LDC 2020 Kozhikode District — GK Selection
Lower Division Clerk (LDC) - Kozhikode District — 2020 · 20 questions
LDC 2020 Kozhikode District — GK Selection
20 questions · 15 minutes
All 20 questions answered
Verified correct answer (highlighted green) · short Why note for each · sources cited where relevant. Disputed answer-keys are flagged transparently.
Questions 1 – 20
Q1. Vasco da Gama landed at which place in Kerala in 1498?
A. Kochi
B. Kozhikode (Calicut) ✓
C. Kollam
D. Kannur
Why: Vasco da Gama arrived at Kozhikode (Calicut) on 20 May 1498, becoming the first European to reach India by sea.
Q2. The Zamorin was the ruler of:
A. Travancore
B. Cochin
C. Calicut ✓
D. Malabar
Why: The Zamorin (Samoothiri) was the hereditary ruler of Calicut (Kozhikode). Calicut was a major spice trade hub under the Zamorins.
Q3. Which Constitutional Amendment reduced the voting age from 21 to 18?
A. 52nd Amendment
B. 61st Amendment ✓
C. 73rd Amendment
D. 86th Amendment
Why: The 61st Amendment (1989) reduced the voting age from 21 to 18 years.
Q4. Dengue fever is transmitted by:
A. Housefly
B. Mosquito ✓
C. Cockroach
D. Rat
Why: Dengue is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito (Aedes aegypti). It bites mainly during daytime, especially early morning and late afternoon.
Q5. The official language of the United Nations does NOT include:
A. Chinese
B. Hindi ✓
C. Arabic
D. French
Why: The 6 official UN languages are English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Arabic. Hindi is NOT a UN official language.
Q6. Which is the lightest gas?
A. Oxygen
B. Nitrogen
C. Hydrogen ✓
D. Helium
Why: Hydrogen is the lightest element and the lightest gas. Helium is the second lightest.
Q7. The first woman President of the Indian National Congress was:
A. Sarojini Naidu
B. Annie Besant ✓
C. Indira Gandhi
D. Sonia Gandhi
Why: Annie Besant was the first woman President of INC (1917 Calcutta session). Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman president (1925 Kanpur session).
Q8. The Kunjali Marakkars were the naval chiefs of the:
A. British
B. Portuguese
C. Zamorin of Calicut ✓
D. Travancore
Why: The Kunjali Marakkars were a dynasty of naval chiefs of the Zamorin of Calicut who fought against Portuguese colonial expansion in the 16th century.
Q9. Kozhikode is also known as:
A. City of Seven Hills
B. City of Spices ✓
C. Queen of Arabian Sea
D. Venice of the East
Why: Kozhikode is called the 'City of Spices' due to its historical role as a major spice trading port. 'Queen of Arabian Sea' = Kochi. 'Venice of the East' = Alappuzha.
Q10. The full form of DNA is:
A. Deoxyribonucleic Acid
B. Di-Nitro Acid
C. Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid
D. Both A and C ✓
Why: DNA = Deoxyribonucleic Acid. It carries genetic information in all living organisms. Options A and C are the same thing written differently.
Q11. The Right to Privacy was declared a Fundamental Right in which case?
A. Golaknath case
B. Kesavananda Bharati case
C. Puttaswamy case ✓
D. Maneka Gandhi case
Why: In the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India case (2017), the Supreme Court declared that the Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right under Article 21.
Q12. The Mathrubhumi newspaper was founded in:
A. 1888
B. 1911
C. 1923 ✓
D. 1946
Why: Mathrubhumi was founded in 1923 by K.P. Kesava Menon in Kozhikode. It actively supported the Indian independence movement.
Q13. Which type of soil is best for cotton cultivation?
A. Alluvial soil
B. Red soil
C. Black soil ✓
D. Laterite soil
Why: Black soil (Regur soil) is best for cotton cultivation due to its moisture-retaining capacity. It is found in the Deccan Plateau.
Q14. The National Anthem of India was first sung on:
A. 26 January 1950
B. 15 August 1947
C. 27 December 1911 ✓
D. 24 January 1950
Why: Jana Gana Mana was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress. It was adopted as the National Anthem on 24 January 1950.
Q15. In a clock, at 6:00, the angle between the hour and minute hands is:
A. 90°
B. 120°
C. 150°
D. 180° ✓
Why: At 6:00, the hour hand points at 6 and the minute hand at 12, forming a straight line = 180° (a straight angle).
Q16. Which acid is found in vinegar?
A. Hydrochloric acid
B. Sulphuric acid
C. Acetic acid ✓
D. Citric acid
Why: Vinegar contains Acetic acid (CH₃COOH). Citric acid = lemon. HCl = stomach. H₂SO₄ = car batteries.
Q17. The 'Queen of Spices' is:
A. Pepper
B. Cardamom ✓
C. Cinnamon
D. Turmeric
Why: Cardamom is the 'Queen of Spices'. Pepper is the 'King of Spices'. Both are major plantation crops of Kerala.
Q18. Who wrote 'Gitanjali'?
A. Bankim Chandra
B. Rabindranath Tagore ✓
C. Sarojini Naidu
D. Premchand
Why: Rabindranath Tagore wrote Gitanjali (Song Offerings), for which he won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.
Q19. The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere is:
A. 21 March
B. 21 June ✓
C. 23 September
D. 22 December
Why: 21 June (Summer Solstice) is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere. 22 December (Winter Solstice) is the shortest.
Q20. Beypore, famous for its traditional boat-building (Uru), is in which district?
A. Thrissur
B. Malappuram
C. Kozhikode ✓
D. Kannur
Why: Beypore in Kozhikode district is famous for building Uru (traditional wooden sailing vessels). The Beypore Uru tradition dates back centuries.
Questions 26 – 20
Questions 51 – 20
Questions 76 – 20
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