During the British rule, the only British King to visit India and hold his Darbar was:
- (A) Edward VII
- (B) George V
- (C) James II
- (D) Edward VI
Check AnswerExplanationThe British monarch who set foot in India and held his Darbar in India during the British era was King George V. Along with his queen, Mary, he participated in the Delhi Darbar held on December 12, 1911, to commemorate the coronation of the monarch, making him the only British monarch to have set foot in India during the British era. Although the Durbars were held in 1877 and 1903, the Delhi Darbar of 1911 was the only occasion when the monarch actually attended the Darbar in person. It was at the Darbar that King George V announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Ramsar Convention provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for conservation and wise use of wetlands. The Convention was adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, which is a city located in:
- (A) Iran
- (B) Egypt
- (C) Morocco
- (D) Tunisia
Check AnswerExplanationThe Ramsar Convention, whose full title is the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, was adopted on February 2, 1971, in Ramsar, a city in Iran situated on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. It is an intergovernmental treaty that sets out the framework for the wise use of wetlands and their resources.
“Facebook” is one of the most popular social networking services. When was it launched?
- (A) 1998
- (B) 2004
- (C) 2003
- (D) 2005
Check AnswerExplanationFacebook was first introduced to the world on February 4, 2004. It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow Harvard University team members, Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. Facebook was initially known as “The Facebook” and was accessible only to Harvard students before expanding to other colleges and finally the world in 2006.
Famous Urdu poet Mustafa Zaidi was by profession a:
- (A) University Professor
- (B) Businessman
- (C) Lawyer
- (D) Civil Servant
Check AnswerExplanation
Born Syed Mustafa Hasnain Zaidi on October 10, 1930, in Allahabad, British India, Mustafa Zaidi moved to Pakistan after the country gained its freedom from British rule. Apart from his pen, he also made a name for himself in civil service jobs that he took up throughout his life. This duality of his life provided him with a unique perspective on life and society, which in turn greatly impacted his literary works.
He is known as a modernist poet in Urdu literature, and his works are celebrated for their romance, philosophy, and a hint of melancholy. His poems deal with love, life, and society, and he uses a mix of traditional and modern elements to create a new kind of poetry that is still read today. Some of his famous works include “Shab-e-Khamosh” (“Silent Night”) and “Sitara-e-Sabz” (“Green Star”). He died under suspicious circumstances on October 12, 1970.
Article 257 of the Constitution relates specifically to Jammu and Kashmir. According to this Article, the people of Jammu and Kashmir decide to Pakistan then:
- (A) They shall become citizens of Pakistan
- (B) Kashmir shall become a province of Pakistan
- (C) People of Kashmir shall determine the relationship between the state and Pakistan
- (D) Kashmir shall become an autonomous state
Check Answer
- (C) People of Kashmir shall determine the relationship between the state and Pakistan
ExplanationArticle 257 of the Constitution of Pakistan deals specifically with the status of the territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It states that in the event the people of the territory choose to join Pakistan, the final relationship between the two is not determined solely by the Constitution but is subject to the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This is in keeping with Pakistan’s long-standing commitment that the final disposition of the territory should be determined by a free and fair plebiscite in accordance with the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.
The first battle of Panipat was fought between:
- (A) Alexander and Porus
- (B) Babar and Ibrahim Lodhi
- (C) Rana Sanga and Ibrahim Lodhi
- (D) Babar and Rana Sanga
Check Answer
- (B) Babar and Ibrahim Lodhi
Explanation
- The first battle of Panipat, which occurred on the 21st of April in 1526 in northern India, marked a significant turning point in the history of India. In the battle, Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, who later founded the Mughal Empire, clashed with Ibrahim Lodi, the Sultan of Delhi and the ruler of the Lodi Dynasty. Despite being outnumbered by his opponent, Babur emerged victorious due to his clever military strategies, including the early use of artillery in India. As a result of the victory, the Lodi Dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate were brought to an end.
- First Battle of Panipat (1526) – Babur vs. Ibrahim Lodi. This battle marked the beginning of the Mughal period in India, with Babur winning against Lodi with superior strategy and use of guns.
- Second Battle of Panipat (1556) – Akbar vs. Hemu. Akbar won with the support of Bairam Khan, who was regent at that time. Akbar’s win marked the consolidation of his position as emperor.
- Third Battle of Panipat (1761) – Ahmad Shah Abdali vs. Marathas. One of the bloodiest battles of the period, it resulted in massive casualties.
India tested its first “Nuclear device” on:
- (A) 15 May 1972
- (B) 18 May 1974
- (C) 20 May 1980
- (D) 19 May 1996
Check AnswerExplanation“Smiling Buddha” or Pokhran-I, India’s first nuclear test, was conducted on May 18, 1974. It was carried out at the Pokhran test range in the state of Rajasthan. Significance: India’s first nuclear test was significant because it was the first nuclear test by a country outside the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
HDI (Human Development Index) as an indicator of the well-being of a country, was initiated by:
- (A) Amartya Sen
- (B) Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq
- (C) Javier Perez de Cuellar
- (D) Adam Smith
Check AnswerExplanationThe Human Development Index (HDI) was developed in 1990 by a Pakistani economist named Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq. In his capacity as a special advisor for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Dr. Haq directed a team of economists to develop an index that shifts development thinking and practice away from economic indicators such as GDP and towards people-centric indicators of health and education.
Zimbabwe was earlier known as:
- (A) South Rhodesia
- (B) Gold Coast
- (C) Burkina Faso
- (D) Ghana
Check AnswerExplanationThe colonial name of Zimbabwe was originally known as Southern Rhodesia. It was then a British colony from 1911 to 1964, after which it was known as Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979, then as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia for a brief period in 1979, before finally being known as the Republic of Zimbabwe in April 1980.
What is the function of the heart Pacemaker?
- (A) It decreases the heart beat
- (B) It regulates the heart beat
- (C) It increases the heart beat
- (D) It accelerates blood supply to the heart
Check Answer
- (B) It regulates the heart beat
ExplanationThe heart’s rhythm begins with its pacemaker, whether natural or artificial in the form of an electronic device. It is the heart’s conductor in the cardiac cycle. It sends out electrical signals which ripple through the heart’s muscle tissue, causing the heart to contract and pump the blood. Its main function is to regulate the heart’s rate and ensure the rhythm is regular. It does this by “regulating” the heart’s beats when the heart is beating too slowly (bradycardia) or when the heart’s beats are irregular (arrhythmia).
