Punjab Public Service Commission, PPSC

Prelims General Studies Paper -1 Exam held on 23rd March 2014

Q1. Gulf of Bothnia is located between which of the following countries?

1. Finland

2. Norway

3. Sweden

4. Estonia

Choose the correct answer from the following:

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 1 and 4

Q2. Which one of the following pairs of countries fought wars over a region called Ogaden?

(a) Eritrea and Sudan

(b) Ethiopia and Somalia

(c) Kenya and Somalia

(d) Ethiopia and Sudan

Q3. Match the following:

Railway Zone Headquarters

A. South Central 1. Kolkata

B. South Eastern 2. Secunderabad

C. South Western 3. Bilaspur

D. South East 4. Hubli Central

Choose the correct code:

A B C D

(a) 2 1 4 3

(b) 3 4 1 2

(c) 2 3 1 4

(d) 4 3 1 2

Q4. The film "The Lunchbox" was screened as a part of the International Critics' Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Critics' Week Viewers Choice Award, also known as Grand Rail d'Or. Who is the writer of this film?

(a) Anurag Kashyap

(b) Arun Rangachari

(c) Prasoon Joshi

(d) Ritesh Batra

Q5. Consider the following statements about the National Population Register (NPR) :

1. It is an identity database to be maintained by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.

2. It is a Register containing entries of only the citizens of the country.

3. It is a substitute for Aadhaar/UID (Unique Identification) Number.

4. The biometric details of individuals who are registering are captured through fingerprints and iris prints.

Choose the correct code:

(a) 2 and 3

(b) 1 and 3

(c) 3 and 4

(d) 2 and 4

Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 :

1. It is mandatory to carry out Social Impact Assessment Study in consultation with the Panchayat, 'Municipality or Municipal Corporation.

2. The Social Impact Assessment Study should be completed within three months from the date of its commencement.

3. Public hearing to ascertain the views of affected families for Social Impact Assessment is mandatory.

4. There is no exemption from undertaking Social Impact Assessment Study even when the land is proposed to be acquired under urgency clause.

Which of the above mentioned statements is/are not correct?

(a) 1 and 3

(b) 2 and 4

(c) Only 3

(d) Only 4

Q7. A piece of ice is floating in a jar containing water. When the ice melts, then the level of water

(a) Rises

(b) Falls

(c) Remains unchanged

(d) Rises or falls depending upon the mass of ice

Q8. Sound travels with a different speed in different media. In which order does the velocity of sound increase in these media?

(a) Water, iron and air

(b) Iron, air and water

(c) Air, water and iron

(d) Iron, water and air

Q9. "Beaufort Scale" is used to measure

(a) Atmospheric pressure

(b) Wind velocity

(c) Humidity

(d) Hydraulic pressure

Q10. "The resistivity of a wire varies with its

(a) Length

(b) Cross-section

(c) Mass

(d) Material

Q11. According to Buddhist texts, who was the first woman to enter Sangha and ordained as "bhikkhuni" ?

(a) Mahamaya Mayadevi

(b) Mahapajapati Gotami

(c) Mahadevi Yashodhara

(d) Shailbhanjika Anandi

Q12. Consider the following statements

1. Satavahana rulers were identified through metronymics (names derived from that of the mother).

2. In Satavahana rulers, the succession to the throne was generally matrilineal.

Which of the above mentioned statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q13. During World War II, which of the following countries was invaded by Germany under the"tt code name, "Operation Barbarossa"?

(a) Great Britain

(b) Soviet Union

(c) France

(d) U.S.A.

Q14. In 1942, Battle of Midway was fought between the naval forces of which of the following belligerent nations?

(a) Germany and France

(b) Germany and Great Britain

(c) Japan and U.S.A.

(d) Japan and Soviet Union

Q15. "New Lamps for Old", a series of articles criticising moderate politics, was authored by

(a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

(b) Chittaranjan Das

(c) Bipin Chandra Pal

(d) Aurobindo Ghosh

Q16. Consider the following statements :

1. HMEL is developing Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant.

2. L&T Power Development Limited is developing Rajpura Thermal Power Plant.

3. Fuel supply for Rajpura Thermal Power Plant will be given by Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), whereas for Talwandi Sabo Thermal Power Plant, it will be given by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SELL).

