๐ Chapter 09 ยท PYQs ยท Abbreviations & Firsts
Abbreviations, Firsts & Miscellaneous โ Previous Year Questions
UPSC, APPSC, and TGPSC previous year questions on abbreviations, firsts, and miscellaneous GK with detailed answers.
Who was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India?
- A) T.N. Seshan
- B) Sukumar Sen
- C) S.P. Sen Verma
- D) K.V.K. Sundaram
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Answer: B โ Sukumar Sen was the first Chief Election Commissioner of India, serving from 1950 to 1958. He conducted India’s first two general elections (1951โ52 and 1957) successfully.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the de facto border between India and:
- A) Pakistan
- B) China
- C) Nepal
- D) Bangladesh
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Answer: B โ The Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the de facto border between India and China. It is approximately 3,488 km long and has not been formally demarcated. It runs through Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Jaipur is known as the “Pink City.” This is because:
- A) It has many pink flowers
- B) The city was painted pink to welcome Prince Albert of Wales in 1876
- C) The local sandstone is naturally pink
- D) It was founded by a king named Pink
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Answer: B โ Jaipur was painted pink in 1876 by Maharaja Ram Singh II to welcome the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII). The tradition of painting buildings pink has been maintained since then, giving the city its nickname “Pink City.”
India’s first IIT was established in which city?
- A) Mumbai
- B) Delhi
- C) Kharagpur
- D) Chennai
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Answer: C โ India’s first IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) was established in Kharagpur, West Bengal in 1951. It was set up on the site of a former British prison (Hijli Detention Camp).
The Durand Line is the border between:
- A) India and Pakistan
- B) India and China
- C) Pakistan and Afghanistan
- D) India and Bangladesh
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Answer: C โ The Durand Line is the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was drawn by Sir Mortimer Durand in 1893 during British India. Before 1947, it was the border between British India and Afghanistan.
Who was India’s first woman President?
- A) Indira Gandhi
- B) Sonia Gandhi
- C) Pratibha Patil
- D) Meira Kumar
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Answer: C โ Pratibha Patil was India’s first woman President, serving from 2007 to 2012. She was the 12th President of India. Droupadi Murmu became the second woman President in 2022.
What does SEBI stand for?
- A) Securities and Exchange Bank of India
- B) Securities and Exchange Board of India
- C) Stock Exchange Bureau of India
- D) Securities Evaluation Board of India
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Answer: B โ SEBI stands for Securities and Exchange Board of India. It is the regulatory body for the securities market in India, established in 1988 and given statutory powers in 1992.
India’s southernmost point is:
- A) Kanyakumari
- B) Indira Point (Great Nicobar Island)
- C) Cape Comorin
- D) Pamban Island
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Answer: B โ India’s southernmost point is Indira Point (also called Pygmalion Point) on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of the Indian mainland.
Kolkata is known as the “City of Joy.” This nickname comes from:
- A) Its many festivals
- B) The novel “City of Joy” by Dominique Lapierre (1985)
- C) Its joyful people
- D) Its many parks and gardens
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Answer: B โ Kolkata’s nickname “City of Joy” comes from the 1985 novel of the same name by French author Dominique Lapierre, which depicted life in the slums of Kolkata. The city is also called the “Cultural Capital of India.”
The first Indian satellite Aryabhata was launched in which year?
- A) 1969
- B) 1972
- C) 1975
- D) 1980
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Answer: C โ India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, was launched on 19 April 1975 by the Soviet Union’s Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar. It was named after the ancient Indian mathematician Aryabhata (476โ550 CE).