General Awareness: World: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)

Explanation

List-I (Books) List-II (Author) A. The Struggle is My Life 2. Nelson Mandela B. The Struggle and the Triumph

1. Lech Walesa C. Friends and Foes 5. Sheikh Mujibur Rehman D. Rebirth 3. Leonid Brezhnev

Explanation

Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa) is a spiritual practice that combines meditation, qigong exercises, and moral philosophy based on Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It gained popularity in China during the 1990s but was banned by the Chinese government in 1999, labeling it as a "cult" and a threat to social stability. Since then, followers have faced persecution, leading to international human rights concerns.

Explanation

The Chandra X-ray Observatory, launched by NASA in 1999, is named in honor of Subramanyan Chandrasekhar, an Indian-American astrophysicist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the Chandrasekhar Limit (the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star). His research significantly contributed to the understanding of stellar evolution, black holes, and neutron stars.

Explanation

List-I (Important Day) List-II (Date) A. World Environment Day 2. June 5 B. World Forestry Day 1. March 20 C. World Habitat Day 4. October 3 D. World Ozone Day 3. September 16

Explanation

Santos is the outer port of Sao Paulo in Brazil and is known as the Coffee port of the world.

Explanation

Gilt-edged market refers to high-grade investment securities, typically government bonds, that are considered extremely safe and low-risk. These securities offer reliable returns and have a high credit rating. In finance, it refers to government securities (bonds) with minimal risk of default.

Explanation

List-I List-II A. WTO 2. Multilateral trade negotiation body B. IDA 3. Sanction of soft loans C. IMF 1. Provides loans to address short-term balance payment problems D. IBRD 4. Facilitating lending and borrowing for reconstruction and development

Explanation

Statement (1) is correct: Before the European Union (EU) was officially established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993, the organization was known as the European Economic Community (EEC), and earlier, the European Community (EC). The EU evolved from the EEC, formed by the Treaty of Rome (1957), which created a common market among six countries.

Statement (2) is correct:: The Single European Act (1986) and the Maastricht Treaty were milestones in its formation. The Single European Act (1986) was a major step towards achieving a single market in Europe, setting the groundwork for free movement of goods, services, capital, and people.

Statement (3) is correct: Citizens of EU countries have the right to dual citizenship, meaning they can be citizens of both their own country and another EU member state, due to the free movement of people and the right of residence within the EU.

Statement (4) is incorrect: Switzerland is not a member of the European Union. While it has strong economic ties with the EU through various agreements, such as the Schengen Area and the European Economic Area (EEA), it remains outside of the EU.

Explanation

Kachchatheevu (or Kacchativu) is a small, uninhabited island in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. It was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 under the Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement signed between Indira Gandhi (India) and Sirimavo Bandaranaike (Sri Lanka). Indian fishermen were granted access for pilgrimage and drying nets, but fishing rights remain a disputed issue. Tin Bigha, a narrow strip of land in West Bengal, was leased by India to Bangladesh in 1992 to provide access between the Bangladeshi mainland and the Dahagram-Angarpota enclave. Both decisions were taken to resolve longstanding border and territorial issues peacefully with neighboring countries.

Explanation

The United Nations recognizes six official languages:

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. This multilingual approach facilitates communication and documentation across the organization’s global operations.