Which of the above mentioned statements is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 3

(c) Only 3

(d) Only 2

Q17. Match the following:

Assembly District constituency

A. Nihal Singhwala 1. Hoshiarpur

B. Shutrana 2. Sangrur

C. Chabbewal 3. Gurdaspur

D. Dirba 4. Patiala

5. Moga

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 3 2 1 7

(b) 5 4 1 2

(c) 3 4 1 2

(d) 5 1 4 2

Q18. Match the following:

Rivers Ancient Name

A. Beas 1. Askini

B. Ravi 2. Vipasa

C. Chenab 3. Parushni/Airavati

D. Jhelum 4. Vitasta

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 2 1 3 4

(b) 3 4 1 2

(c) 2 3 1 4

(d) 4 3 1 2

Q19. Consider the following statements regarding River Beas :

1. River Beas originates from Borasu Pass in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh.

2. Pandoh reservoir and Pong reservoir are built over this river.

3. It joins river Satluj at Hari-ke-Pattan.

Which of the above mentioned statements is/are not correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) 1 and 2

(c) Only 3

(d) 1 and 3

Q20. On the basis of Census 2011, arrange the following districts of Punjab with respect to their population in the increasing order

1. Rupnagar

2. Faridkot

3. Muktsar

4. Mansa

Choose the correct answer from the following:

(a) 1, 2, 4, 3

(b) 2, 1, 4, 3

(c) 2, 1, 3, 4

(d) 1, 3, 2, 4

Q21. Arrange the following places of Punjab with respect to their location from South to North :

1. Maur

2. Qadian

3. Sardulgarh

4. Nihal Singhwala

5. Kanjli

Choose the correct code

(a) 3, 1, 4, 5, 2

(b) 1, 3, 4, 2, 5

(c) 3, 1, 4, 2, 5

(d) 3, 4, 1, 5, 2

Q22. The battle of Balakot, was fought in 1831 A.D. between the forces of

(a) East India Company and the Afghans

(b) East India Company and the Marathas

(c) Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Marathas

(d) Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Syed Ahmad Barelvi

Q23. Which of the following pairs is/are not matched correctly?

Name of Wildlife Location Sanctuary

1. Jhajjar-Bachauli – Rupnagar

2. Kathlaur Kushlian – Sangrur

3. Bir Aishwan – Hoshiarpur

4. Bir Dosanjh - Patiala

Choose the correct code

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 2 and 4

(d) 1 and 3

Q24. Consider the following statements :

1. Prabhavati Gupta was the daughter of one of the most important rulers in early Indian history, Chandragupta I.

2. She was married into the ruling family of the Vakatakas, who

3. were powerful in the Deccan.

4. Which of the' above mentioned statements is/are correct ?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q25. There were five major political centers in the Mauryan Empire including the capital Pataliputra and four provincial centers. Which one of the following is not amongst these provincial centers?

(a) Kaushambi

(b) Ujjayini

(c) Tosali

(d) Suvarnagiri

Q26. Mansur, the court painter of Jahangir, was most famous for painting which of the following?

(a) Historical monuments

(b) Human portraits

(c) Landscapes

(d) Plants, birds and animals

Q27. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the entitlements under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India ?

1. Free and zero expense delivery of pregnant women excluding Caesarean section.

2. Free drugs and consumables.

3. Essential diagnostics at nominal user charges.

4. Free and zero expense treatment of sick newborn till 30 days after birth.

Choose the correct combination:

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2 and 4

(c) 1 and 4

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q28. Match the following :

Name of Football Player Country National Team

A. Mario Sudrez 1. Germany Mata

B. Gareth Bale 2. Spain

C. Robert 3. Wales Lewandowski

D. Marco Reus 4. Poland

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 1 2 3 4

(b) 2 3 4 1

(c) 3 2 4 1

(d) 4 3 1 2

Q29. Chemical agent Sarin was used in the chemical attack carried out in Syria in 2013. Which type of chemical agent is Sarin ?

(a) Blister Agent

(b) Choking Agent

(c) Blood Agent

(d) Nerve Agent

Q30. In Cauvery river water dispute, the determination of share of the waters of river Cauvery is regarding which of the following State(s) [Union Territory?

1. Kerala

2. Puducherry

3. Karnataka

4. Andhra Pradesh

Choose the correct answer from the following:

(a) 1, 2, 4, 3

(b) 2, 1, 4, 3

(c) 2, 1, 3, 4

(d) 1, 3, 2, 4

Q31. Consider the following statements

1. The Lusofonia Games is a multinational multi-sport event organized by the Association of Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committees (ACOLOP).

2. ACOLOP is approved by the IOC (International Olympic Committee).

3. Bengaluru, India hosted the 2014 Lusofonia games.

Which of the above statements is not correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Only 3

(d) None of the above

Q32. On which river and between which two places is the National Waterway No. 2 situated ? (a) Brahmaputra, Sadiya — Dhubri

(a) Brahmaputra, Sadiya — Dhubri

(b) Ganga, Haldia — Allahabad

(c) West Coast Canal, Kottapuram — Kollam

(d) Godavari, Nasik — Rajahmundry

Q33. Equator does not pass through which of the following countries ?

