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

Concept: In Köppen's scheme, the cold snow forest (Dfc, taiga) climate occurs only in the large continents of the Northern Hemisphere.

1. It lies between about ${40}^{\circ }$ and ${70}^{\circ }$ N latitude across Europe, Asia and North America.
2. Winters are long and severe; summers are short and mild; coniferous forests dominate.
3. The Southern Hemisphere has no large land mass at these latitudes, so this climate is absent there.

Yaad rakhein: Taiga belt = ${40}^{\circ }$–${70}^{\circ }$ N (north of the temperate zone, south of tundra).

Answer: (A) ${40}^{\circ }$–${70}^{\circ }$

Concept: The Krishna rises near Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) and flows east to the Bay of Bengal.

1. Right-bank tributaries: Koyna, Panchganga, Dudhganga, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tungabhadra.
2. Left-bank tributaries: Bhima, Musi, Munneru, Dindi.
3. Koyna, Ghataprabha and Panchganga are thus standard Krishna tributaries; 'Veena' is the option not in this list.

Yaad rakhein: Krishna's right bank: K-P-G-M-T (Koyna, Panchganga, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Tungabhadra); left: Bhima, Musi.

Answer: (B) Veena

Concept: Sarhul is the spring festival of the tribes of Jharkhand (Oraon, Munda, Ho), celebrated when sal trees get new leaves and flowers.

1. It marks the start of the new year and worship of nature, especially the sal tree.
2. Karam and Jawa are monsoon-season (Bhado) festivals; Sohrai is a harvest/cattle festival after Diwali.
3. Hence the spring festival linked to sal blossoms is Sarhul.

Trick: Sarhul = Sal + spring.

Answer: (B) सरहुल

Concept: Annapurna Devi (1927–2018) was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana.

1. She was the daughter and disciple of Ustad Allauddin Khan and played the surbahar (bass sitar).
2. She received the Padma Bhushan in 1977.
3. Her disciples included Hariprasad Chaurasia and Nikhil Banerjee; her brother Ali Akbar Khan played the sarod.

Yaad rakhein: Annapurna Devi = Surbahar; brother Ali Akbar Khan = Sarod.

Answer: (D) सुरबहार

Concept: Most Indian workers remain in agriculture because enough jobs have not been created in the secondary and tertiary sectors.

1. Industry and services have grown in output but have not absorbed labour at the same pace.
2. So surplus workers stay on farms, causing disguised (hidden) unemployment.
3. Returns in agriculture are actually low, so options A and D are not the reason.

Yaad rakhein: Too many on farms + too few factory/service jobs = disguised unemployment.

Answer: (C) अन्य क्षेत्रक कृषि से लोगों को नहीं खपा पाते

Concept: Agra as a capital city was founded by Sultan Sikandar Lodi of the Lodi dynasty.

1. He founded Agra around 1504 and shifted his capital there from Delhi.
2. Babur came later (1526); Akbar built the Agra Fort (red sandstone) in the 1560s.
3. Raja Bhoj was a Paramara king of Malwa, unrelated to Agra's foundation.

Yaad rakhein: Sikandar Lodi = Agra's founder; Akbar = Agra Fort builder.

Answer: (D) सिकंदर लोदी

Concept: Deuterium (heavy hydrogen, ${}^2\text{H}$) is the hydrogen isotope with one neutron.

1. Harold C. Urey discovered deuterium in 1931 by spectroscopy of evaporated liquid hydrogen.
2. He received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 for this discovery.
3. Aston worked on isotopes using the mass spectrograph; Seaborg on transuranium elements; Haber on ammonia synthesis.

Yaad rakhein: Urey = heavy hydrogen (D); Haber = ammonia; Seaborg = transuranics.

Answer: (C) Harold C Urey

Concept: Babur founded the Mughal Empire after defeating Ibrahim Lodi in the First Battle of Panipat (21 April 1526).

1. In this battle Babur first used gunpowder artillery (cannons and matchlocks) effectively in India.
2. His gunners Ustad Ali and Mustafa handled the guns, combined with the Tulughma flanking tactic.
3. Khanwa (1527), Chanderi (1528) and Ghaghra (1529) came later.

Trick: Panipat-I 1526 → Khanwa 1527 → Chanderi 1528 → Ghaghra 1529 (first = first use of guns).

Answer: (B) पानीपत का प्रथम युद्ध

Concept: The Asian Wrestling Championships began in 1979.

1. The first edition was held at Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
2. It was organised under the Asian Associated Wrestling Committee, the forerunner of today's continental body.
3. Later editions have been held in Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, India and other countries.

Yaad rakhein: First Asian Wrestling Championships: 1979, Jalandhar.

Answer: (C) जालंधर, भारत

Concept: Match each musician with his instrument.

