10 years ago the ratio of ages of Ramesh and Rajeev was 1 : 3. Five years hence this ratio will become 2 : 3. What is the ratio of their ages at present?
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Correct answer: (B) 3 : 5 Take the ages ten years ago as x and 3x. Five years hence they will be x + 15 and 3x + 15, and 3(x + 15) = 2(3x + 15) gives 3x = 15, that is x = 5. So the present ages are 15 and 25 years, a ratio of 3 : 5.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 2
If I walk with a speed of 5 km per hour from my house to the station, my train would have left the station 7 minutes before my arrival. But, if I walk with a speed of 6 km per hour, I will reach the station 5 minutes before the departure of my train. Accordingly, what is the distance between my house and the station?
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Correct answer: (C) 6 km
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 3
The average monthly income of P and Q is ₹5,050. The average monthly income of Q and R is ₹6,250 and the average monthly income of P and R is ₹5,200. The monthly income of P is
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Correct answer: (C) ₹4,000 From the conditions P + Q = 10,100, Q + R = 12,500 and P + R = 10,400. Adding all three, 2(P + Q + R) = 33,000, so P + Q + R = 16,500. Taking Q + R = 12,500 from it leaves P = ₹4,000.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 4
If 30% of P is added to 40% of Q, it becomes 80% of Q. Accordingly, what is the percentage of Q with respect to P?
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Correct answer: (C) 75% From the condition 0·3P + 0·4Q = 0·8Q, so 0·3P = 0·4Q and Q = 0·75P. That is, Q is 75% of P.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 5
A sum of money is to be distributed among A, B, C, D in the proportion of 5 : 2 : 4 : 3. If C gets ₹1,000 more than D, what is B’s share?
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Correct answer: (C) ₹2,000 In the ratio 5 : 2 : 4 : 3 the difference between C's and D's shares is 4 − 3 = 1 part, which equals ₹1,000. So one part = ₹1,000 and B's share = 2 parts = ₹2,000.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 6
A shopkeeper gives a discount of 5% on the selling price of a watch. If he gives a discount of 6%, he will earn a profit which is ₹15 less than before. Accordingly, what is the marked selling price of that watch?
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Correct answer: (B) ₹1,500 Giving 6% instead of 5% means one per cent more of the marked price is given away, and the profit falls by ₹15. So 1% of the marked price = ₹15, that is the marked price = ₹1,500.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 7
Three numbers are in the ratio 3 : 4 : 5. The total of the largest and the smallest numbers is equal to the other number plus 52. Accordingly, which is the smallest number?
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Correct answer: (B) 39 Take the numbers as 3x, 4x and 5x. The sum of the largest and the smallest is 3x + 5x = 8x, which equals 4x + 52. That gives 4x = 52 and x = 13, so the smallest number is 3 × 13 = 39.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 8
If 2^(2n−1) = 1/8^(n−3), then the value of n is
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Correct answer: (B) 2 Write the right side as a power of 2: 8 = 2³, so 1/8^(n−3) = 2^(−3(n−3)) = 2^(−3n+9). With the bases equal, 2n − 1 = −3n + 9, that is 5n = 10 and n = 2.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 9
Which of the following photo-electric devices is the most suitable for digital applications?
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Correct answer: (A) Photo-voltaic cell A photo-voltaic cell generates a voltage of itself when light falls on it, so it can be joined straight into a circuit without an external battery—the Commission's key takes that as the most suitable for digital applications.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 10
The critical mass of a fissionable material is
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Correct answer: (B) The minimum mass needed for chain reaction The critical mass of a fissionable material is the least mass at which a chain reaction can keep itself going. Below it the neutrons escape and the reaction stops.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 11
Which of the following gases is used to force the ripening of fruits?
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Correct answer: (B) Ethylene Ethylene gas is used to ripen fruit quickly. It is the plant's own natural hormone, which hastens the ripening.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 12
Which one of the following has zero octane number?
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 13
The edible part of Litchis is
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Correct answer: (A) Aril The juicy part of a litchi that we eat is the aril, a fleshy growth that develops around the seed.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 14
The physical process involved in the release of molecular oxygen from leaves is
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Correct answer: (A) Diffusion The oxygen made in photosynthesis leaves the leaf through the stomata by diffusion—gases always spread from higher to lower concentration. Transpiration releases water vapour, and osmosis concerns water.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 15
The process of finding the relative location of genes on a chromosome is called
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Correct answer: (C) Gene mapping Finding the relative positions of genes on a chromosome, and the distances between them, is called gene mapping; the distance is judged from the frequency of recombination.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 16
Spore mother cell in bryophytes is
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Correct answer: (B) Diploid A bryophyte's life cycle is gametophyte-dominant, but the capsule belongs to the sporophyte. Its spore mother cell is diploid, and by meiosis it gives haploid spores.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 17
In which year was NGT (National Green Tribunal) for protection of environment and forest established by the Government of India?