1. Columbia

2. Brazil

3. Democratic Republic of Congo

4. Bolivia

5. Angola

Choose the correct answer from the following :

(a) 1 and 3

(b) 2 and 4

(c) 3 and 4

(d) 4 and 5

Q34. Match List I (Valley) with List II (State) and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists

List I (Valley) List II (State)

A. Johar Valley 1. Uttarakhand

B. Dzukou Valley 2. Himachal Pradesh

C. Nubra Valley 3. Jammu and Kashmir

D. Parvati Valley 4. Nagaland

Codes :

A B C D

(a) 2 4 3 1

(b) 3 4 1 2

(c) 1 4 3 2

(d) 3 4 2 1

Q35. In demography, the biological capacity for reproduction is called

(a) Fertility

(b) Birth Rate

(c) Vitality

(d) Fecundity

Q36. Which of the following separates the Asiatic Turkey from the European Turkey?

(a) Bering Strait

(b) Bosporus Strait

(c) Malacca Strait

(d) Strait of Gibraltar

Q37. The 98th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2012, has added a new article 371-J in the Constitution. It relates to creating special provisions regarding which of the following regions?

(a) Telangana – Rayalaseema

(b) Karnataka – Hyderabad

(c) Vidarbha – Marathwada

(d) Rayalaseema – Seemandhra

Q38. Which of the following States joined the Indian Union after the conduct of special opinion poll in 1975?

(a) Manipur

(b) Meghalaya

(c) Goa

(d) Sikkim

Q39. In which of the following States is Gugamal National Park located?

(a) Karnataka

(b) Andhra Pradesh

(c) Maharashtra

(d) Odisha

Q40. Consider the following statements

1. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma became the first woman to take over office as the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

2. The African Union headquarters are located at Nairobi.

3. All the African nations are members of the African Union.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

(a) Only 1

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q41. Magnus Carlsen, who won the recent World Chess Championship, hails from which of the following countries?

(a) Finland

(b) Sweden

(c) Russia

(d) Norway

Q42. Cyber Coalition 2013 refers to

(a) Cyber security exercise conducted by NATO

(b) An organization for Cyber security formed by China

(c) a method of keeping record of progress of crops and crop analysis for maximizing yield.

(d) a method of cropping more than one variety of crops.

Q43. Crop logging is

(a) a method to assess crop damage.

(b) a method to identify parasitic weeds associated with a crop.

(c) A coalition formed by India and South East Asian countries to secure cyberspace

(d) Cyber security exercise conducted by Russia

Q44. What are the differences between asteroids and comets ?

1. Asteroids are composed of rocks and metals, while comets contain lot of ice along with rocks and hydrocarbons.

2. Asteroids are found mostly in Kuiper belt beyond the orbit of Neptune and in Oort cloud in outer Solar System, while comets are found in the belt between Mars and Jupiter.

3. The surface of asteroids is solid and stable, whereas the surface of comets is very unstable and changeable.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 1 and 3

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q45. In an effort to protect critically-endangered vultures from being extinct, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has decided to set up Vulture Safe Zone (VSZ) in

(a) Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh

(b) Krishna, Andhra Pradesh

(c) Ramnagar, Karnataka

(d) Nasik, Maharashtra

Q46. India is divided into how many Postal Index Number (PIN) regions?

(a) Six Geographical and one reserved for Army Postal Service

(b) Seven Geographical and two reserved for Army Postal Service

(c) Eight Geographical and one reserved for Army Postal Service

(d) Ten Geographical and two reserved for Army Postal Service

Q47. Natal, Recife and Fortaleza are

(a) Names of experimental subjects in recently conducted experiments in Nanotechnology

(b) Names of drugs associated with the treatment of Psychological disorders

(c) Names of famous tourist places in South Africa

(d) Names of host cities of 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Q48. Which of the following comprises the electoral college of the Vice-President of India ?

1. Members of Lok Sabha

2. Members of Rajya Sabha

3. Members of State Legislative Assemblies

4. Members of State Legislative Councils

Choose the correct answer from the following :

(a) 1 and 2

(b) Only 2

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q49. Who among the following wrote the famous poem on Rani of Jhansi with the popular line "Khoob lari mardani woh to Jhansi wall rani thi" ?

(a) Sumitranandan Pant

(b) Bhawani Prasad Mishra

(c) Bharatendu Harishchandra

(d) Subhadra Kumari Chauhan

Q50. In Islam, offering prayers five times a day is called

(a) Sawm

(b) Zakat

(c) Salat

(d) Shahada

Q51. Dr. Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist at NIIT, is credited with the discovery of "Hole-in-the-Wall". This famous experiment in innovative learning is formally known as

(a) Sawm

(b) Zakat

(c) Salat

(d) Shahada

Q52. Consider the following pairs of metals and their ores Metal Ore

1. Zinc Siderite

2. Copper Calamine

3. Robert Sphalerite

Which of the above mentioned pairs is/are not correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 1 Only 2

(c) 2 and 3

(d) Only 3

Q53. A light and a heavy body have equal momentum. Which one has greater kinetic energy ?