1. Nikhil Banerjee (1931–1986) was a leading sitar maestro of the Maihar gharana, a disciple of Allauddin Khan and Annapurna Devi.
2. Zakir Hussain is a tabla player.
3. Hariprasad Chaurasia is a bansuri (flute) player.

Yaad rakhein: Sitar: Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Nikhil Banerjee; Tabla: Zakir Hussain; Flute: Chaurasia.

Answer: (D) निखिल बनर्जी

Concept: CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is natural gas, mostly methane, compressed to high pressure.

1. Natural gas is odourless, tasteless and non-toxic; methane forms over 90% of it, with small amounts of ethane, propane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
2. LPG is mainly propane and butane; an odorant is added to it.
3. Gobar gas (biogas) has only about 55–65% methane with much carbon dioxide; chlorine is a toxic, pungent gas.

Yaad rakhein: Methane above 90% = natural gas/CNG; propane + butane = LPG.

Answer: (C) CNG

Concept: Every cell is bounded by a thin, flexible, selectively permeable membrane.

1. This plasma membrane (cell membrane) separates the cytoplasm from the extracellular fluid.
2. It is made of a lipid bilayer with proteins (fluid mosaic model) and controls entry and exit of substances.
3. The nuclear envelope surrounds only the nucleus, not the whole cell.

Yaad rakhein: Cell boundary = plasma membrane; nucleus boundary = nuclear envelope.

Answer: (D) प्लाज़्मा झिल्ली (Plasma membrane)

Concept: Census 2011: India's literacy rate was 74.04%.

1. Kerala had the highest literacy rate, about 94% (93.91%).
2. Lakshadweep led the UTs; Mizoram (about 91.3%) was second among states.
3. Bihar had the lowest literacy rate (about 61.8%).

Yaad rakhein: Literacy: Kerala top, Bihar bottom (Census 2011).

Answer: (D) केरल

Concept: India is the most successful nation in Olympic men's hockey.

1. India won gold in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980.
2. That makes eight gold medals in total.
3. India also has bronze medals, including Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

Trick: Six in a row (1928–1956) + 1964 + 1980 = 8.

Answer: (A) आठ

Concept: Geology (geo = Earth, logos = study) studies Earth's materials, structure, history and processes.

1. It covers rocks, minerals, fossils, plate movements and mineral/energy resources.
2. Geophysics applies physics (gravity, seismic waves, magnetism) to the Earth.
3. Geography studies places and human–environment relations; geometry is a branch of mathematics.

Yaad rakhein: Rocks, minerals, Earth's history = Geology.

Answer: (B) geology (भूविज्ञान)

Concept: The Regulating Act of 1773 provided for a Supreme Court at Fort William, Calcutta.

1. The Supreme Court of Judicature at Calcutta was set up in 1774.
2. Sir Elijah Impey was its first Chief Justice, with three other judges.
3. Madras and Bombay got Supreme Courts later (1801 and 1823).

Yaad rakhein: 1773 Act → 1774 Supreme Court, Calcutta, Elijah Impey.

Answer: (C) कलकत्ता

Concept: Gymnosperms are plants with naked seeds (no ovary or fruit wall).

1. They include medium to very tall trees such as pines, cedar and the giant redwood (Sequoia).
2. Sequoia is among the tallest tree species in the world.
3. Mosses and liverworts (bryophytes) are small; pteridophytes (ferns) are mostly small herbs.

Yaad rakhein: Gymno = naked seed; tallest tree Sequoia is a gymnosperm.

Answer: (D) gymnosperms (अनावृतबीजी)

Concept: Fundamental Rights are listed in Part III (Articles 12–35) of the Constitution of India.

1. Being part of the Constitution, they cannot be taken away by an ordinary law of the government.
2. Article 32 lets citizens move the Supreme Court directly for their enforcement (and Article 226 the High Courts).
3. Customs or panchayats cannot guarantee them; the Constitution does.

Yaad rakhein: FR = Part III; guaranteed by the Constitution, enforced by the courts.

Answer: (B) संविधान

Concept: The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 was held in the UAE and Oman; Australia won the title.

1. Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored the most runs: 303 runs in 6 innings.
2. England's Jos Buttler (269 runs) was second; Buttler scored a century in the tournament.
3. Australia's David Warner was Player of the Tournament.

Yaad rakhein: T20 WC 2021: most runs Babar Azam (303); champion Australia.

Answer: (D) बाबर आज़म

Concept: The Right to Property (Article 31) was removed from the list of Fundamental Rights by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978.

1. It was passed by the Janata Party government led by Prime Minister Morarji Desai.
2. Property became a legal (constitutional) right under Article 300A.
3. The same amendment undid many changes made by Indira Gandhi's 42nd Amendment.

Yaad rakhein: 44th Amendment, 1978, Morarji Desai: property out of Part III, into 300A.

Answer: (C) मोरारजी देसाई