Secretariat Assistant 2018 — GK & General Studies
Secretariat Assistant / Auditor (Graduate Level) — 2018 · 20 questions
Secretariat Assistant 2018 — GK & General Studies
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. The Planning Commission of India was replaced by:
A. Finance Commission
B. NITI Aayog ✓
C. National Development Council
D. Election Commission
Why: NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) replaced the Planning Commission on 1 January 2015.
Q2. The Indian Constitution was adopted on:
A. 15 August 1947
B. 26 January 1950
C. 26 November 1949 ✓
D. 30 January 1948
Why: The Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 (now celebrated as Constitution Day). It came into effect on 26 January 1950 (Republic Day).
Q3. The Chipko Movement was associated with:
A. Water conservation
B. Forest conservation ✓
C. Soil conservation
D. Wildlife protection
Why: The Chipko Movement (1973) in Uttarakhand was a forest conservation movement where villagers hugged trees to prevent logging. Led by Sunderlal Bahuguna and Chandi Prasad Bhatt.
Q4. Which Mughal emperor built the Taj Mahal?
A. Akbar
B. Jahangir
C. Shah Jahan ✓
D. Aurangzeb
Why: Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal (1632-1653) in Agra as a mausoleum for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Q5. The Indus Valley site of Dholavira is located in:
A. Rajasthan
B. Gujarat ✓
C. Haryana
D. Punjab
Why: Dholavira is in Gujarat (Kutch district). It is known for its water reservoirs and a signboard with Indus script characters.
Q6. The word 'Secular' was added to the Preamble by the:
A. 1st Amendment
B. 42nd Amendment ✓
C. 44th Amendment
D. 86th Amendment
Why: The 42nd Amendment (1976) added 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' to the Preamble.
Q7. Which gas is used for artificial ripening of fruits?
A. Methane
B. Ethylene ✓
C. Acetylene
D. Nitrogen
Why: Ethylene is a natural plant hormone used for artificial ripening of fruits. Calcium carbide (which produces acetylene) is sometimes used illegally for the same purpose.
Q8. The Rig Veda was written in which language?
A. Pali
B. Prakrit
C. Sanskrit ✓
D. Tamil
Why: The Rig Veda was composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the earliest form of Sanskrit language.
Q9. Which river passes through the maximum number of Indian states?
A. Ganga ✓
B. Godavari
C. Narmada
D. Krishna
Why: The Ganga flows through the maximum number of Indian states (Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal) — 5 states.
Q10. The Right to Information Act was enacted in:
A. 2003
B. 2005 ✓
C. 2007
D. 2009
Why: The RTI Act was enacted on 15 June 2005 and came into full force on 12 October 2005.
Q11. Sree Narayana Guru's famous saying 'Oru Jathi, Oru Matham, Oru Daivam Manushyanu' means:
A. One Language, One Country, One Flag
B. One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind ✓
C. One Nation, One Tax, One Market
D. One Earth, One Family, One Future
Why: Sree Narayana Guru proclaimed 'One Caste, One Religion, One God for Mankind' — a radical message of social equality and anti-caste activism.
Q12. Ecology is the study of:
A. Insects
B. Fossils
C. Organisms and their environment ✓
D. Human behaviour
Why: Ecology is the study of organisms and their interactions with each other and their environment. Entomology = insects, Palaeontology = fossils.
Q13. The first Five Year Plan of India was based on the model of:
A. Mahalanobis Model
B. Harrod-Domar Model ✓
C. Gandhian Model
D. Mixed Economy Model
Why: The First Five Year Plan (1951-56) was based on the Harrod-Domar Model, focusing on agriculture and irrigation. The Second Plan used the Mahalanobis Model.
Q14. The Arya Samaj was founded in which year?
A. 1828
B. 1857
C. 1875 ✓
D. 1897
Why: Swami Dayananda Saraswati founded the Arya Samaj in 1875 in Bombay. Brahmo Samaj was founded in 1828 by Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
Q15. Sound waves are:
A. Electromagnetic waves
B. Transverse waves
C. Longitudinal waves ✓
D. Surface waves
Why: Sound waves are longitudinal waves — the particles vibrate parallel to the direction of wave propagation (compressions and rarefactions).
Q16. The headquarters of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is at:
A. New York
B. Paris
C. Geneva ✓
D. Brussels
Why: WTO is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It was established in 1995, replacing GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade).
Q17. Keralavarma Valiyakoyi Thampuran translated which major work into Malayalam?
A. Mahabharata
B. Ramayana
C. Bhagavatam
D. Shakuntalam ✓
Why: Keralavarma Valiyakoyi Thampuran translated Kalidasa's Shakuntalam (Abhijnanashakuntalam) into Malayalam, making this Sanskrit classic accessible to Malayalam readers.
Q18. The Governor can reserve a bill for the consideration of the:
A. Chief Minister
B. Speaker
C. President ✓
D. Supreme Court
Why: Under Article 200, the Governor can reserve a state bill for the President's consideration. The President can give assent, withhold assent, or return it.
Q19. Diamond is an allotrope of:
A. Silicon
B. Carbon ✓
C. Aluminium
D. Boron
Why: Diamond is an allotrope (different structural form) of Carbon. Graphite is another allotrope of carbon. Both are pure carbon in different crystal structures.
Q20. The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in:
A. 2011
B. 2013 ✓
C. 2014
D. 2016
Why: The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act was passed in 2013, establishing a national anti-corruption ombudsman. The first Lokpal was appointed in 2019.
Questions 26 – 20
Questions 51 – 20
Questions 76 – 20
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