SSC CPO Paper I 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 PYQs

Concept: Jayaprakash Narayan, leader of the 1974 'Total Revolution' movement, is popularly called Loknayak (people's leader).

1. Deshbandhu = Chittaranjan Das; Deenbandhu = C. F. Andrews; Rajarshi = Purushottam Das Tandon.
2. JP was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1999.

Yaad rakhein: JP = Loknayak = Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution).

Answer: (A) Loknayak

Concept: 'Udyam Abhilasha' was launched by SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) in October 2018.

1. It aimed to create entrepreneurship awareness in 115 Aspirational Districts.
2. SIDBI is the principal financial institution for MSMEs, so an entrepreneurship campaign fits its role.

Yaad rakhein: Udyam (enterprise) campaigns → SIDBI, the MSME bank.

Answer: (D) SIDBI

Concept: Farakka Barrage is on the Ganga in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, only about 10 km from the Bangladesh border.

1. It diverts water into the Hooghly to keep Kolkata port navigable.
2. Tilaiya (Jharkhand), Durgapur (West Bengal, on Damodar) and Massanjore (Jharkhand) lie far west of the border.

Yaad rakhein: Farakka water-sharing is a well-known India–Bangladesh issue.

Answer: (B) Farakka

Concept: 'The Life Divine' is the major philosophical work of Sri Aurobindo, presenting his Integral Yoga.

1. Other works of Sri Aurobindo: 'Savitri', 'The Synthesis of Yoga', 'Essays on the Gita'.
2. Dayanand Saraswati wrote 'Satyarth Prakash'; Amrita Pritam wrote 'Pinjar'.

Yaad rakhein: Aurobindo – Divine – Savitri – Pondicherry ashram.

Answer: (B) Sri Aurobindo

Concept: Three states were formed in 2000: Chhattisgarh (1 Nov), Uttarakhand (9 Nov) and Jharkhand (15 Nov).

1. Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh on 9 November 2000.
2. Sikkim became a state in 1975, Goa in 1987; Odisha existed from 1936.

Yaad rakhein: 2000 trio: C-U-J (Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand).

Answer: (D) Uttarakhand

Concept: The Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration is given by the Indian National Congress.

1. It was instituted in 1985 and is presented annually on 31 October, Indira Gandhi's death anniversary.
2. It is a party award, not a Government of India award.

Yaad rakhein: Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is given by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust; the National Integration award by the INC.

Answer: (A) Indian National Congress

Concept: Mount Everest (8,849 m), the world's highest peak, is called Sagarmatha in Nepal.

1. In Tibet it is called Chomolungma.
2. Lhotse, Kanchenjunga and Makalu are other eight-thousanders but not Sagarmatha.

Yaad rakhein: Sagarmatha (Nepal) = Chomolungma (Tibet) = Everest.

Answer: (D) Mount Everest

Concept: 'Gross National Happiness' (GNH) was coined in Bhutan in the 1970s by its fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.

1. He declared that GNH is more important than Gross National Product.
2. Bhutan's Constitution (2008) directs the state to pursue GNH.

Yaad rakhein: GNH → Bhutan; GDP alternative based on well-being.

Answer: (A) Bhutan

Concept: The National Emergency (Article 352) was proclaimed on the night of 25 June 1975 on the grounds of 'internal disturbance'.

1. PM Indira Gandhi advised President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, who signed the proclamation that night.
2. It lasted till 21 March 1977; 25 June is now observed as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'.

Yaad rakhein: Emergency: 25 June 1975 – 21 March 1977.

Answer: (D) 25th June

Concept: Francisco de Almeida was the first Portuguese Viceroy of India (1505–1509).

1. He followed the 'Blue Water Policy' (control of the sea).
2. Alfonso de Albuquerque, the second governor, captured Goa from Bijapur in 1510 and is often wrongly picked as the first.

Yaad rakhein: Almeida first (1505), Albuquerque second (Goa, 1510).

