build up between brain cells, disrupting communication, and clumps of tau protein tangle within brain cells. Without these brain cells, communication networks in the brain unravel, leading to the characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer disease: trouble remembering, declining thinking abilities, and emotional or personality changes.
Which civilization developed on the banks of the River Tigris?
- (A) Indus Valley Civilization
- (B) Sumerian Civilization
- (C) Greek Civilization
- (D) Egyptian Civilization
- (B) Sumerian Civilization
The Sumerian Civilization represents the first recorded society in the region of Mesopotamia—a name which translates to ‘the place between two rivers’ in the original Greek tongue. It began in the fertile valleys carved by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq. Using the rivers to conduct their farming, commerce, and navigation, the Sumerians developed a highly advanced irrigation process to stabilize the rivers from their yearly flooding.
The USA film industry, Hollywood, is located in:
- (A) Chicago
- (B) Las Vegas
- (C) Los Angeles
- (D) San Francisco
- (C) Los Angeles
The correct choice is (C) Los Angeles. Hollywood, the center of the United States’ movie industry, is located as a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, and it has long been associated with America’s movie industry.
Who defeated the Mongols in the 14th Century?
- (A) Khwarazmi Shah
- (B) Rukn-ud-Din Baybars
- (C) Zaheer-ud-Din Babur
- (D) Shah Rukn-e-Alam
- (B) Rukn-ud-Din Baybars
Rukn-ud-Din Baybars, or Sultan Baibars, is the Mamluk sultan of Egypt and Syria who is often credited with shaping the tide of the war against the Mongols. He is credited with leading the tide-changing charge at Ain Jalut in 1260, and his wars are said to have stopped Mongol progress for years to come. The achievement that is worthy of mention is from the mid-1200s, although his reign established a military precedent that continued to repel Ilkhanid invasions for the next few decades, into the 1300s, such as the battle at Marj al-Saffar in 1303. He is remembered as the first person to defeat the Mongol war machine in a major battle.
What is the meaning of “Vishnu”?
- (A) The Preserver
- (B) The Transformer
- (C) The Destroyer
- (D) The Creator
- (A) The Preserver
IN Hinduism, Vishnu is the second figure in the Trimurti-the trio of principal deities. His major task is to preserve the universe, steady and safe, along with ensuring life continues and dharma (righteousness) prevails. You will frequently see him depicted as stepping down into the world in various avatars, like Rama and Krishna, especially at times when chaos stirs things up. He comes to restore the balance between good and evil.
The Destroyer: Shiva, or Mahesh, is known by this name since he dissolves the universe at the end of a cosmic cycle.
The Creator: That title is Brahma’s, he who initiates the universe and all living beings.