(a) The light body

(b) The heavy body

(c) Both have equal kinetic energy

(d) Data given is incomplete

Q54. Match the following:

Type of Colloid Example

A. Gel 1. Paint

B. Emulsion 2. Butter

C. Sol 3. Fog

D. Aerosol 4. Milk

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 2 1 4 3

(b) 1 4 2 3

(c) 2 4 1 3

(d) 4 3 1 2

Q55. Which of the following measures would contribute to inflation more?

(a) Repayment of Public Debt

(b) Borrowing from public to finance Budget deficit

(c) Reducing Fiscal Deficit

(d) Creating new money to finance Budget deficit

Q56. Goods and Services Tax (GST) is the next logical step towards comprehensive indirect tax reforms in the country. Consider the following statements with respect to GST :

1. With the introduction of GST, the burden of Central Sales Tax (CST) will be removed.

2. For introduction of GST at State level, States should be given the power to levy tax on services.

Which of the above statements is/are true ?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q57. Consider the following liquid assets :

1. Demand deposits with the banks

2. Time deposits with the banks

3. Savings deposits with the banks

4. Currency

The correct sequence of their decreasing order of liquidity is

(a) 1-4-3-2

(b) 4-3-2-1

(c) 4-1-3-2

(d) 4-3-1-2

Q58. Twin deficit basically refers to

(a) Lack of investor confidence and high fiscal deficit

(b) Lack of positive credit rating and high fiscal deficit

(c) Situation of huge outflow of FIIs and rising fiscal deficit

(d) Situation of large current account and fiscal deficit

Q59. Emperor Akbar classified the lands in various categories and fixed different revenue to be paid by each.In this context, examine which of the following defines Polaj land ?

(a) Land which is annually cultivated for each crop in succession and is never allowed to lie fallow.

(b) Land left out of cultivation for a time that it may recover its strength.

(c) Land that has lain fallow for three or four years.

(d) Land uncultivated for five years and more.

Q60. Match the following:

Foreign Travelers Country of Origin

A. Afanasii Nikitich 1. England Nikitin

B. Duarte Barbosa 2. Russia

C. Peter Mundy 3. Portugal

D. Antonio Monserrate 4. Spain

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 2 1 4 3

(b) 3 4 1 2

(c) 3 4 2 1

(d) 2 3 1 4

Q61. Where is the Stock Exchange located in Punjab ?

(a) Jalandhar

(b) Patiala

(c) Amritsar

(d) None of the above

Q62. Match the following:

Authors Writings

A. Minhaj al-Siraj 1. Malfuzat-i-Juzjani Timuri

B. Ziauddin Barani 2. Fatwa-i Jahandari

C. Isami 3. Tabaqat-i Nasiri

D. Amir Timur 4. Futuh-us Salatin

Choose the correct code

A B C D

(a) 2 1 3 4

(b) 1 2 3 4

(c) 3 2 4 1

(d) 4 3 2 1

Q63. Which of the following is/are a part of Capital Account of Balance of Payments ?

1. Portfolio Investment

2. External Assistance

3. NRI Deposits

Choose the correct answer from the following:

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) Only 1

(d) Only 3

Q64. Consider the following statements regarding the Non-Performing Asset :

1. it is a loan or an advance where interest and/or installment of principal remain overdue for a period of more than 90 days in respect of a Term Loan.'.

2. the installment of principal or interest thereon remains overdue for two crop seasons for short duration crops.

3. the bill remains overdue for a period of more than 90 days in the case of bills purchased and discounted.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) 1 and 3

(c) 1 and 2

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q65. Consider the following statements

1. Forward Markets Commission of India was earlier overseen by the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

2. At present the Forward Markets Commission is overseen by the Department of Economics Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

3. Forward Markets Commission regulates the Commodity Futures and Financial Futures trading in the country.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

(a) Only 1

(b) Only 2

(c) 1 and 2

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Q66. Demutualization in the context of stock markets means

(a) Separation of ownership from the management of the stock exchange

(b) Conversion of a stock exchange into a non-profit organization

(c) Unlisting of a blue chip company from the stock exchange

(d) Awarding trading rights by a company to a merchant bank

Q67. Consider the following statements regarding "Managed Floating" exchange rate system :

1. It is a mixture of fixed and flexible exchange rate systems.

2. It is also called dirty floating.

3. India's exchange rate policy has not yet shifted to "managed floating" exchange rate system.

4. Under this system, the Govt./Central banks do not intervene to buy and sell foreign currencies in an attempt to moderate exchange rate movements.

Which of the above statements is/are not correct?

(a) Only 2

(b) 1 and 3

(c) 2, 3 and 4

(d) 3 and 4