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Correct answer: (A) 2010 The National Green Tribunal was set up in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, to settle cases concerning the environment and the forests quickly.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 18
Which city of India started first under-water metro?
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above India's first underwater metro began in Kolkata, running through a tunnel under the Hooghly. All three cities given are wrong, so the answer is ‘None of the above’.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 19
Under India’s G20 Presidency, where was the Tourism Working Group Meeting held?
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Correct answer: (B) Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) Under India's G20 Presidency the Tourism Working Group Meeting was held at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 20
Who among the following got the Silver Medal in the National Under-17 Girls Wrestling Championship?
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Correct answer: (B) Nirjala
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 21
Who won the International Booker Prize, 2022 for the novel, Tomb of Sand?
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Correct answer: (A) Geetanjali Shree and Daisy Rockwell
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 22
Who was the Chief Guest on India’s 74th Republic Day?
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Correct answer: (B) Abdel Fattah El-Sisi The Chief Guest at India's 74th Republic Day (2023) was the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 23
In which district of Bihar, the first floating solar power plant has been built?
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Correct answer: (A) Darbhanga Bihar's first floating solar power plant was built in Darbhanga district, with the panels floated on the surface of a pond. That saves land, and the coolness of the water lets the panels work more efficiently.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 24
Which of the following has got GI Tag in Bihar?
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Correct answer: (A) Maghai Paan Maghai Paan of Bihar carries a Geographical Indication tag, which marks a product as belonging to a particular place by its qualities and reputation.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 25
Match List-I with List-II: List-I: a. Char, b. Kankar, c. Kayal, d. Mand. List-II: 1. Punjab plain, 2. Delta, 3. Bangar, 4. Coastal plain. Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
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Correct answer: (B) a–2, b–3, c–4, d–1 The matching runs thus—‘char’ is the new alluvium of the delta, ‘kankar’ the lumps of lime found in the old alluvium of the bangar, ‘kayal’ the lagoon of the coastal plain, and ‘mand’ the low ground of a river's old course in the Punjab plain. So a-2, b-3, c-4, d-1.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 26
Which of the following tributaries does not join Brahmaputra river from north?
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above The Subansiri, the Belsiri and the Manas all join the Brahmaputra from the north, so the answer is ‘None of the above’. The chief tributaries from the south are the Kopili and the Dhansiri.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 27
Likhapani glacier is located in which State of India?
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Correct answer: (A) Arunachal Pradesh The Likhapani glacier lies in Arunachal Pradesh.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 28
Magadha and Anga plains are parts of
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Correct answer: (B) Middle Ganga plain The Magadha and Anga plains lie in Bihar, which is part of the middle valley of the Ganga. The lower valley falls in West Bengal and the upper in Uttar Pradesh.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 29
Which of the following pairs of waterfalls and rivers is not correctly matched?
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Correct answer: (D) More than one of the above The Jog falls are on the Sharavati—that pair is right. But both Kapildhara and Dhuandhar are on the Narmada, not on the Kaveri or the Godavari. Two pairs being wrong, the answer is ‘more than one’.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 30
Arrange the following seaports of India from north to south: 1. Kakinada, 2. Machilipatnam, 3. Nagapattinam, 4. Visakhapatnam. Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
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Correct answer: (B) 4, 1, 2, 3 From north to south these ports run Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Nagapattinam—that is 4, 1, 2, 3.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 31
The Agreement of Kosi Irrigation and Hydroelectricity Plan in 1954 was signed between which two countries?
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Correct answer: (C) India and Nepal The agreement on the Kosi Irrigation and Hydroelectricity Plan was signed in 1954 between India and Nepal, since the upper catchment of the Kosi lies in Nepal while Bihar bears the floods.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 32
In which climatic division does Bihar fall as per R. L. Singh’s classification scheme?
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Correct answer: (B) Subhumid transitional In R. L. Singh's classification Bihar falls in the subhumid transitional climatic division—the belt between the humid east and the drier west.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 33
In which Session of the Indian National Congress was the resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’ adopted?