Answer: (A) Francisco de Almeida

Concept: Ramoji Film City is near Hyderabad, Telangana.

1. Founded in 1996 by Ramoji Rao, it is listed by Guinness World Records as the world's largest film studio complex.
2. Mumbai has Film City at Goregaon, a different studio.

Yaad rakhein: Ramoji → Hyderabad (Telangana).

Answer: (B) Hyderabad

Concept: Matheran is a hill station in Raigad district, Maharashtra, on the Western Ghats.

1. It is Asia's only automobile-free hill station.
2. It is linked by the Neral–Matheran narrow-gauge toy train.

Yaad rakhein: Maharashtra hill stations: Matheran, Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala, Panchgani.

Answer: (D) Maharashtra

Concept: The Coromandel Coast is the south-eastern coast of India along the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu (and south Andhra).

1. Tuticorin (Thoothukudi) is a port city on the south-east coast of Tamil Nadu.
2. Tiruchirappalli, Vellore and Tirunelveli are inland cities, not on the coast.

Yaad rakhein: Only a port city can be 'along a coast' – Tuticorin port.

Answer: (D) Tuticorin

Concept: The Preamble has been amended only once, by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976.

1. It added the words 'Socialist', 'Secular' and 'Integrity'.
2. Kesavananda Bharati case (1973) held that the Preamble is part of the Constitution and can be amended without altering the basic structure.

Yaad rakhein: 42nd Amendment = 'Mini Constitution' = only Preamble amendment.

Answer: (B) once

Concept: Ambubachi Mela is held every June at the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam.

1. It marks the annual menstruation of the goddess Kamakhya; the temple stays closed for three days.
2. It is one of the largest religious gatherings of north-east India.

Yaad rakhein: Ambubachi → Kamakhya → Nilachal hill, Guwahati.

Answer: (D) Assam

Concept: Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha, the oldest member, was the temporary (interim) President of the Constituent Assembly at its first meeting on 9 December 1946.

1. Following French practice, the oldest member presided.
2. Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected permanent President on 11 December 1946.

Yaad rakhein: 9 Dec 1946 – Sinha (temporary); 11 Dec 1946 – Rajendra Prasad (permanent).

Answer: (D) Sachchidananda Sinha

Concept: The Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves are near Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

1. They are Jain rock-cut caves made largely in the reign of King Kharavela (1st century BCE).
2. The Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela is in the Udayagiri caves.

Yaad rakhein: Do not confuse with Udayagiri caves of Vidisha (MP), which are Gupta-period Hindu caves.

Answer: (D) Odisha

Concept: Fossil fuels are formed over millions of years from buried remains of organisms – coal, petroleum and natural gas and their products.

1. Asphalt and bitumen are heavy residues of petroleum, hence fossil-fuel products.
2. Biomass (wood, crop waste, dung) comes from recently living matter and is a renewable source, not a fossil fuel.

Yaad rakhein: Renewable = biomass; non-renewable = fossil fuels.

Answer: (B) Biomass

Concept: Ernst Mayr (1904–2005), German-American evolutionary biologist, is called the 'Darwin of the 20th Century'.

1. He gave the Biological Species Concept and contributed to the modern evolutionary synthesis.
2. Har Gobind Khorana and Nirenberg worked on the genetic code; Katherine Esau was a plant anatomist.

Yaad rakhein: Mayr – species concept – 'Darwin of 20th century' (NCERT Class 11).

Answer: (B) Ernst Mayr

Concept: Bokaro Steel Plant (Jharkhand) was set up in 1964–65 with the help of the Soviet Union.

1. Bhilai was also Soviet-aided; Rourkela was set up with West Germany and Durgapur with the United Kingdom.
2. Bokaro is now operated by SAIL.

Yaad rakhein: Bhilai, Bokaro – USSR; Rourkela – Germany; Durgapur – UK.

Answer: (B) Soviet Union