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Correct answer: (B) Lahore Session, 1929 The resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’ was adopted at the Lahore session of the Congress in 1929, presided over by Jawaharlal Nehru. The first Independence Day was kept on 26 January 1930.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 34
What was an initial objective of ‘Kuka Movement’ in Punjab?
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Correct answer: (A) To purify the Sikh religion The Kuka movement of Punjab began in order to free the Sikh religion of malpractices and purify it. Later, under Baba Ram Singh, it took the form of a boycott of British rule.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 35
Who described the Revolt of 1857 as the ‘First Indian War of Independence’?
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Correct answer: (A) V. D. Savarkar Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, in his book ‘The Indian War of Independence, 1857’, called the revolt India's first war of independence. R. C. Majumdar disagreed with that view.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 36
Where was the first instance of organized non-cooperation in the history of Indian peasantry held?
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Correct answer: (A) Bihar and Bengal The first instance of organised non-cooperation in the history of the Indian peasantry is found in Bihar and Bengal, where the peasants forced to grow indigo together refused to sow it.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 37
Which portfolio did Dr. Rajendra Prasad hold during the Interim Government of 1946?
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Correct answer: (C) Food and Agriculture In the Interim Government of 1946 Dr Rajendra Prasad was given the Food and Agriculture portfolio. He went on to be President of the Constituent Assembly and the country's first President.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 38
Who among the following particularly urged Gandhiji to visit Champaran to witness the miseries of the Ryots?
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Correct answer: (B) Rajkumar Shukla It was the Champaran peasant Rajkumar Shukla who urged Gandhiji again and again to come and see the misery there, and the Champaran Satyagraha began in 1917.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 39
The ‘Day of Deliverance’ was observed by the Muslim League on which date?
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Correct answer: (A) 22nd December, 1939 The Muslim League observed the ‘Day of Deliverance’ on 22 December 1939, after the Congress ministries resigned.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 40
Who laid the foundation stone of National College and Bihar Vidyapeeth?
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Correct answer: (C) Mahatma Gandhi The foundation stone of the National College and of Bihar Vidyapeeth was laid by Mahatma Gandhi—both were national institutions of education set up during the Non-Cooperation Movement.
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 41
(Passage for Questions 41–65: It is a cold December night in a remote village. An old storyteller sits by the hearth-fire with students home for the winter holidays. Granny is unusually subdued, older-looking and agitated. She tells them of a peculiar wind that blows through the village on a certain night, seeming to come from the graveyard and sounding like a hymn; tonight is that night. The youngsters are skeptical, but she says they have forgotten how to listen to the voice of the earth and wind. They listen and hear a low hum, then an eerie sound. The storyteller says it is the anniversary of a dreadful Sunday when army atrocities took place in the village. The wind whirls past the house, briefly seeming to hover above it, then moves away, leaving an uncanny lilt. The old woman says it was Apenyo’s last song and hums a tune. She seems transformed, more alive and animated. A young girl asks whose last song it was. The storyteller looks at the group as if seeing them for the first time, then invites them to listen to the story of Apenyo. On a cold December night, she gathers the young around the hearth to tell of Black Sunday, when a young, beautiful singer sang her last song as another Naga village wept for its ravaged and ruined children. Extract from ‘The Last Song’ in These Hills Called Home, by Temsula Ao, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2006, pp. 31–33. Why was the grandmother listless that night?
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Correct answer: (C) She was anxious
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 42
How best can one describe the character of the storyteller?
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Correct answer: (B) Cheerful and lively old lady
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 43
What does the term ‘hearth-fire’ indicate?
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Correct answer: (D) More than one of the above
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 44
What was so special about ‘that night’?
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Correct answer: (B) It was that fateful night when a peculiar wind blew
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 45
What is the trajectory that the song takes in the story?
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Correct answer: (A) The song arises from the graveyard filling the whole village and disappears beyond human habitation
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 46
Why do listeners gather to hear stories at night in remote villages upon the hills of North-East India?
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Correct answer: (E) None of the above
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 47
Pick out a synonym for the word ‘rebuke’ from the extract.
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Correct answer: (A) Chastised
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 48
Which word in the story indicates supernatural elements?
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Correct answer: (D) More than one of the above
1 marks · 2023 · Set A
Question 49
Describe the look on the storyteller’s face when they all clearly hear the tune of the song.